It is hard to describe the disappointment and disgust I feel when I
think of the betrayal of founders of organizations who espoused true
kindness and morality in a fallen world and who attempted to lift
humans out of the morass of ignorance that they keep wanting to return
to and wallow in.
And if I feel this way, can you imagine how those betrayed founders
must feel as they look down from Heaven and see the back-stabbing and
greed that has replaced their ideals? Is this the thanks that those
founders deserve for their hard, selfless work of going against the
prevailing ignorance and hardness of heart?
Two betrayed ethical giants that come to mind at this moment are John
Wesley and John Muir.
John Wesley was a kind, sensitive man who, in his lifetime, was
opposed by the Church leaders for his vegetarianism. This founder of
Methodism who wrote “A Plain Account of Christian Perfection” (written
1725-1777) would be appalled by modern-day Methodists’ denial of many of
his teachings. Wesley’s opening statement of this work is as follows:
“What I purpose in the following papers is to give a plain and distinct
account of the steps by which I was led, during a course of many years,
to embrace the doctrine of Christian perfection.”
Yet some Methodist clergy are opposed to even the mention of this
work of Wesley’s and vociferously deny his doctrine of Christian
perfection, even though their own Bible quotes Jesus as saying: (Matthew
5:48)
48 "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is
perfect.
~ New American Standard Bible
John Muir, a man who was totally opposed to hunting, founded the
Sierra Club which has sold out and turned against the founder’s ideals
in the most extreme possible way by sponsoring a contest entitled, “Why
I like to Hunt.” The first prize? A hunting trip to Alaska!
For more about John Muir, please read:
http://www.all-creatures.org/cash/cc2006-su-john.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/cash/cc2006-su-inpraise.html
For more about John Wesley, please read:
http://www.all-creatures.org/cspv/health-wesley.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/living/perf-intro.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/living/perf-1.html
