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I very much enjoy your store, your food and being kept up to date
with your newsletters.
However, I must admit that this email was unnecessary and not why
I subscribe. I have a right to my political opinion, which is obviously
vastly different than your own, but I would never use our newsletter
to spam people on my personal opinion.
I hope to continue to support Harvest Haven however I can, but will
find it necessary to stop if I receive any more emails such as this.
Sincerely,
Matthew George, Soil Foodweb Canada
Manager & Soil Food Web Instructor
Paul's reply:
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for your candid response. I will be open in return, and
hope you will be willing to hear me out. I believe there is value in
my answer and this discussion. I would look forward to a reply from
you.
Let me begin by clarifying a couple points.
You say that we obviously have vastly different political opinions,
and that it was not necessary for us to share ours with you in this
newsletter. You are reading something into our letter that is not there.
We are
not politically affiliated or oriented (read For
Whom Do We Vote?).
The letter was not about politics at all, but about morals. It was
not political opinion, but a statement of fact about the evil intent
of some and ignorance of others. We felt it was important for everyone
to hear.
Just as the important and much needed work of the Soil Foodweb links
the condition of the soil to the unseen life residing
there (or lack thereof), so did Victor’s message deal with that
which is unseen yet plays a crucial role in determining the health
of all Canadians
and any people.
And just as you can safely say that the existence of beneficial microorganisms
in the soil is not simply your opinion, but a fact, so can we say that
the existence of God and the spiritual realm is not our opinion, but
also a fact. The email we sent you was not our opinion, but the revealed
will and verdict of God on the coalition and its motives. It was also
an encouragement to all (including those in the wrong) to do what is
right, which is not a political issue, but a spiritual matter of everyday
being that covers all activities in life.
Consider: Not one political platform or agenda was articulated or
promoted in the email. What people see there has everything to do with
their political leanings, and nothing to do with what was actually
said. Read it again and see for yourself.
Because the spiritual realm is unseen does not mean it doesn’t
exist and isn’t determining the outcome of all things. All things
are dependent on the spiritual realm because God, Who is Spirit, created
and rules over them from there (which we call the Kingdom of Heaven).
We are made in His image and are meant to be His connection between
the seen and unseen realms. It is written: “And the LORD God
took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to
keep it” (Genesis 2:15 KJV).
Do you believe that all the marvels you see in the soil, not to mention
our lives and existence, are mere happenstance? Not so!
Back to the email in question: You might then say, “Fine, you
believe in God, but why can’t you be giving your opinion
and calling it God?” That is a valid question, and such a thing
would, no doubt, be offensive to God. You would not like someone putting
out contrary messages in the name of your organization; He likes it
no less, especially when He knows the evil that comes of people misleading
others in such a way. There is great wickedness done in His Name, some
of which you would already be aware, I think.
But your beef is not that we are speaking in the Name of God. It is
simply that we have spoken contrary to your political opinion, and
whether we do so from God or not doesn’t matter. Isn’t
that so?
If you feel something is important enough to have an opinion about
it, isn’t it important enough to know the truth about it, too?
Why is a person’s opinion sacrosanct, especially when it is formulated
or sustained by ignorance? For example, I once had the opinion that
the fruits and vegetables at any grocery store were healthy. Now, knowing
what I do about GMOs, organics, and soil health, I have a different “opinion” - one
much better informed, so much so that I no longer consider it opinion,
but sure knowledge.
Mark Benson brings to my attention the fact that your organization’s
founder, Elaine Ingham, was fired by the USDA for her “opinion” on
GMOs. Her former bosses’ backers, the chemical companies, are
outraged to this day with Elaine’s “opinion” in favor
of soil microbiology versus the use of chemicals. Are not some things
worth standing for, no matter the opposition and price to be paid for
standing in the truth?
Many are of the opinion we shouldn’t talk about politics or
religion, but what if your opinion in those matters is keeping you
from hearing and acting on life-giving truth? Shall we let your opinion
stop us from speaking to you?
We are not here to strive with you or anyone else, however, so we
will remove your name from our mailing list, if that is what you wish.
(We cannot promise that another message like this won’t happen,
or that we won’t mention what God thinks or says in the Harvest
Haven Herald, for example.)
To sum up the email in question, we were not speaking our personal
opinion on politics, hoping to make you a Tory. We spoke the truth
from God about what was going on in a situation that included politics.
The proof of the divine origin of our words is that they are
being fulfilled: God cursed the coalition – “Let
the pack be broken and scattered,” and so it has (those
words were spoken before it happened). This has been a good thing,
with a
very good end
or purpose: “Let them be cursed of God, and
let all people know that God reigns in Heaven against all ungodliness
over the affairs
of men.”
There is the promise of great things to come, Matthew. We have personally
experienced those things within and can testify of the goodness of
coming under God’s reign. Read Our
Testimonies.
How do you think the earth will be saved from the rapacity of men
who are destroying it? Are they not destroying themselves?
