Lighthouse Trails: More Ken Silva Propaganda

Oh, The Absurdity of It

The exploding controversy that Ken Silva has so wonderfully orchestrated is now in full swing. Lighthouse Trails Research Project (the same “ministry” that saw fit to attack Greg Laurie not too long ago) has now posted an article complete with conspiratorial implications and possible disastrous global consequences for Christians worldwide—simply because I asked Ken Silva’s ISP to remove a single article from his website that I found objectionable.

Lighthouse writes: “This week, Lighthouse Trails learned that a Saddleback apologist contacted IPOWER, the web hosting company for Apprising Ministries (a Purpose Driven critic), threatening IPOWER with legal action.” And their bold headline for the article is “Saddleback ‘Apologist’ Threatens Web Host Company with Legal Action—IPOWER to Shut Down Purpose Driven Critic.”

This would be somewhat amusing if it were not so utterly tragic. Here’s the truth.

First – I am not a “Saddleback apologist.” I am neither on staff, nor am I contracted with them in any way.

Second - This issue has NOTHING to do with Saddleback, Rick Warren, or wanting to “Shut Down Purpose Driven Critic.” Such an spin on the controversy certainly makes for good tabloid reading (about as accurate the “My Grandmother was a Bigfoot” story), but as far as truth goes, doesn’t even come near reality. This was an issue between myself, Ken Silva, and ken Silva’s ISP. Nothing more; nothing less.

Third – I did not “threaten IPOWER with legal action.” The email I sent was a basic template that covers all manner of complaints that can be sent to an ISP (e.g., illegal pornography, unlicensed photograph use, libel, anything that is covered in a TOS agreement). The bottom line message to IPOWER was to kindly review a single article on Ken Silva’s website that I found to be not only objectionable, but also a violation of their TOS agreement—according to my understanding of it. Their response and their course of action was up to their guidelines for how to handle such a basic complaint. The truth can be found in these two previous posts: Ken Silva: More Lies and A Tumultuous Tempest.

Ken Silva’s website is gone now, but not because of me. No. No. No. It has disappeared because of Ken Silva’s defiant attitude toward his ISP, which asked him to simply remove a single, isolated article.

The website would still be up if he simply had taken down that one article his ISP asked him to take down. But rather than do that, he has gotten his entire website kicked. Does that make sense to anyone? He has seemingly blown this WAY out of proportion and turned it into some kind of martyr melodrama. And his devotees are rushing to his side to make the story ever more tantalizing, frightening, and outrageous.

Of course, they also have found it a useful way to tie something sensational into Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, and Purpose Driven. But this is not surprising. Warren/Saddleback has become the dumping ground for all things evil, sinister, and demonic. But as I previously mentioned, the truth is that the current rift between myself and Ken Silva has nothing to do with Saddleback or Warren.
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Terms of Service Agreements Are Our Good

TOS complaints come and go across the web all day long. I’ve had them sent to me, and I’ve sent them out to others. They exist there for a reason. Go to ANY website: youtube, wordpress, IPOWER, whatever. It’s an agreement designed to protect everyone—you and me included. They are much like traffic laws, store return policies, and curfews.

Truth be told, because no one has been using them, the Online Discernment Ministries have been allowed to run rampant. This, I believe, is the reason why so many of these people are now TOTALLY freaking out. They are in a panic because this puts them on notice. They must be more careful about what they say, or else risk a complaint about one of their articles.

THIS IS AN ACCOUNTABILITY TOOL. So many speak about accountability, but no one wants to actually be accountable. As I have stated online in my most recent blogs and answers to readers’ comments, what I did is NO DIFFERENT than lodging a complaint with a grocery store manager, voicing a problem to a company supervisor about a fellow employee, or calling the cops about a neighbor playing their stereo loud in the wee hours of the morning.

A TOS agreement is “a good thing,” as Martha Stewart would say. But some people, like Ken Silva, Lighthouse trails Research, and others, seem to not want to worry about their words or their accuracy of accusations. They want to continue having the free pass they have so far had, which has allowed them to slander/defame anyone and everyone.
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The Fallout

According to Lighthouse Trails, the fallout from this audacious crime against humanity is almost beyond comprehension! Lighthouse declares:

“There is growing concern among many Christian believers that the time is soon coming, largely because of hate crime legislation, when websites and ministries that challenge and critique popular and non-biblical religious movements (e.g. Purpose Driven, the emerging church, the New Age movement) will be shut down. . . . Because the long-term implications of IPOWER’s actions could set a precedent with other hosting companies (a precedent that could ultimately affect many voices who stand for the truth and the Gospel), Lighthouse Trails considers this current action to be of a very serious nature.“

First, Lighthouse Trails seems to consider EVERYTHING “of a very serious nature,” so this is no different than how they respond to all kinds of issues.

