Re: B-Greek Orthodoxy (was: thank you Micheal)

Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Sat, 5 Apr 1997 08:00:43 -0600

I am not going to cite, even in part, the post to which I am responding
because I think it would distract from the point I want to make (Other
readers may be less obtuse than I, but I had to read throough it twice to
be quite sure what Micheal was being thanked for). Suffice it to say that
Brian was noting that he had been removed from another list that will not
tolerate deviation from a particular theological perspective while Micheal
had expressed a view that implicitly called for tolerance of just such a
perspective. I must say that as a B-Greeker, I deeply value the tolerance
without for a moment publicly endorsing that perspective, whether or not I
happen to share it.

There is no demand or expectation on B-Greek that posters will hue to any
particular theological orthodoxy, and for that the simple reason is that
dialogue would in that case all too quickly develop into a flame war or
into the e-equivalent of CALKOS HCWN H KUMBALON ALALAZON. What is at once
Christian charity and common courtesy requires respect for diversity of
opinion--including opinions running counter to one's own convictions
regarding what is truth and what is error. This is not a matter of
promoting error or of tolerating it but of preserving an open and mutually
respectful forum for discussion, NOT discussion of theological
perspectives, but rather of matters relating directly or significantly to
the Greek text of the Bible. It is personal attacks on the integrity of
another's faith-perspective that are most likely to lead to removal of
anyone from B-Greek, and that is precisely because such personal attacks
poison the atmosphere for dialogue on what concerns us most here.

While I am speaking for myself directly here, I think it is not out of
place to note that this is the shared view of the staff of B-Greek.

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University
One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, USA 63130
(314) 935-4018
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cwc@oui.com
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/