“The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time
of the dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward
Your servants the prophets and the saints, and to those that fear Your
Name, to the small and to the great, and to destroy those who destroy
the earth” (Revelation 11:18 EMTV).
God is against all ungodliness; it is all destructive, on all levels.
That is why we stand with you in your work.
Paul Cohen
Matthew's reply:
Imagine, if you will, when our next newsletter comes out, instead
of speaking about anything related to soil biology or our lab, our
newsletter contained information on why a coalition government is a
great idea. How it represents the majority of people and how more can
be achieved by working together with people that can find common ground.
Imagine still that I framed all this with an agnostic point of view,
stating that since the existence of God cannot be proven but only believed,
that a coalition government that represented the majority of the religious
spectrum was healthier for our country.
Without a doubt this would go well beyond why anyone subscribes to our newsletter.
I am positive I would have some requests to unsubscribe, or at least a few people
tell me that was not why they subscribe. Further, I am positive there would be
a lot more that would not say anything, but be upset with how I used our newsletter.
For every one person that speaks up, your can count on 10 to 20 more that feel
the same way that do not speak up.
If, somehow, I was able to take all that information above and relate it to our
lab or soil biology, then maybe I could justify it, but I would be walking a
fine line indeed. But that is not what your newsletter did, besides briefly touching
upon the economy, which would effect your business. You used your newsletter
to express your opinion on the coalition in relation to your belief in God, but
not in relation to your business, which is why people subscribe to your newsletter.
If I, or anyone else for that matter, wanted to be kept abreast to your religious
or political opinions, with nothing to do with your business, then I would subscribe
to a newsletter for that sole purpose only. However using your business newsletter
to discuss your religious/political opinions is not acceptable, in my opinion,
which is why I wrote to you in the first place.
Like I previously stated, I enjoy your store and your food very much. I have
also enjoyed working with Mark and hope to do more in the future. I think we
can both agree on the state of agriculture, health and what man is doing to these
things. These things are what are businesses are all about, and why we can use
our newsletter to share those views. I also believe you have the right to your
religious/political views just as much as I or anyone else does, and I believe
that there is a time and place that debate can be constructive and productive.
However I do not believe a business newsletter is the place for these opinions
or debate when they do not relate to the businesses in question.
Sincerely,
Matthew George, Soil Foodweb Canada
Manager & Soil Food Web Instructor
Paul's reply:
Matthew,
We understand what you are saying, but your basic premise is wrong.
Though Harvest Haven is a farm and health business, our main business
and reason for being here is to do the will of our Father in Heaven.
He trumps everything because He is everything. By Him, the Lord Jesus
Christ, all things consist.
You don’t know Him, but He is also your Creator and gives you
life. We do know Him because He has brought us into the spiritual dimension
where we live with and in Him. Because of this, we represent Him in
all that we do, and at times we speak directly on His behalf to people
who have not yet heard Him. We cannot impose our will on anyone, but
we also cannot let anyone impose his or her will on us, to tell us
not to shout from the rooftops the things God has whispered in our
ears.
There are times when something has to be said, and this was one of
them. To you it is simply a political stance, because you are not
seeing the unseen dimension from which all things are derived and determined.
You are exhibiting the same reductionistic mindset of those who scoff
and fight against your work in the Soil Foodweb. While they refuse
to consider the life of the soil, you ignore and dismiss the Life and
Light of mankind.
Here is something that He, Jesus Christ, said to the ruler of this
world, Satan:
“But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘It is written, Man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’” (Luke
4:4 EMTV).
We cannot and do not live by agriculture alone. Whether we are talking
about farming or health or whatever, we live by the Son of God, Who
is the Word of God made flesh.
The world has been under the rule and influence of the Prince of darkness
where men say and act as you do: “Keep God out of our business,” be
it agriculture, medicine, politics, industry, or religion (yes,
particularly religion). The bottom line is that man doesn’t want
God telling him what to do. He insists on being a free agent. God has
given man ample opportunity to see how this free agency works out.
How are things working out on your end? How do things look to you?
Nevertheless, the Owner can call in the chips any time He chooses.
He is in charge and always has been. You, along with many others, have
not known this. He is letting everyone know, because now is the time
for the artificial and destructive barriers to come down. Not to implement
religion, but to have reality and freedom in the truth.
Do you see freedom in the truth in your field? Be honest. It is time
to reclaim from the thief and liar all that has been usurped from the
rightful Owner, and to see things restored to what God made them
without the taint and degradation of man’s intervention. That
is what God is doing and will do through our testimony of His words,
which give life to the world, resurrection life.
We are not planning on changing the nature of our communications.
We will still be talking about the things we are learning, doing, and
offering at our farm. We will not censor anything we have to say about
God, but it is not our intention to try to convert anyone. You did
not see that in the message that offended you. It was just a matter
of sharing the truth by stating the facts. How will people have opportunity
to know unless they are informed?
How you want to handle this is up to you, Matthew. You don’t
have to read the parts where we talk about spiritual matters. We will
have a new Harvest Haven Herald coming out at the beginning of the
year, Lord willing. Would you like to receive it?