In the first post of this series, I invited you to join me on this journey. As with any journey there is preparation that needs to be done and ground rules that need to be laid down. That is the purpose of this post. You may be asking why we need ground rules. It is simple. If we are going on this journey together (and we are, aren’t we?) then we should all be aiming to arrive at the same destination. If I want to go one direction and someone else wants to go in another, then how are we ever going to take the journey together?
So without further ado, here are the rules that I propose for the journey:
- The Bible is the infallible, inerrant and sufficient Word of God. It contains all the answers that we need to understand how we should live and what is expected of us.
- Therefore, all points need to be made with reference to scripture, quoted in context.
- We will seek the truth that Scripture teaches on these issues, and are prepared to conform our views to scripture where they differ.
- All arguments must use sound logical principles.
- When debating arguments, attack the argument and not the person.
- Always take five minutes to think about each comment before responding.
- Keep the discussion on topic. If a question arises, ask and we can cover it in a separate posting.
- Keep responses short. This helps stay on topic and makes responding to points easier.
(Did I miss any obvious ones? Let me know and we will add them to the list)
This journey is intended to be a discussion and not a sermon. I know for a fact that I have far more questions than I do answers. I don’t expect to be have the right answer every time. Some posts will ask far more questions than they answer, and many of the answers will not be easy or obvious. I want you to participate in the discussion with me, to bring your understanding and arguments to the table. As I have said, this is a journey–I know where we are going, but how to get there and what the destination looks like are yet to be discovered. Are you excited? I certainly am.
