THE PUBLISHING COMPANY ARGUMENT

By Bob W. Lovelace

 

   For some time now a response in favor of  Christians building human religious organizations has been to refer to a Book Store. Some say, "Well, if you purchase a book from a company that Christians have built that sells religious books, Bibles, etc. then you've given your consent to  man's right to build human religious organizations." This is not something I made up. This is what some say. In their mind a Book Store that sells religious books is justification for building human religious organizations that provide for worship, edification, and evangelism.

 

   But lets start with the publishing company that produces a product for sale. The "income" for the company comes from the sale of the product not from contributions. The motive is profit. The purpose is  "profit." It ought to be obvious that a "missionary society" or a "religious society" is not the same as an economic enterprise. If the publishing company produces a product for sale that is religious in nature such as Bibles, books, tracts --- that does not change the fact that it is an economic enterprise and not a religious organization. God did not assign the church the responsibility of  publishing Bibles for profit.

 

   We've been warned in such analogies not to confuse "motive" with "mission." Two men may have good motives in wanting to establish a business, viz., to publish Bibles or tracts ---they may be motivated by a love of truth. That doesn't make it a religious organization whose mission is to teach the Gospel the same as the church. For example, Zondervan publishes Bibles and sells them for profit. It is not the product but the "nature" of the organization, its mission or stated purpose, its means of support, its organization, etc. that determines whether it is a  secular institution or a "religious" organization.

 

   However, should the organization that sells the product for a profit incorporate "other things" into its structure that are "religious" then it would become more than just a publishing company. What would you have if Zondervan established a treasury and asked for donations out of which to publish tracts and distribute them, have a national television program, establish a teaching program, build the Zondervan chapel for

worship in a particular locale, and out of which to support preachers? You'd have a Missionary Society next page