ENOUGH ALREADY: Apostasia

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Thu May 11 08:11:35 EDT 2000


At 3:13 AM -0700 5/11/00, Robert W Meyers wrote:
>I am completely confused.
>
>I so much appreciate the b-greek group and the help
>it has given me with my repeated questions concerning
>the Greek Scriptures.  Thanks again to all who have
>given me help in this.
>
>But what I am confused about is what is considered
>appropriate and what is not. 
>
>One group, call it group A (Paul, Steve, Jason, etc), has
>been permitted to write extensive theologically oriented
>posts, attacking group B, (Drs. Morris, Wuest, English, etc,
>and myself), having nothing to do with the Greek text,
>without being chided for being "off topic."
>
>Is group B, therefore, permitted likewise to offer its
>theological defense?
>
>Actually, I think that the cause of truth is better served
>by freedom, such as the above have exercised, rather than
>by suppression, which seems to be the list policy. 
>
>But certainly only if BOTH sides have that freedom.

I have just posted a response under the subject-header: "Re: PAROUSIA and
EPISUNAGWGH" my comment on a thread that emerged as a follow-up to the
APOSTASIA  thread in which I commented on what seemed to me to be
theology-driven argumentation rather than strict grammatical analysis.

I was frankly a bit concerned at the outset of the APOSTASIA thread that
the focus even at the outset was upon the theological "fallout" from a
careful study of the diction involved in the passage in question; in my own
initial response to that message I noted:

At 5:43 AM -0500 5/8/00, Carl W. Conrad wrote:
>May I please urge list-members to be careful in responding to this and to
>remember that the focus of B-Greek discussion is the Greek text itself and
>not doctrinal issues or general questions about NT Eschatological teaching.

I think this warning was ignored--or more likely it wasn't read until after
respondents had already posted messages in response to the initial
APOSTASIA message (I have repeatedly urged B-Greekers please to read
through all incoming correspondence before replying to any, but to little
avail, since, after all, it's easier to read a message, respond to it
immediately, and then go on to the next incoming message and read it.
Habits don't change quickly if they change at all.

I'm grateful to Robert for sharing his confusion and for calling attention
to the license exemplified in messages in this thread. It is true that
several of these posts have been theologically oriented although we have
expressly stated frequently that theological discussion as such and
hermeneutical discussion as such is out of bounds for B-Greek.

It may well be, and I do know that several list-members would concur,
"that the cause of truth is better served by freedom, such as the above
have exercised, rather than by suppression, which seems to be the list
policy." The "cause of truth" has been the occasion of a good deal of
bloodletting over the centuries, not least of all in the era of the
Reformation in Europe. The fact is, moreover, that our experience on the
list has been that theological discussion has tended to become heated and
resulted ultimately in flame wars. It was the recurrence of that phenomenon
on B-Greek that led the list-owner of that time to appoint the staff that
came to oversee the operation of B-Greek. When we initially drew up the
guidelines of "list netiquette" we stated as the very first principle:

     "1. Respectful discourse: Those who participate in the conference
represent a wide range of theological and denominational perspectives,
perhaps even including some whose interests are purely academic.  Deep
religious convictions surely characterize many, perhaps most, of the
list-participants, and some of these convictions bear directly upon how the
Biblical text is to be understood. At the core of our discussion, however,
is not what our convictions are but what the Greek text may legitimately be
understood to mean. If discussion of this nature is to succeed, proper
respect and courtesy to other list members is important.  While scholarly
debate, including disagreement, is encouraged as a goal of this conference,
attacks upon the character, intelligence, or faith of those participating
are not acceptable. Criticism must focus upon the arguments of others; it
may not be directed to the individual.  Those who violate this policy will
be contacted politely by the B-Greek staff and requested to conform to
these guidelines.  Those who continue to violate the policy will no longer
be welcome in the conference."

I believe that several messages in the APOSTASIA thread crossed over the
line, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in characterizing writings
and reference works as unreliable and even dangerous. May I therefore
please urge B-Greekers henceforth to steer clear of attacking (or
defending) particular theological viewpoints and once again to keep the
focus of discussion on the Biblical Greek text and the range of legitimate
possibilities of understanding that text.

-- 
Carl W. Conrad
Co-Chair, B-Greek List
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu OR cwconrad at ioa.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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