Through study I strive to be that person who can respond and answer questions or comments (or articles) as best as I can.
I read this and was interested how the various ministers, deacons (theologians) that I have encountered in my life might answer this article. This is not to say you must agree with what you think my answer would be. I realize I have minister friends from all viewpoints within the Christian Faith. I'm truly curious. I'd love for you to indulge me with your various thoughts. Only respectful discussion is welcome, but I'd love to have just that.
http://www.salon.com/2012/07/12/hey_kirk_cameron_learn_your_bible/
What are you looking for a reaction to? Kirk Cameron's views or the ridiculously condescending tone of Mary Elizabeth Williams in writing about his views?
ReplyDeleteNeither approach tends to reasoned discussion. Cameron may model a consistent approach to scripture, but I'm afraid he's becoming the 21st Century Pat Boone - a Christian celebrity who has boxed himself in to a narrow space with little capacity to engage artistic endeavor on a wider level. He's right to lift up the question of what marriage means in the wake of gay marriage, something many progressives don't want to dismiss out of hand, but from what little I know of his approach, it's not something he wants to really explore - only to affirm a position.
As for the Salon writer - that tone is just silly and not helpful. Which makes the whole piece a little unhelpful. But I'm interested to know what sort of discussion you think would be helpful. And thanks for keeping us thinking.
I meant to say - "many progressives WANT to dismiss out of hand"
DeleteWell, "both or any" is I guess my answer to what I want a reaction to. So you already answered.
DeleteBut also, just how people answer (and I think I have my answer in my head but always looking for ideas) the whole "well the Bible says THIS so therefore THAT is null and void!" I have answered this I think successfully for some and unsuccessfully for others.
I think the whole point of why I started this blog in the first place was to help form the best arguments in my pea brain. So sometimes I find Cameron too simplistic with his debating style...other times I think "hey its all quite simple though, isn't it?"
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite quotes is: "There's nothing I like less than bad arguments for a view that I hold dear." -- Daniel Dennett
Said by someone I would probably disagree with a lot.
I always respected Christopher Hitchens because even though I rarely agreed with him on things, he seemed to have a thought out intellectual argument. He was wrong about the most important question of all, but at least he was using the brain God gave him to think out his beliefs; unlike say a Bill Maher who recites bullet points in a cute way. But I have never seen Maher ever win a debate (except once against Bill O' Reilly because O' Reilly does not remotely know his Bible).
So it bothers me when someone like O'Reilly who claims to have beliefs) can not answer the simplest of questions about his faith. I do NOT want to be that person. I feel we are called to NOT be that person as believers. I also feel we have great arguments on our side that go well beyond a simple blind faith.
So why that long tangent? Well I guess I indeed was interested how a bible scholar might answer the, "the bible says this, so how can you justify that" argument. I know its not that simple, but hey, I was curious how an "intellectual" (not to boost your egos too much) might answer. Or would anyone agree with the writer to an extent? I also know that's possible.
I just want to be more Chesterson and less Osteen. I might never get there, but I'll try. Even if realizing the answers are sometimes as simplistic as an episode of Growing Pains.