Why Have We Lost Our Nerve??

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Why Have We Lost Our Nerve??

Brother Gary Cox indicated in the thread on "Preacher or Pastor?"....that he had blessed us by taking the time to write. He had more important things to do than debate, in essence, what he perceived to be silly issues.

He is not alone. Just take a little time to read through many of the posts and you will find an overwhelming number of individuals who give the impression that they have little time for debate because they are evangelizing or doing something else more noble. We are also told that those of us who do enjoy debate are not committed to winning the world, evangelizing, and that we obviously have too much time on our hands.

The truth be known, this is the overall feeling of many in our brotherhood because it is a culturally influenced "I'm a lover, not a fighter" mentality.

Allow me to say a few things about this........

1) First, I resent the idea that is presented that those of whose who see the value in debate:

a) Have too much time on our hands;or,

b) Are less committed to evangelism.

Why does it have to be either or??? As I write this it is 5:30 AM.....and I have been going at it since 5 AM this morning. To be honest......for the most part....it seems like I have plenty of time to get it all done each day.....especially when you get up between 4-5 AM each morning. As per the evangelism.....I'm not even going to get into that because it sounds like a "my church is bigger than yours" or a "I've got more marbles than you" discussion.

The fact is.......you get done each day the things that you think are important......and this forum and debating the issues is important to me........not so I can be right before you.......but so that I can be right before God.

The only way to have "right thinking".......is to have others challenge what you believe.

2) Thank the Lord that our forefathers.....especially A. Campbell......took the time to debate. The fact is......this forum would not exist and most of you preachers would not have jobs had he not taken the time to debate.

3) I would challenge each of you to study into the early history of America and see that one of the most noble things that men in the community did was debate on a regular basis. Proof again that our "weak wristed" culture has had far too great an influence on the church.

In closing.....if you don't like to debate.....fine. But do not give the impression that somehow you are more noble.......more dedicated to evangelism......more dedicated to serving your churches because you do not take the time to debate.

Scripturally and historically.......it doesn't wash.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Answers

So this is what it has come to. Now we're arguing about "arguing". Tsk tsk! And just think. Some poor soul could be doing a Yahoo search on the word "Christian," find this forum, read our squabbles, and decide against Christ altogether.

OK, I will take my tongue out of my cheek--you see, conscientous debators in this forum discuss what they feel to be dangerous "trends" in the church, because they foresee eternally damaging consequences. Allow me to paste part of a previous thread entitled, "Doctrinal Trends of the Restoration Movement"

Our generation of the Church wants to enjoy Christianity without having to slug it out in some dirty brawl to defend the Faith-once-delivered. New Testament Christianity has always existed in the documents, not in the purity of a first- century golden age. From day one the Church has been forced to choose between conflict and compromise; before he could get out of town, Paul's enemies subverted his doctrine in the churches he founded. It's been that way ever since. We must not get the vapors over doctrinal confrontation, as if some strange thing were happening to us. Our congregations, on the average, are no better or worse than the churches in A.D. 65; and where did we get the idea that our generation of the church has within it some natural quality that makes apostasy abnormal?

Modern Christians are irrationally critical of theological debate. They have the feeling that controversy in the Church is anomalous and tacky. I am regularly scolded by brethren of fine tuned soul, warned that the Spirit of Christ equals quiet civility. Polemics are out of fashion. Trends go unchecked because believers care more about manner than content; syrupy error passes ahead of straight-spoken truth. Confrontation, however, is the business of the Church, right along with love and evangelism. To deny this is to condemn Peter and John and Paul ...and Jesus. Since the Church can ultimately be counted on to stray, we have reason to anchor on what the Bible says, not on what the Church is believing and doing.

-- Anonymous, September 30, 1999

Brother Dan, I appreciate your comments and have to agree that we preachers find ourselves in a no-win situation. We are called to win the world but we spend half our time trying to persuade church leaders who themselves need to be won. I agree with contending earnestly for the faith as long as we don't become contentious. I have been known to write a few papers and Bible studies on doctrinal issues. IN fact, I am working on one now on the place of music in worship. We are really called to both I believe...persuade the world and teach the church.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999

I also hear negative remarks about people discussing Biblical subjects on E-mail lists. What I don't understand is why those who feel that way are on the lists.

There are two things I see good about lists.

1) We learn to understand others which causes us to love.

2) We can have an influence on one another by planting seeds in our minds that we can mix with our own thoughts and come out thinking more clearly about what we believe. Hearing from others can either help us come to a better knowledge of the word or it can help us see that what we believe is in the word. (If this is rambling, I'm sorry.)

There is a scripture (Proverbs (?)) which says, "The first to plead his case seems right until another comes and questions him." That sounds like debate to me.

-- Anonymous, October 01, 1999


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