David C.Pack vs A Sabbath Test
Timeline of Events
"Blood on Your Head"
The Email that appears below was sent by Mr. David C. Pack to Dennis Fischer in response to Mr. Fischer's comments regarding the RCG position paper condoning dining out on the Sabbath. It is obvious by the tone of Mr. Pack's words that he was genuinely hostile toward Mr. Fischer and his views. This is surprising considering how gracious Mr. Fischer had been toward Mr. Pack in his comments.
~~~
Dennis,
I would not normally respond to letters such as yours, but we were classmates and I felt an obligation to make an exception. I recall our years together at college, your sweet twin sister, and even meeting your mother one Sunday when you took me home with you. You may remember. I also remember you as having as much potential as anyone in our class. Of course, the years passed, I knew that you had gone back to the world for a time, and this was because I briefly saw you by accident on CNN or ESPN in an interview about high school basketball, and then saw you again in Flagstaff at the Global Feast in 1997. At that point, I was certainly happy the 90 Reasons had helped you leave the apostasy. I still am.
I did go to your website. I normally never check out such things. Knowing you made it a curiosity. I did read there what you had to say about me and various other leaders.
I am sorry to have to say the following things: Your website is simply outrageous. Among other things, that you have presumptuously given yourself the task of warning America’s leaders, when you are neither qualified nor appointed to this, and have not a hint, inkling or clue of either who should do this, or how it should be done, or when and whether it should be done, is beyond the pale. The blood on your head just because of the sheer embarrassment that your efforts will reflect back upon God’s people stagger the mind. This is my view of your website, Dennis. However, on the other hand, one who is willing to spew such a poorly-contrived and ignorant warning on the greatest government of the world will at least appreciate one who is qualified to offer the warning that this paragraph represents. Will you be warned? There is more…
Regarding dining in restaurants on the Sabbath: In your zeal to personify I Timothy 1:7, and this carries a host of problems for you, you and your co-author forgot James 3:1-2—or willingly ignored it. God will judge whether you were simply arrogant or also willing or willful in the matter. Rest assured, I will not “one day…come to understand this vital truth.” It is neither vital nor truth, but I very much do understand today how wrong it is. Sadly, many of the gullible in the splinters (II Tim. 4:3-4)—God’s people are the weak of the world—may, in fact, be giving your idea the “tremendous traction” that you assert, but I suspect you have exaggerated, if not greatly. Dennis, actually, you should be praying that your idea has about as much traction as bald tires spinning on ice, because, if not, then an even greater amount of blood will soon wash over you like a tsunami. This will surely happen, short of your repentance and public acknowledgment that you “ran,” but God has not “sent” you (Jer. 23:21), and that you had no idea what you were talking about—that you were blindly fulfilling I Timothy 6:3-4.
What makes me most sad, Dennis, was that you caught yourself in a lie when you mentioned “dozens” in RCG emailed you about this. There are a host of reasons why we know this is pure fiction. But consider just a few facts, which alone make your statements laughable:
- (1) We posted the article exactly 16 hours before your time-stamped email arrived—but did not tell our people (or anybody else) that we had done this. There was no advance notice.
- (2) Therefore, for your email to be true (and this is just for starters), “dozens” would have had to be waiting, literally hovering, over their computers at 3 P.M. Eastern time (noon Pacific), and read almost twelve full pages straight through from that moment. Actually, many dozens, or more like many hundreds, would have had to have done this for merely “dozens” to have written you about it.
- (3) These same dozens would then have had to quickly find your book and immediately read over 130 pages.
- (4) Next, they would have had to quickly formulate an opinion in favor of your idea and against what their headquarters had written, and against what Mr. Armstrong taught.
- (5) Still further, they would have had to have time to write a meaningful email to you (and, remember, be able to do all of this quickly, and by the dozens, making their decision very fast).
- (6) And still further, you would have needed time to read all of their emails—“dozens” of them—and have needed to be right at your computer as they were arriving, and arriving, and arriving…
- (7) And still further again, it would have taken you at least some time, then, to write your own email to me, presumably having thought about it a little bit before and while you did it—although, in your case, there was not much thought. (But there would also have needed to be time for you to inform the defrocked, ex-elder coauthor of these “exciting developments.”)
