Question: Do you have a policy concerning contacting people you mention in your writings?

Question: I appreciated the information T. A. McMahon provided regarding the Karen Mains book, Lonely No More, yet I’ve wondered if he contacted her prior to writing what he did. Do you have a policy concerning contacting people you mention in your writings?

Response: We have contacted many, but only twice since the publishing of The Seduction of Christianity have we had anything close to a worthwhile exchange with the scores of individuals whose teachings we’ve addressed. Though our batting average is grievously low, we nevertheless continue to look to the Lord for reasonable opportunities.

Some feel we are biblically obligated according to Matthew 18 to contact everyone we plan to mention in what we write. Not only would that be impractical, but it misapplies that particular chapter, which deals with one believer personally sinning against another. Karen Mains did not personally sin against us. She publicly communicated her teachings to the body of Christ; we publicly addressed our objections to what she wrote in order to correct what we perceived to be false teachings.

Numerous articles and nearly a dozen books were written which were critical of Seduction. In only one instance that we can recall were we contacted before the articles or books were published. Nor is that necessary. Anyone who writes publicly should expect public evaluation without any private discussion. We may not agree with our critics, but we respect—even encourage—their right to review our writings. Some reviews may even bring insights that lead us to make corrections in what we’ve written.

In some cases it may be helpful to contact the author for further clarification of what he or she has written. However, to attempt to correct on a personal basis the false teachings of a published work without seeking public correction or repentance would leave those many Christians who were exposed to the teaching still subject to its erroneous influence.