Second, I have my own website and blog, so I fail to see the logic behind them thinking I would do something that could endanger my own work, ministry, and career. That makes no sense. These TOS agreements have been around for years, and always will be around. Nothing has changed. No “precedent” has been set by me or IPOWER.

Third, The REAL issue here is accountability and responsibility, both of which are aspects of Internet blogging/publishing that far too many people do not want to face, and therefore, have ignored under the guise of “defending the truth,” being a “watchman on the wall,” and exposing false doctrine.

Fourth, speaking of doctrine, it has been repeatedly alleged that this article about which I complained was nothing more than a critique of my doctrine. Therefore, it should not have been a problem. And because it was a critique against false teaching, then all other websites that critique false doctrines are endangered. As Lighthouse warns: “websites and ministries that challenge and critique popular and non-biblical religious movements (e.g. Purpose Driven, the emerging church, the New Age movement) will be shut down.”

Well, this is a very interesting point to raise when the Ken Silva article in question says NOTHING about my doctrine. It does not critique, in any way, my theology, soteriology, eschatology, or thanatology. As I have already stated in previous blog posts and in my responses to comments, I challenge ANYONE to find ANY criticisms/observations/corrections in that Ken Silva article that discusses my theology or doctrinal beliefs. Such material is not there. That article was personal in all its attacks. It was nothing more than an article deliberately designed to impugn my personal/professional integrity.

If Ken Silva wishes to place another article up titled “A PASTOR’S ASSESSMENT OF RICHARD ABANES,” which actually critiques my theology, then my all means, I welcome it.

This is what Walter Martin was all about—i.e., assessing a person’s theological and doctrinal beliefs. If Ken or anyone else would like to challenge me on my doctrinal views, then fine. I would be most happy to actually see that kind of critique so that I could test my own faith to see if it is approved of God. Apologetics has taken a nasty turn over the years, diverging from Walter Martin’s model, into the realm of personal attacks and trumped up charges against people. This is not how it should be.
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And Let Us Not Forget the Aparrent Hypocrisy

It is shocking to me that Lighthouse Trails (Dave and Deborah Dombrowski) would have the nerve to complain about anyone trying to silence anyone, when that is exactly what Lighthouse Trails attempted to do when my book Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him was about to be released! (for more info, see synopsis, excerpts, and reviews). This attempt by Lighthouse Trails came about after I had posted an alert to an Internet email message network (AR-Talk), which contained criticisms of their Press Release regarding business leader Ken Blanchard (for information on the Blanchard controversy see this article and this article).

In response, Deborah Dombrowski quickly sent a rather threatening email to Harvest House publishers, which was scheduled to release my book on Warren titled Rick Warren and the Purpose that Drives Him (July, 2005). Dombrowski apparently did not like the fact that in my post to AR-Talk, I had noted the numerous errors in George Mair’s terrifically flawed biography of Warren (unauthorized) titled A Life with Purpose, which was a primary resource Dombrowski used in creating her Press Release.

In her email to Harvest House, Dombrowski first warned the publisher that I was publicly speaking negatively about Mair’s book, and then she implied that Harvest House might find themselves in legal trouble along with me should the publisher of Mair’s book (Penguin) seek to bring any kind of court action against me (exactly what Harvest House had to do with my personal posts on AR-Talk was never explained by Dombrowski).

Dombrowski also wanted Harvest House to know that she just happened to know that Penguin had somehow been notified of my comments on AR-Talk, but that she had not yet heard whether or not the New York secular publishing house was going to take any legal actions. The questions are obvious:

• How did Penguin (a secular publisher) here about what I had said on Christian message forum?

• Who notified Penguin and how did Dombrowski know about it?

• Why would a “Christian” notify a secular publishing house with the apparent intention of causing trouble for a fellow believer who was simply exercising his God-given, constitutionally-guaranteed, American right to freedom of speech?

• Why would Dombrowski notify Harvest House of the comments I was making about a book that had nothing to do with Harvest House, or with my contract for an entirely different volume?

• What was Dombrowski hoping to accomplish by contacting Harvest House?

I believe the answers to all of the above questions are obvious. Nevertheless, despite what I believe was an attempt on the part of Dombrowski to silence me. So, here is a whole second issue to be addressed. Why did Dombrowski send a threatening letter to Harvest House? Why would she try to use intimidation in hopes of getting a publishing house to censor an author? What about Freedom of Speech in book publishing? What about freedom of Speech in writing online reviews of other books? Anyone??????
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Conclusion

So far, from my side of the battle lines, I have received emails from Ken Silva’s “Christian” supporters threatening me, condemning me to hell, saying I am definitely not a Christian, and calling me actual obscenities. Is this the fruit of Ken Silva’s ministry and the Online Discernment Ministries (ODMS) in general? God help us all!!!

~ Richard Abanes