a quotation that was supposedly from Hugh B. Brown. I wrote it in the lined pages in my KJV Bible and remember it to this day. He was attributed with the statement that : "We are not as concerned with what your thoughts are as we are that you
have thoughts." At the time I felt like this statement seemed somewhat radical and even dangerous (I was young and it was a long time ago) and I was suspicious that the attribution was inaccurate or fictitious, but I liked the sentiment.
I have since tracked down the more accurate version, which I understand is "The church is not so much concerned with whether the thoughts of its members are orthodox or heterodox as it is that they shall have thoughts." Don't misunderstand, I am a believing member, but I think it unlikely that this statement would be given in a pronouncement of any type by a member of the 12 today. Maybe this is because we are closer to the last of days and the last thing we need in this era of permissiveness and shallow critical thinking passing for deep philosophy is to
encourage members to wander; maybe it is becasue the pronouncements of the bretheren are, like the WOW, tailored to the weakest among us. I don't know. Nonetheless, Hugh B. Brown has always been one of my favorites and I am glad there is a place like Cougarguard wherre we can occassionally discuss these things.
Here is a link to his memoirs.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...571681-9770209