Christian booksellers received a rude awakening recently when they discovered that they were promoting the best-selling publications of a woman who denies fundamental doctrine related to the deity of Jesus Christ. With questions about her doctrinal beliefs surfacing in July, Weigh Down founder Gwen Shamblin posted information on her "ministry’s" website indicating that she believes "Jesus and God are two separate beings" and that much of what Christians believe about the Trinity is "man-made Trinity teaching."

Since that time, churches around the country have discontinued using Shamblin’s materials, Thomas Nelson Publishers canceled publication of her next book, and LifeWay Christian Bookstores announced that it will no longer carry Weigh Down materials. Thomas Nelson Publishers has been clear that this action has become necessary because of "the recent controversy created by [Mrs. Shamblin’s] doctrinal position."

The issue here is not how much we might have in common with Mrs. Shamblin’s teaching - indeed we may agree with most of what she has to say - but the issue is whether her teaching contains or implies ANY departure from non-negotiable biblical truth.

It is amazing to think that perverted doctrine can come into our churches and into our lives through something as innocuous sounding as a weight-loss program! And it is sobering to consider that so many churches and even the SBC’s LifeWay Christian Resources agency can be responsible for such a huge oversight, actually promoting the credibility of someone teaching false doctrine. To pull these materials and publicly explain why was simply the right thing to do.

The world needs to see more of this sort of seriousness about biblical truth, this demonstration of responsibility by Christian leaders and institutions.