Nicer Than Jesus with Cruelty in their Bones

Columbus, OH

When a man is innocent, it's easy to see the breach of public trust when a Prosecutor plows forward against all jurisprudence and proper professional behavior. The prosecution of Chuck Spingola was nothing less than persecution. The only thing Spingola did was raise up the standard of old fashioned Christianity, against the new established religion of neo-paganism. It is no crime to expose the "new morality" as nothing more than the "old immorality". There's no crime in calling immorality by its name.

As treacherous as was the prosecutor's deed, there is an even greater treachery in this case: that of Spingola's Christian associates. As Chuck Spingola spoke about the issues of the day - he pronounced publicly the hard biblical truth. What was the reward for his faithfulness? He was betrayed by his brethren - fellow Columbus area Christians.

Not that such treatment is unexpected. The experience of being abandoned by brethren is a long and well traveled road by those who dare to speak out against the trends of the day. Think Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Prophets before them. Think of all of the Apostles and many martyrs in that long bloody train.

In 2000, the pastor of his Newark Ohio church, Jed Smock, unjustly excommunicated the Spingola family for violating a prohibition against mentioning The White Rose Banquet, held annually in honor of those prisoners who used force in defense of children in the womb.

Similarly, the Christian organizations at Kent State in September, 1998, chose to disown rather than support the preacher of righteousness when he successfully defended himself against a brazen assault by two students who would not tolerate his message (Spingola was vindicated by the authorities). They not only declined to support him as he proclaimed the truth on the campus, but they went beyond utterly forsaking him and published their opposition to him. Athletes in Actions, Campus Crusade for Christ, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, Late Night Christian Fellowship, and Lutheran Campus Ministry published jointly the following in the University paper, the Kent Stater :

As opposed to the accusation put forth in the aforementioned article, Campus Crusade for Christ has no affiliation with, nor responsibility for, Charles Spingola or other preachers like him coming to Kent State University.
In fact, we are just as disturbed by Mr. Spingola's approach to sharing his convictions as the author of the column.
As Christians ministers and student organizations here at KSU, we seek to share the truth of Jesus Christ in love and with gentleness to all with whom we come in contact.
Our means of communicating the message of Christianity do not include verbal attacks, malicious taunts nor violence of any kind.
These are in direct contradiction with the peace, hope and forgiveness that Jesus came to give and that we desire to proclaim.

Thus they diminished the strength of his message by not only failing to show solidarity with him but by actually denouncing him. They maliciously accused him with making "verbal attacks," "malicious taunts," and "violence", all of which are untrue, by Mr. Spingola's testimony. Moreover, they represent the Message of the Kingdom to be "peace, hope, and forgiveness" without reference to Repentance, the coming Judgment, or the right of Christ to rule on earth. What qualifies them to take this clearly unbiblical stand against Mr. Spingola, except that it echoes the current cultural norm and ethic - to be "worldly" (to use a Biblical term)?

Now comes the current situation that found Mr. Spingola facing the possibility of 10 years in prison (in the case chronicled), and yet again Spingola is thrown under the bus by the local Christians. Where are the fortitude, courage and brotherly demeanor exhibited in the Columbus Christians? What we conclude is a tough thing, but we are driven inexorably to it – Christians today "have lost their savor and are good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot." This age is no different from others. When the people are caught up in the evil of the times, blind to truth, there are a few who prophesy by God's word, exposing falsehoods. And when those few open their mouths, they are despised and rejected not only by those who would commit evil deeds, but those bearing the name of Christ who stand passively by in silence.

Let the modern Christian come forward and make a defense of this behavior; let him explain how he loves those whom he lets die under God's just condemnation without warning him and summoning him to repentance. The world scoffs at such "love." It is no wonder why the heathen rage at Spingola's preaching. They are accustomed to the soft "gospel" - a nice gospel which is never preached but left in the quiet of nice churches. Nicer than Jesus.