words should mean things
Mar. 24th, 2011 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
One thing that really bugs me when discussing random topics with Christians is when someone will say:
"[this thing I don't like] isn't biblical."
You know what else isn't biblical?
- karaoke
- railway trains
- electric lights
- sushi
- hairspray
- skiing
- kangaroos
- tissues
The problem is, they're using "biblical" as the ultimate trump card, without thinking about what it means. "The Bible is good, hence 'biblical' is better than 'not biblical'," with no further justification needed.
And if I try to define what "biblical" could mean, well, there's "this thing is mentioned in the Bible", "this thing is approved of by the Bible", or "the thing could be argued for, using the Bible as support", for starters. Which might be perfectly relevant to the conversation - but if you don't say which one you mean...
...well, if you don't say, then I'm going to assume that you don't really know, because you've never had to put more thought into it than "is it biblical?" Whatever that means.
"[this thing I don't like] isn't biblical."
You know what else isn't biblical?
- karaoke
- railway trains
- electric lights
- sushi
- hairspray
- skiing
- kangaroos
- tissues
The problem is, they're using "biblical" as the ultimate trump card, without thinking about what it means. "The Bible is good, hence 'biblical' is better than 'not biblical'," with no further justification needed.
And if I try to define what "biblical" could mean, well, there's "this thing is mentioned in the Bible", "this thing is approved of by the Bible", or "the thing could be argued for, using the Bible as support", for starters. Which might be perfectly relevant to the conversation - but if you don't say which one you mean...
...well, if you don't say, then I'm going to assume that you don't really know, because you've never had to put more thought into it than "is it biblical?" Whatever that means.
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Date: 2011-03-24 12:25 pm (UTC)The Bible (as a complete work) itself, surely? ;)
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Date: 2011-03-24 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-24 12:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-24 01:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-24 01:55 pm (UTC)|Meduza|
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Date: 2011-03-24 02:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-24 05:33 pm (UTC)Gabrielle
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Date: 2011-03-24 06:24 pm (UTC)Yanno, I'd be fascinated sometime to compare notes with you on Aussie vs. American evangelicism (since what you're talking about here sounds like evangelical reasoning).
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Date: 2011-03-24 07:39 pm (UTC)But yes, it'd be fascinating to compare notes...
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Date: 2011-03-25 02:30 am (UTC)Not quite sure what makes you say that. Certainly Sydney Evangelicals would disagree with you quite strongly, and I know people from all over the country who identify themselves as 'evangelicals'.
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Date: 2011-03-25 02:33 am (UTC)I've certainly never heard the term used by Australians.
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Date: 2011-03-25 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 01:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 01:50 am (UTC)I can't spell her name either...
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Date: 2011-03-29 01:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-29 02:02 am (UTC)Whereas our denominations pretty much ignore church leadership beyond the congregation, even though it's out there somewhere...
(Broad simplification, but:
Anglicans - have bishops who get quoted in the news occasionally. As an Anglican churchgoer, I can tell you that we pretty much go "Oh, how nice, a bishop", smile, and then go back to what we're doing.
Presbyterians/Methodists/Uniting - have national conferences or some such thing, and discuss stuff at great length. Then go back home and change nothing at all.
Baptists - have national conferences which no-one ever notices. They are purely an excuse to swap
recipesworship ideas.Pentecostals/Assemblies of God - just announce "this is our denomination!" and then don't really pay attention to any other churches from the same one.
Salvos/Catholics/miscellaneous - not part of the "main" group, so we have no idea how they operate. *shrugs*)
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Date: 2011-03-24 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-03-25 12:50 am (UTC)