Colson "Ministry Representative" Responds

Below is a response from an unnamed person ("Ministry Service Representative") at Prison Fellowship, Chuck Colson's ministry, in response to my blog of June 1 regarding Mr. Colson's comments about Mark Felt (a.k.a. "Deep Throat"). These comments are not satisfying in any way to me, as they merely rehash what Mr. Colson said in previous statements. To read my June 1 response is to read what I would consider a refutation of the below. The unnamed writer repeats, for instance, the assertion that Mr. Felt should have gone "to the Attorney General, the Director of the FBI, or even to President Nixon himself to inform them that he believed criminal acts were being committed." There is no attempt at explaining just how anyone as immersed in Watergate as any of these three individuals would have possibly dealt with Felt, other than doing to him what President Nixon did to others (the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre" being one of the more glaring examples). There is also the issue of just what "honor" or being "noble" really mean from a Christian point of view; but that discussion will have to wait (on this blog, at least!).

Discussion Thread
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Response (Ministry Service Representative) - 06/03/2005 02:35 PM

Jon Trott,

Thank you for contacting Prison Fellowship with your comments regarding Chuck Colson’s response to Mark Felt and “Deep Throat.” In response to your concerns, we would like to offer the comments below.

Since his conversion to Christ in 1973, Chuck Colson has publicly acknowledged guilt for his actions during Watergate. As a key player in Watergate, Mr. Colson has been in great demand for media interviews since the revelation of “Deep Throat.” As a further explanation to statements he has made throughout these media interviews, Mr. Colson feels strongly that Mr. Felt’s desire to uncover the misdeeds of the Nixon Administration during Watergate was noble. However, leaking information to the press as a means to accomplish this uncovering is not justified, especially for a high government official such as Mr. Felt. A more noble choice would have been for Mr. Felt to go to the Attorney General, the Director of the FBI, or even to President Nixon himself to inform them that he believed criminal acts were being committed.

Mr. Colson considers Mr. Felt’s actions to be yet another tragic outcome of the Watergate scandal – a scandal in which Mr. Colson himself participated. Mr. Colson is grateful for God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Christ, which God extends to all who repent and turn to Him.

Again, we thank you for contacting us regarding this issue, and may God bless you!

In Christ,
Ministry Service Representative
Prison Fellowship