Dear Orthodox,
You've been providing a lot of comments to this blog recently, most of them in disagreement with things I've offered.
How about we formalize the disagreement in the form of a debate?
I would happy to defend the thesis: "Resolved: 'It is tradition, look no further' is less workable as applied to the theological content of the Westminster Confession of Faith than 'The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it.'"
You'll recognize that the former mantra is attributed to an early Greek father, and the latter mantra is attributed to "fundamentalist" adherents to Sola Scriptura.
I'm open to counterproposals as well.
-Turretinfan
Thursday, October 04, 2007
11 comments:
Comment Guidelines:
1. Thanks for posting a comment. Without you, this blog would not be interactive.
2. Please be polite. That doesn't mean you have to use kid gloves, but please try not to flame others, even if they are heretics, infidels, or worse.
3. If you insult me, I'm more likely to delete your comment than if you butter me up. After all, I'm human. I prefer praise to insults. If you prefer insults, there's something wrong with you.
4. Please be concise. The comment box is not your blog. Your blog is your blog. If you have a really long comment, post it on your blog and post a short summary of it here.
5. Please don't just spam. It's one thing to be concise, it's another thing to simply use the comment box to advertise.
6. Please note, by commenting here, you are relinquishing your (C) in your comments to me.
7. Remember that you will give an account on judgment day for your words, including those typed in comment boxes. Try to write so you will not be ashamed if it is read back before the entire world.
8. Stay on topic. If your comment has nothing to do with the post, email it to me (my email can be obtained through my blogger profile), or simply don't post it.
9. Don't post as "Anonymous." If you are going to post anonymously, at least use some kind of recognizable "handle," so we can tell you apart from all the other anonymous folks. (This is moot at the moment, since recent abuse has forced me to turn off "anonymous" commenting.)
10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; and abstain from doing to others what you would not wish upon yourself.
I'm not sure if I understand or not. Are you saying that sola scriptura is more workable but only as it pertains to the issues addressed in the westminster confession?
ReplyDeleteI'm think of the WCF as a "for instance."
ReplyDeletePlease don't try to look for things beneath and behind what I've written - I'm usually not that nuanced.
-Turretinfan
TF,
ReplyDeleteI recommend changing the latter mantra to "The Bible says it, that settles it, I believe it."
:)
(No implications on your personal nuances)
What do you have in mind when you say "workable"? How would we know from your point of view if it was "working"?
ReplyDeleteI just meant the ordinary sense, as can be seen here: (link) (especially the second definition).
ReplyDeleteIf you'd like more clarification, I mean that the former mantra does not work as well as (it's not as practical, as feasible, or as handy as) the second mantra when it comes to discussing theology (taking the WCF contents as an example of theology).
-Turretinfan
Dear TJ,
ReplyDeleteI just typed the mantra the way I have heard it. If the mantra is usually ordered in the way you suggest, I'd be happy to adjust it.
Otherwise, as you seem to have noted, I wouldn't read any nuance into the phrase ordering.
The point is that the second mantra asks the question "What does the Bible say?" whereas the former mantra asks "What does tradition say?"
-Turretinfan
A debate on Sola Scriptura should require Orthodox accurately present it. In times past, he has not done so, and has refused correction. He constantly uses "Solo" Scriptura as his model. If cannot do this much, I am not sure a debate would help.
ReplyDeleteGene,
ReplyDeleteIf he has not learned yet, I'll point that out. If he refuses to acknowledge our position for what it is, it will be obvious to everyone who reads.
-Turretinfan
Ok, how do you wish to proceed? What are the rules, if any? Or do we just dive in?
ReplyDeleteOk, if you'd like, here is the proposal:
ReplyDeleteI have a debate blog set up for the event.
We will each post an introduction with a 2000 word limit.
Then we will each have the chance to ask ten questions (in series) of the other person.
Finally, we will each have a 2000 word conclusion.
There are three options for posting:
(1) you can post your comments to any comment box, and then I can repost it as a post;
(2) you can email me your post and I can repost it; or
(3) I can invite you to be a guest blogger and you can post for yourself.
My email handle is Turretin and I use hotmail, should you choose to take the email approach. In fact for (3) I need to use your email address to invite you.
-Turretinfan
Oughtn't we have a link to the debate?
ReplyDelete