On Prejudice, Word-Tossing and Taking You Seriously
We all have prejudices, though some of us are in greater states of denial than others. I recently had to add another prejudice to my ever-lengthening list (which I’ll get to in a minute), though I have also successfully (and painfully) removed a few in the past year, as well.
If you’re wondering about my previously stated prejudice against people’s extended usage of the KJV translation of the Bible, it still exists. Mind you, quoting from the book that defines Truth is not the problem - quoting at length in the KJV or quoting at length from ANY translation without an obvious tie-in to the discussion at had cause my eyes to glaze and skip on to the next article/comment/thread.
I also find myself very sympathetic to Julie Neidlinger’s list of reasons ‘why I don’t take you seriously’ - and I could probably add to her list. In particular, I am in concert with her observation:
The strength of the blogosphere is people writing about what they know. The weakness is people yammering away on stuff they don’t know anything about.
Which brings me to one of my new prejudices: People who casually toss about accusations which include the word ‘Semi-Pelagian’. Upon hitting that word, it is like my brain converts everything following it into “blah, blah, blah … apostate blah, blah, blah”, and my mind wanders back to ‘why I don’t take you seriously’.
August 2nd, 2007 at 9:47 am
Good post. To me when I read the phrase “neo-liberal cult” from anyone, it pretty much tells me to ignore everything else that person says. I remember seeing that on SOL way before I even found this site and thinking that whoever is writing that could not be serious. Unfortunately, I soon found I was wrong.
Really, how does one expect to convince anyone of anything when he starts the “dialog” by calling a person a member of a cult?
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:20 am
Another prejudice I’ve added to the list that I’m still trying to deal with is ‘hyphenators’…
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 am
But my prejudices are Scriptural!
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:39 pm
I wonder if Jesus would be considered “Semi-Pelagian” now:
Luke 12:31
“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Yes, phil, though I suspect that the verse you cited (and others) would either be hidden in the bucket (I posted about the other day), or reasoned away via a convoluted explanation that Jesus didn’t really mean “seek”.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
Somebody give me the definition of plagian and semi-plagian. I never felt the need to know until now.
August 2nd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Rick,
If you look at the article on Chris’s blog (click the “more” link here), you’ll see a link to a wikipedia article that explains the terms.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Can’t find it. Does it mean works salvation?
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Rick,
Sorry, I was being lazy the first time. Here it is.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:10 pm
I’m pretty sure God has already made the first move toward man and that the Spirit draws sinners to the move. How complicated everything seems to be.
Since I did not know those definitions, am I saved? If not I better run toward God. Oh yea, I can’t.
August 2nd, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Rick,
The issue seems to be that the ODMs are accusing anyone who says that salvation requires any effort from us, to be Semi-Pelagian. They are using the term without knowing what it means, apparently.
August 2nd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Then what would be the difference between those who say that only God can make a sinner seek Him, and those who agree with that but believe God has planted that within every man? Isn’t it just a matter of timing and breadth?
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:09 am
…and that’s the post on my site where I used questionable language.
Great.
There goes my credibility.