Copyright Decision
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Let’s now visit this exercise from a different, but related, perspective. Most in the splinters would be aware that on September 18, 2000 the Ninth Circuit Court of California decided that it is a copyright infringement, and therefore contrary to federal law for anyone other than the copyright holders to reproduce the old literature containing God’s truths in Mr. Armstrong’s exact wording. The book has referenced this twice. Though I had come to expect this decision (for various reasons at the time), it was still extremely difficult news to hear—and even more difficult to personally accept.
I had deeply wanted the ruling to go the other way and told myself many times afterward, when the decision was ;split two judges to one in favor of the Worldwide Church of God, how this landmark decision turned on the opinion of one man—a single human being! Naturally, I experienced a broad range of emotions—some not good.
I told myself that if ONE JUDGE—JUST ONE MAN!—had decided differently, I would not have needed to rewrite ALL of the books and booklets Mr. Armstrong published (plus many by other authors). These could have been subtracted from the many more he was NOT required to write, but that I was!
The shock and weight of this staggering task took weeks to settle into my mind. I hasten to add that I am years past this feeling, partly because I am now finished. But at the time, I was left stunned and overwhelmed at what lay ahead. So would anyone else!
My mind kept turning over and over what this meant: Scores of different kinds of publications, containing thousands of pages, and requiring tens of thousands of hours to complete the task.
This would take years, and I was not certain we had those years! And I wondered who would help me.
Why?
We should discuss why God permitted or, in fact—and I have no doubt—directly caused this to happen. Certainly, if ;the king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, and ;He turns it whithersoever He will (Prov. 21:1), then God could have easily guided the outcome that so many had hoped and prayed for. He could have turned one judge’s thinking. But that was not His purpose. I became convinced there were many reasons God guided the outcome to be what it was.
FIRST, it would have been much too easy for us—and me!—to simply copy what Mr. Armstrong wrote. As some may be aware, this process was well underway. We had already reprinted 11 of his smaller booklets and could have easily continued.
SECOND, thousands in the splinters would be able to see our willingness to do what their much larger, wealthier organizations would not do—and were not motivated to do!
THIRD, many older brethren who might never reread the originals could be inspired to re-examine these truths in the newer books, booklets and articles. They could find investigating them interesting. It would no longer be as easy to dismiss them, saying, ;I know what is in this booklet. I have already read it. Memories could be refreshed.
FOURTH, of necessity the truth would now be phrased differently than before. We had no choice in this. While the style of my writing is not comparable to Mr. Armstrong, it does give ;another look to the same truths—which could serve to sharpen these doctrines in the minds of people who may be rereading them.
FIFTH, rewriting all of the literature would serve as a beacon to everyone who would care to know the only place where the full truth is still being taught! The effort put forth would for the discerning become a ;city set on a hill that could not be dismissed. This project would set us apart like nothing else, and God knew it!
SIXTH, that we must rewrite all of God’s doctrines, simply because we did not hold the copyrights, would make their precious value more real since many of Mr. Armstrong’s books and booklets are still unavailable. What had been taken for granted would revive in importance.
Other reasons could be listed. For the moment, I will focus on the SEVENTH reason, which probably only applies to me.
Just the physical mechanics of rewriting multiple thousands of pages (above the 2,000-plus-page SEP) of books, booklets and articles was its own challenge. Each project presented its own obstacle. Merely selecting the most precise words, to best represent the Bible’s teaching, like hitting the proverbial ;nail on the head—while at the same time being prohibited from using Mr. Armstrong’s wonderfully concise wording—was an indescribably difficult task!
Try to imagine.
Of Priceless Value!
The process I had to walk through to achieve this is worth more to me than all the gold in Fort Knox and Solomon’s temple combined! Appreciate the sincerity of this statement. I daily drew inspiration and strength of doctrinal knowledge as God helped me address each new project. Again, it is difficult to select the right words even now to portray why I count this as the greatest single privilege of my life, and the furthest thing from a burden that one could imagine!
Just as the kings of Israel and Judah were humbled by copying the law, the task of having to rewrite every one of the truths of God was truly—TRULY!—humbling. It is not easy to explain exactly why, but it was. I knew God was using me. And studying and restudying the doctrines Mr. Armstrong taught, and then writing, followed by editing each book or booklet many times, meaning I was reading and rereading what was written, strengthened immeasurably my knowledge of the doctrines of God. Naturally this left me in a better position to effectively teach and defend those doctrines.
I have never experienced anything like this process, and never will again. It is a feeling of awesome blessing and privilege—and of being humbled—to have been used to do this!
Inspiring, Miraculous Process
The manner in which the process itself worked was also miraculous in the truest sense. The actual method God used in helping me became its own amazing inspiration—and it is my hope that it will be to you. That is why I am including a brief description here, and it carries lessons—messages—for those who accuse the Work of God.
Start by taking a moment to ask yourself how so many thousands of pages of books, booklets and articles could be rewritten in about four and a half years. Again, this includes editing them several times, and usually manytimes, with expanded editions the result, done in the same way Mr. Armstrong added to and improved certain of his books and booklets, but over a 52-year period.
Add to this that, during the same period, most of the books to the splinters were also written (and these also expanded many times), as were a number of other books and booklets that Mr. Armstrong was able to assign to other writers in a way that I could not.
Then there were certain additional books and booklets, as well as some articles, covering various other important aspects of the truth, that had never been written before, with circumstances in this age having brought a need for them. I had to write any number of these—AND had to carefully edit everything written byany other writer. So, just this latter process involved writing over three million words, and editing millionsmore.
While some readers may doubt the following statement, nevertheless, here it is: Every one of the books, booklets and articles I had to rewrite was done almost entirely without any notes. I had no time to prepare them. With only a Bible in hand, and occasional scraps of paper, I literally called out the words, sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, section by section, and often chapter by chapter of a book, as my wife patiently typed every word. Long trains of thought would enter my mind as I spoke, with many of them coming in ways, and at speeds, that are beyond what any human being could possibly devise without God’s special intervention—impossible without direct DIVINE INSPIRATION!
And I mean IMPOSSIBLE!!!
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