It is true, in the world, “might is right.” The rich and the powerful will prevail over the poor and the weak, but that is in the world. Christ had a new way, the Christian way. In the world, if you have the power to destroy your enemy, you are expected to use it, it is one of the many gifts of the Prince of Darkness. Consequently when truth cannot be squelched it must be eliminated. We Christians know this, and we expect it, but Truth cries aloud in the streets; a singular voice many times, and weak, but with a REAL purpose, that has nothing to do with value as defined by this world.
Richard Abanes cannot defeat Ken Silva, because Ken is walking in the light of truth. Truth is on his side, so he must be silenced by other means. If truth is put down one place, it will pop up somewhere else; persecution is to be expected. Richard, using his reputation in the world as leverage, is attempting to shut down Apprising Ministries web site. The world always shows its hand eventually. When sweetness, gentleness, and gifts do not work, reasoning and words result. Then the threats and intimidation are not far away, and this followed by force if necessary. Those watching from the sidelines need to watch closely both sides, and discern for yourselves what these actions reveal. When we promote Christ there is a cost involved, and Christians understand that their service to the King will eventually result in great sacrifice. When that sacrifice comes we do not resort to the world for resolution, we give thanks to God that we were found worthy to deliver to Him the reward of His suffering.
I am not really surprised at seeing this type of action come out of Richard Abanes toward Ken Silva over at Apprising Ministries. I was actively engaged in the fight to expose Rick Warren and took a personal dislike of his ways and means of promoting his Purpose Driven agenda on the ignorant sheep of God’s flock. I was especially agitated to see the way a member of his congregation, Richard Abanes, was allowed, and encouraged by Rick’s inaction, to bulldog anyone who had a conflicting opinion, even a member of the same church who wrote a complimentary biography about Warren. I desisted from writing, and wrote an apologetic letter to both Richard and Rick stating my error for allowing my flesh to guide me into areas that effected my relationship to my Lord. That apology stands, as written, but it, by no means, insinuates that I agreed with them, at all.
This action against Ken Silva is uncalled for and irresponsible by one who claims to be a brother. I had never read the article, A Pastor’s Assessment Of Richard Abanes, to which Richard points, and expected it to be full of slanderous lies, but found nothing of the like. Richard, in this action is revealing much about himself and his relationship to the Lord, and his understanding and belief of God’s Holy Word. What is detected here is the actions of a man of the world in all the glory of protecting filthy mammon. He should not take a brother before Caesar as the Heathen do. At the least he should turn the other cheek and at the most sacrifice all for the One in whom he says he believes. Isn’t that what unbelievers are looking for in a Christian who professes the high ground of Life in Christ. Richard is a man, not just any man, but a man who has written many books on Christianity, who claims a high degree of knowledge of Christian ethics, and the ways of Christ; will he now in this action show that he is no more than a mere businessman making a move to protect his turf, like the Heathen. Is Richard stating by his actions that he is not only in the world, but of the world? The article to which he points is the run of the mill, back and forth, give and take of argumentation, that goes on regularly over the internet. I have read and heard much, much, worse coming from those whose sites Richard frequents. This looks very much like the acts of man afraid of losing worldly gain, of which every Christian knows belongs to the Lord anyway.
I would think that any Christian with an ounce of discernment should be able to see through this act of desperation from a man loving the things of this world. There should be red flags going up like roman candles at the actions of Richard Abanes. If this is the end result of the Purpose Driven Life then I would suggest that it is an ill advised purpose and not Christian.
I publicly take a stand with Ken Silva against this assault and declare that Richard Abanes, if he is a Christian, make a public apology and repent of this gross injustice to a Christian brother.
Steve Blackwell
www.IndyWatchman.wordpress.com
16 replies on “A Response To Richard Abanes’ Attack Of Ken Silva”
Richard says: “The open letter should answer most questions and addressed the widely-read article by Steve Camp titled “Battles in the Blogsphere.”
Only problem Richard is that it ignores the most pressing questions such as:
1. What is the libelous content that justifies the charge?
2. Why the urgency now after it has been up for over 3 years?
3. Where is your humility? (God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.)
Interesting how you would claim your piece addresses things pertinent when it evades the most central questions involved. A widely displayed fruit of PD living – claims that exceed fruits aka over-promising and under-delivering on the promise – whereas a fruit of Christ-likeness wold be to underpromise and over-deliver.
Humility and integrity on display – in other words.
My thoughts,
Bill
This Open Letter to Steve Camp outlines my initial thoughts/intentions/motivation for writing to Ken Silva’s ISP. It also covers various issues relating to the “Ken Silva vs. Richard Abanes” controversy, including:
1. Bible Study notes on key passages being discussed (1 Cor. 6 and Matt. 18),
2. the actual contents of my email to Silva’s ISP,
3. observations about the current state of the church,
4. an indictment of today’s so-called Online Discernment Ministries, and
5. documentation of Ken Silva’s violation of federal copyright/privacy laws, and other issues.
The open letter should answer most questions and addressed the widely-read article by Steve Camp titled “Battles in the Blogsphere.”
Those who have ears to hear, and eyes to see, will both hear and see the truth.
Proverbs 18:13 reads: “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame.”
Proverbs 18:17 tells us: “The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.”
Richard Abanes
Pop Culture Mix
Ken Silva’s site is back up!
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2005/09/a_pastors_asses.html.
Indyman,
I agree, the consequences of this action may be a bit harsh farther down the road. It may very well back fire on him.
