Dr. Scott Oliphint on Apologetics and Doctrine of Scripture (Pt. 3 of 3)

[fromthesestones]

"Christianity is a way of life, not a theological system with which one must be in intellectual agreement. Christ would have admitted into discipleship anyone who sincerely desired to follow him, and allow that disciple to make his creed out of his experience; to listen, to consider, to pray, to follow, and ultimately to believe only those convictions about which the experience of fellowship made him sure." -- Leslie Weatherhead.

[edwardsian]

@fromthesestones

one of the dumbest comments i've ever seen!

[wkniazeff]

@fromthesestones

The self-defeating nature of this statement is this: that its imposing a theological system- that which is primarily built, not upon the authority of Christ mediated by the Word of God, but through experience. The focus of one's ultimate, final authority is upon the self or the community rather than God.

[wkniazeff]

@fromthesestones To correct Weatherhead's statement: "Christianity is a way of life grounded upon a theological system as taught by Christ mediated primarily through the Word of God" To adhere to experience solely is to adhere to mysticism.

[fromthesestones]

@wkniazeff -- Yeah, I would say that Weatherhead's statement overlooks the fact that all life is a response to a system or systems of data. And that one will unavoidably develop an intellectual position with regard to them.  "Listening, considering, and praying..." are, in fact, how we come to intellectually agree or not agree with something. While I kind of understand the spirit of Weatherhead's statement and what he's reacting to, I think he's toying around with words.