David Cloud
David Cloud is a Christian apologist and founder of Way of Life Literature, an Independent Baptist ministry based in London, Ontario, Canada.
Cloud was saved at age 23 from a hippie lifestyle. He and his wife, Linda, currently reside in South Asia where they serve as missionaries.[1]
Cloud is an adherent of the King James only movement, but only to the extent that he believes that "[t]he King James Version in English is an example of an accurate translation of the preserved Hebrew and Greek texts ...."[2] He rejects much of the viewpoint of other KJV-only adherents (such as the "inspiration" or "advanced revelation" viewpoints of Peter Ruckman) and would have no problem updating the KJV for its antiquated language (though he believes that, in this "apostate age", it will never be done).[3]
Cloud is a strong proponent of biblical separation and condemns much of what he calls "soft separation" among Independent Baptists.[4]
Cloud is also a fierce opponent of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM; he also includes Southern Gospel in this category) and rejects the argument that "music is neutral".[5] He published an extensive "directory" of numerous "contemporary Christian artists" and why he considered them dangerous for Christians to follow[6].[7] His main argument is that CCM is, at its core, heavily influenced by the charismatic movement (which Cloud opposes), ecumenical and leading true Christianity back to an apostate one-world church, and further claims that his concerns about CCM are nothing like prior historical Christian arguments in the music realm, such as whether instruments should be played in the church at all.[8]
References
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/whois/
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/about/statement.html
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/database/king_james_only.html
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/downloads/Collapse_Of_Separatism.pdf
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/database/if_music_is_neutral.html
- ↑ The directory, though, includes several artists (such as U2 and Dolly Parton) that, although considered by some to be Christians and who have from time to time performed gospel music, are not considered Christian artists even in the secular world, as well as numerous references to individuals and groups who are not musicians at all (such as the Roman Catholic Church, to which he devotes over 20 pages of "discussion").
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/downloads/Directory_of_Contemporary_Worship_Musicians.pdf
- ↑ https://www.wayoflife.org/free_ebooks/downloads/A%20Baptist%20Church%20on%20the%20Slippery%20Slope.pdf