I have had a little interaction with Mr. Abanes in the past, asking questions about PDL and the theology of it, and I felt that by the time we were at the end of the discussion I was no farther convinced than I already was that there is error in the theology and teachings.
I am sadden by the actions that have been taken on his part. I certainly hope that a “root of bitterness” has not entangled him and has motivated him in these actions.
While I may not agree with Mr. Abanes and the PDL stuff that he so greatly supports, he still is a brother in Christ and I would hope and expect that he would follow the very commands and teachings of our Lord in his actions, and would have proceeded in a proper manner.
Tim H
indywatchman,
I’m sure you’re right that I won’t find anyone in agreement with my thinking here on this site. That’s ok, I’m not trying to pick a fight or win anyone over, just perhaps provide a more balanced perspective. Frankly, I think to skew this to make it about Rick Warren strikes me as just a tad paranoid. No one likes inflammatory things about them floating around on the internet. If it were me, I’d want it off, also. Especially since the article was more of an attack on character than a critique of theology. I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person, I just don’t see it here. Blessing on all of you here.
Tim H,
I personally don’t feel there is much there in the way of a law suite, but I do feel there is much there in the way of posturing. and intimidation. But, it already looks as if the tables are turning on Richard. This act of arrogance will do more to hurt Richard than this now harmless historical piece by Ken Silva. Richard bet a big chunk on this move that I feel will cost him more in the long run than he ever hoped to gain. The Bible will again be proven correct that “pride cometh before a fall.”
Steve Blackwell
jhpw,
With all due respect I think you are lacking in discernment. So much of the argumentation of the world has to do with semantic juggling, and trying to get the advantage by playing with words. If you have any history of what has been going on between these two camps you would not have made such an uninformed comment. I would dare say that even a child could detect the smell coming off the heap Richard has dumped on Ken’s doorstep. I think the consensus of discerning Christians will agree that Richard has it in for any who oppose Rick Warren or himself and relishes the idea of having landed a significant blow to the ODM’s. I do respect your right to disagree, but you’ll not find many converts here to your thinking.
Steve Blackwell
This action of course brought some worry and concern in the blogging world. I saw this at another site and wondered if Abaones really has very little legal action to fall upon. Of course I am not a lawyer but interesting stuff
But should a defamation suit somehow pop up then “the statement(s) alleged to be defamatory must also be a false statement of fact. That which is name-calling, hyperbole, or, however characterized, cannot be proven true or false, cannot be the subject of a libel or slander claim.”–MLRC (http://www.medialaw.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Public_Resources/Libel_FAQs/Libel_FAQs.htm#What%20is%20Libel?)
jhpw,
Without a doubt Abanes was making an attempt to shut Silva down. Out of the blue, that is, after 3 years after Silva wrote and posted the said article, Abanes makes his complaint to the ISP.
If this whole mess had taken place in a reasonable time frame after Silva’s article, then that would make sense from Abanes’ point of view. However, for him to make the ISP aware of his complaint after such a long time points to only one conclusion; Abanes was after Silva and more than likely guessed that Silva would not take down his article.
Of course, neither of us really knows what was going on in Abanes’ head, but after 3 years! I ain’t no rocket scientist, but then again, it doesn’t take one to see what happened.
fishon [jerry]
With respect, I think your article is a little misleading. Richard Abanes is not/did not try to shut down Ken Silva’s website. He sent a form letter email complaint to the ISP. The ISP read the article in question, and asked Ken to remove it or be shut down. If he had just complied with the ISP’s request, as he agreed to in the ISP’s terms of service, then he would not have lost his entire site. I don’t think it’s fair to characterize this as an attempt to squash everything Ken has to say.
Richard has taken the cowards way of handling things. His weakness is telling in his woe-is-me, “you big bully, Ken.”
So, let’s see. He has silenced a Christian, brother, that is unless he didn’t see Ken as a brother. Then that is another can of worms.
What comes around goes around, and Richard’s time will come. Then listen to the big squeal.
What a wimp. I’m going tell your momma fell right out of his mouth.
fishon [jerry]
finemetalz,
I think we are seeing more and more a replay of the days of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. As Christians try to re-establish the true testimony of the Church, through dedication and separation from the world, we will see that Satan is back to his “old” tricks. Just as you cannot expect to gather good fruit from a thistle bush, likewise a leopard cannot change its spots. The Bible accurately displays how Darkness is identified and what to look for. Rick Warren tried to gather some to himself, by an all expense paid trip to Saddleback to meet with him, but most saw through his plan to hurt them and declined the invitation, as did Nehemiah. I believe, that those who accepted have since come to learn the futility of that invitation, and that Warren only wanted to hurt their testimony and slow down the work. God has a great work for us to do, and why should we stop, and go outside the confines of the safety of the wall, which is our testimony, to talk with the adversary? If we hear the horn being blown in one place on the wall we must all go to that place to assist; that is the way to rebuild the wall, with our sword in one hand and work with the other.
What has happened today should be a great time of rejoicing that God is working in our midst, and the adversary is very upset at our progress. Ken Silva is not down for the count; this is only a test, of not only Ken, but the whole returning, elect, body of Christ. My advise is that we continue rebuilding the broken down testimony of the Church of the Living God, so that once again those unbelievers who come into our services will declare that “God is surely in this place.”
Steve Blackwell
This is truly an outrageous act of villiany!
Jesus said it and it bears repeating (Matthew 7:15 – 20):
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Even if Richard Abanes had a leg to stand on, by this heavy-handed act of cowardice and oppression, he has just shown his true unregenerate nature.
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Thank you Steve!
AMEN & AMEN
Amen.