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THE ARGUS—Friday, April 21, 1961PageLetters To The EditorThe 'Faith Healing' Campaign: Pro and ConBertholf Letter ReprintAt the request of the Religious Activities Commission, President Lloyd M. Bertholf wrote a letter to the Bloomington Pantagraph last week concerning the recent faith healing services held in Memorial Gymnasium.The letter was headlined “IWU Asserts Rental Not Endorsement” and read as follows: “We wishi to make it clear to the public that although Illinois Wesleyan recently rented its gymnasium to a group which advertised a program of ‘Divine Healing Services,’ this does not necessarily constitute an endorsement by the University of that organization or- its methods.Lloyd Bertholf, President, Illinois Wesleyan University”Nixes EmotioDear Editor,For the past week there has been a man who has stirred up quite an interest in or aversion to religion, depending on the personal beliefs of an individual.For my part, “Brother” Branham stirred up neither of these. He has* however, made it quite plain to me just what my main objections are to this type of emotional ^ religious (?) service.At a meeting of the pre-theo-logical students last Friday, Dr. C. M. Smith, minister of Wesley Methodist Church, said that Christians today are not tough-minded enough. He said that if a thing is bunk, one should have the courage to call it bunk.I’m not sure that I ^ould be so quick to condemn, for even if this Mr. Branham is a fake, as some people have pronounced him, he is perhaps doing some good in that the people he preaches to perhaps cannot be reached in any other way.When Dr. Smith used the word “bunk,” he was not referring to divine healing. He stated that an amazing part of the New Testament is devoted to the works of healing that Christ performed; in this light, any Christian must take seriously the matter of divine healing.The word “bunk” refers to Mr. Branham’s methods as being inconsistent with the way in which Christ healed.I will therefore submit some factors which I observed in the revival meetings that I attended.First and foremost, Christ did not commercialize his healing. When He healed he said, “Thy faith hast made thee whole,” or He said something to the effect that the healed person should not tell anyone.Christ did not, furthermore, walk around with a halo over his head or sell pictures of himself with a halo.Sunday night at Mr. Branham’s healing service, more than 100 people went through the healing line, but Branham did not even look at the six pr seven cripples sitting together near the right hand side of the stage; Branham healed nervous stomachs or high blood pressures instead.The speaking in tongues is regarded by Branham and his followers as proof of the Holy Spirit. At the three meetings I atjtended, the same woman spoke in tongues,and the same man interpreted this speaking.I have tapes of two different services on which the voices of the ppople speaking and interpreting may be compared.When a group becomes emotionally involved, that emotion needs release, and such a phenomenom as one person speaking in a tongue will set off that release. I have good reason to believe that these people were planted in the audience for that purpose.If this was truly the Holy Spirit, why was the speaking confined to these two people? There were many believers in the audience (I hesitate to call that group a congregation) in whom the Holy Spirit could manifest itself.Dr. Leonard, in History of Christianity, lectured on revivalism. His lecture was taken from special research he made on the. subject while studying at the Chicago Theological Seminary.Dr. Leonard also found that the same physical manifestations exhibited in Mr. Branham’s revival are found in non-Christian cults, such as that of the American Indian. * ,We must keep ourselves open to the marvelous things which God can do, for to say that God cannot do something is to put human limitations on Him.But we must also discern what things are the works of God and what things are the works of emotion; we must be sure that we are followers of Christ, not Mr. Branham.Respectfully submitted, Lee Williamsonbusiness policy to rent the gym whenever possible.However, I understand that the university is charging no more titan $475 for the eight-day use of the gym. This is a very nominal sum; in addition, it has been necessary to cancel all indoor P.E. classes.I haven’t spac here to give my impressions of these faith healing gatherings and the general concept of faith healing itself, but I do wish to pose two statements made by Mr. Branham: -Those who believe in faith heal ing shall live forever; God created the white man, God created the Negro, and God created segregation.Although it was enlightening to observe the procedure of such a meeting, nevertheless it most certainly must have been embarrassing to those students and faculty members who attended the meetings and looked helplessly on at such a thing taking place on “their own campus.”David Slickborrow from me a copy of one of his books (I have several copies given for student loan by Billy Paul Branham); read it; write to the people whose testimonies are given there; question Mr. and Mrs.auk and other Bloomingtonians who have healing testimonies; and find out for yourself if Mr. Branham is a fake dr “a/man sent from God.”Sincerely,David HousholderDefends BranhamToo Much Education?In regard to the faith healing caravan that was in Bloomington last week, I should like to know why its meetings were held on Wesleyan’s campus.Wesleyan, being a private college, has the ability to bring many speakers to its campus that state supported schools cannot.So far this year, Wesleyan has allowed several radical groups and individuals on its campus, including most recently the beatnik Joffre Stewart and the Peacewalkers.These representative groups and individuals, although not allowed on some college campuses including that of Normal’s, I feel have a message to present to the academic world which