- (8) Finally, this 16-hour period also includes overnight across the United States, when most people are in bed and sleeping—and then there is the problem that most people work during the day, and do so without access to a computer. Others eat from time to time.
- (9) All of this said, there is the somewhat remote possibility that you experienced your very own “Joshua’s long day.”
Surely there cannot be one person on earth foolish enough to believe all of this could have even begun to happen! It is wonderful how “inventors of evil things” (Rom. 1:31) eventually always expose themselves for whom and what they are. I am sorry to have to say that. But, if you were foolish enough to pass information to me that was merely something told to you by another—when you did not actually read all of these emails yourself—then go chastise the liar who deceived you, and repent of your foolishness for believing him.
It may be helpful for you to know that we have no problem whatsoever in The Restored Church of God with this matter, and there is not a “secret problem” brewing under the surface that people are “afraid” to bring to us. This is because we are simply different than other groups—sounder in Bible knowledge, more loyal to headquarters, closer to one another, harder to fool, in addition to being forged, tempered and wizened by suffering and experience in many groups, etc. We also strive to inoculate God’s people from the latest nonsense being poured out in the Laodicean age. Absolutely no one has reported concerns in RCG, let alone defections, about this idea, either to the ministry or headquarters. This is but one more reason why we know your statements were made from whole cloth. (Could one or two have written you? I suppose so, but doubt it. Could you be the victim of a hoax perpetrated by “dozens”? Improbable, but possible.)
The article was written (by a team of men) because I was aware that many in other groups are swallowing your foolish form of bondage. We did this because, as Mr. Armstrong proscribed in Mystery of the Ages, “It is the duty of Christ’s true ministers (and how scarce today) to protect the begotten but yet unborn saints from false doctrines, from false ministers” (pg. 262, hardcover – emphasis his).
The people in RCG are here because they are tired of all the kinds of silliness published in papers and books like yours. Believe it or not, there are some people who really do understand that Philadelphians “hold that fast which they have” and who “continue in the things that [they] have learned and been assured of” in the face of the growing number of “evil men and seducers” in the “last days” (II Tim. 3:1, 13-14).
I wonder if the other leaders that you “honored” on your website would have the courage to risk either a friendship or an endorsement with a response such as mine. Humanly, if I thought politically, I should appreciate that your website seems to indicate that you are an “ally,” and that avoiding confrontation with you could benefit me in the future. But I gave those 90 Reasons, causing me to be fired before any other ministers were, but which helped the “thousands” you referenced in your tribute to me, because I am not like those men. Isaiah 58:1 stands, for those qualified and appointed to fulfill it.
Now take a moment to read Hebrews 12:6-13, focusing on verse 8, before reading Job 5:17 and Proverbs 3:11-12, all before considering Proverbs 9:7-9 and how you will receive this email. Then, may God help you to see how much trouble you are in with Him before it is too late…
Still your friend,
David C. Pack
P.S. I wish to end the dialogue here. Please, no further contact. Also, this is a private email to you, and you are not authorized to use it unless you do so in its entirety, in which case you are encouraged to distribute it or post it where my tribute used to be.
~~~
A note from Dennis Fischer:
Mr. Pack is technically correct in his comments regarding my representation of the Emails referenced in my note to him—but only technically. Despite what he may believe, I was informed of his article by a member of his group, who will for obvious reasons remain forever nameless. Furthermore, despite what he may think, it is also true that both I and Blow the Trumpet have received dozens of Emails/letters regarding A Sabbath Test from people claiming to be associated with the Restored Church of God. Because I had assumed Mr. Pack’s article had been on his site for several weeks, if not months, I simply concluded they were led to A Sabbath Test by it. I sincerely apologize for any confusion this may have caused and can appreciate Mr. Pack's suspicion.
However, if Mr. Pack seriously believes he is in complete command of his member’s theology and that they follow him in lock step, then he has about as much wisdom as General Custer did at Little Bighorn.
Dennis Fischer
RELATED LINKS
