The 'mildly theistic forum'?
Submitted by Forgiven on February 21 2002 02:29:34
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I've spent the past few days trying to digest the events of the weekend; let's start by emphasising the obvious - it was not one of my better efforts and I'm not going to defend what I said. Which doesn't mean that I don't believe it - just that I agree absolutely that how I expressed myself in the context of the forum was unhelpful to the creation of a truly positive, supportive environment. But the question sits there looking at me - where does one draw the line on 'tolerance'. I'm still trying to cope with the 2 John passage; the writer does not pull his punches - 'he who greets him shares his wicked work'. (v 11) - though he is talking to Christians...... I'm a cradle evangelical; I am strongly of the view that the bible should be the test of things, and if it makes something very clear, then as Christians we're asking for trouble if we seek to apply our own wisdom. The history of the Reformation is of people standing on the clear teaching of the bible confronting the wisdom of the church of their day; to my mind the same is equally true when evangelicals confront liberals for their lack of certainty about anything (except the need for tolerance?!). The trigger for my outburst was the claim that we all worship the same God.... I'm not sure if this has got me a lot further in my thinking; clearly there is a role for the church to have a porous border so that the seeker does feel comfortable within it. But equally at some point there needs to be a border which defines what is acceptable behaviour and doctrine; I Cor 5 and 6 makes clear the need over behaviour - large swathes of the Epistles are concerned with doctrinal clarity. As is so often the case I sincerely wish it wasn't so - it would be really nice if it really didn't matter how you lived or what you believed. But to proclaim that, even by one's silence as in an environment when it has come to be assumed, is to be unfaithful to the 'gospel once for all delivered to the saints'. Of course in the context of all this, the weekend's near catastrophe has its advantages - I've said my bit and won't feel the need to do so for some time..... |
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