should and “can” be analyzed.But to allow such a group as the onO ldd by Mr. William Branham, who speaks with pride of never having obtained more than a seventh grade education and whose ideas are so anachronistic that they leave a distaste in one’s mouth to hear them propounded, on our campus is allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of, and it certainly can do no good to the reputation of our university.I do not place the blame for the presence of this group on our campus upon anyone.But it does seem to me that a more thorough investigation of it should have been made before allowing it to establish itself here and propagate its dangerous ideas to the whole community.Disregarding the moral aspects of the situation, I can see that it would be in keeping with goodDear Editor,'The criticism of the recent evangelistic crusade and healing mission of William Branham is actually two-fold. Criticism is aimed not only at William Branham, but also at forms of Pentecostal worship.I wish to' discuss Mr. Branham, but I will briefly touch upon the Pentecostal worship. Critics say it is emotional. It is. The emotion is the reaction to God touching a human soul.Praying with lifted hands, clapping hands apd shouting * “Amen” (all former Methodist practices) have their origip in the worship described in the Bible.When I saw a woman who had been bed-ridden for eleven months stand up, I wanted to shout too.As for William Branham, if he is a fake, he is a cruel devil. Instilling false hope in sick people. However, the gifts of. discernment and prophecy manifested through Mr. Branham and the amazing healings that have taken place in connection with his ministry should indicate that he is no fake.John commanded us to “try the spirits whether they are of God.” Reading I John will reveal that a false prophet will not exhalt Jesus Christ as Mr. Branham does.I can confidently say that the meeting brought greater results than the healings. Workihg in 'the prayer rooms, I saw souls saved, Christians receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and people dedicate their lives to God.I firmly believe we should allow Mr. Branham’s message to sink deeply into our thoughts. We should (as he suggested) forget petty denominational differences, seek God in unity, and thus find his will.Then we can return to the Pentecostal experience which opened the church age and through which we will receive power to be witnesses for Christ.I had never been in a Branham meeting before this one, and I cannot answer all the questions about him.Let me give you this challenge: before criticizing Mr. Branham,'As For Prophecy...1Editor, the Argus, sThis letter is a modest protest about the “divine healing mission” which was held last week. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have some definite personal convictions about the mission and ministry of Brother Billy Branham.A notable portion of Brother Branham’s religious harangue was devoted to the proposition that “We must again have Pentecost.” He stressed this point unduly and appeared to be concerned with Pentecost for Pentecost’s sake.The danger inherent in this message was that he presupposed no witnessing- to God in the mainstream of life. Instead, he emphasized the abnormal, the sensational, the spectacular, and the bizarre.He relied on a kind of religiositywhich, failing to stimulate the to obey and serve, offered an en tional orgy complete with rushi winds, emerald haloes, and blt; bling tongues.My only comment here is tak from I Corinthians 13 “... as i prophecy, it will pass away; as I tongues, they will cease; as i knowledge, it will pass away. F our knowledge is imperfect and o prophecy is imperfect; but wh the perfect comes, the imperfe will pass away ...”In the limited perspective of , emotional kick, Brother Branhan message was adequate, but ! otherwise failed to relate himslt; to the larger sphere of Christiani which is concerned with mai daily life and man’s total witne to his Creator.Dr. Martin E. Marty, associa editor of The Christian Centur says, “The churches had better 1 ready to detail their vision of Go their hopes for man, and their pi ture of community.” (I don’t think Brother Branha ever concerned himself with th larger view of Christianity. He pr vided a rather anemic case flt; Christianity to any non-believer.If we have a faith in Jesi Christ, we must not stand by no chalantly and let it be tramph upon. Hence, this modest protest.Sincerely submitted, Mike McIntyreStudent Credits Many Wesleyanites For High Quality Of 1960 YearbookDear Miss Editor:After all the discussion, ridicule, and threats, Wesleyan students finally received their last year’s annual. The nice part about the whole affair is that we didn’t have to settle for a low class publication, not at all, because this issue was really high class in style and lay out.Comparing this Wesleyana to the previous two that I have received,I readily note that it is by far the best one.Obviously a tremendous amount of work went into this issue.Certainly everyone is indebted to the Publications Commission, Dr. Schultz, and many more personswho worked so hard on seeing th; the annual was completed.Even Ken Qualkenbush deserve credit for starting it on such a hig level of quality.Really all that needs to be sai here is that a grateful senior wan to say “thanks” to everyone wt had anything to do with makir the 1960 Wesleyana the best or by far.Sincerely yours, Jack MaginOn each desk in the Pentago space agency, they now have or box for “out” and ope for “outer (The Reader’s Digest)Campus Laundromat and CleanersPickup and DeliveryQuick Service Laundry — Dry Cleaning — Shirt FinishingPHONE 829-1737115 North StreetNormal, IllinoisNIERSTHEIMERDRUGSStill Serving You DAILY at1302 N. Main - By the Campus
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The Argus
Bloomington, Illinois, US
Fri, Apr 21, 1961
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael R.
USA 25 Jan 2025
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