Tzaousios
Αυγουστινιανικός Χριστιανός
- Dec 4, 2008
- 8,504
- 609
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
If the point is not to represent Christ appropriate, then you open a wide door to make an image of your own mind.
Here you have, once again, manipulated the language that you use to describe iconography and Orthodox practice concerning them. By the term "appropriate," it is implied that ALL representations of Christ in Christian iconography is inappropriate.
The Orthodox have not said that their desire is not to have an appropriate image of Christ. Also, the iconographic tradition has never sought to have anything less than to represent Christ appropriately.
Finally, it is not as if there exists for you an appropriate representation by which to compare and judge propriety. You do not let on to this explicitly in your replies. Such is the nature of presuppositions.
JesusFreak78 said:I didn't say those verses denied or confirmed iconography, but I said based on those two verses it's impossible to make an icon that represent Christ appropriate.
I am glad you have finally been forthwith about your presupposition concerning propriety. However, now you need to acknowledge that the Orthodox do not accept your iconoclastic, aniconic presupposition, and have given ample reason as to why they do this.
Also, if you admit that the prooftexts do not deny or confirm iconography, why even use them? It only provides further evidence that you want others to conform to your particularly Evangelical Protestant, iconoclastic, aniconic take on those passages, and not that you are "only repeating what the Bible plainly says." It is time to dispense with that rhetorical trope.
Tzaousios said:It is time to stop perpetuating these myths. Your presuppositions about Eastern Orthodoxy prevent you from coming to any positive conclusion about its beliefs. On the other hand, the Orthodox will not become iconoclastic, aniconic Evangelical Protestants and desire only to defend their beliefs from ignorant attacks, despite the numerous references to history that have been provided.JesusFreak78 said:I don't try to convert anyone. I just simple trying show them what the bible is saying.
More manipulation of language. I never said anything about trying to "convert" the Orthodox to your conception of True Christianity. Rather, my point was that you have not been forthcoming about your presuppositions, and that any attempts to persuade the Orthodox to aniconism/iconoclasm is a gross ignorance of both the arguments they have presented and the history they have had with iconoclasts.
Then there is that repetition of the "I am only repeating what the Bible plainly says" trope...
JesusFreak78 said:I was talking about Christ being sinless and she said what I said sounded like I believed Christ didn't have two natures. So I confirmed I believed in Christ's two natures and with the "but" I went back to my previous point of Christ being sinless. I never said she didn't believe Christ was sinless.
Alright. Perhaps you should dispense with the wordsmithing and be more forthcoming. This meaning was not very apparent in the original statement.
JesusFreak78 said:If you want to represent Christ correctly, you need to represent all of Him and not only what fits you.
This is another strawman. The Orthodox have not claimed to represent Christ "correctly," insofar as to show him in his full consubstantiality and essence with the Father, nor have they claimed to represent him "as it fits [them]." As I mentioned before, the representations are correct and appropriate because they seek to display certain qualities of Christ in context.
In sum, it is you who have repeatedly sought to make them conform to a definition of "correct" and "appropriate" which narrowly means that "all of him" MUST be portrayed and that representations of individual qualities are not good enough.
JesusFreak78 said:I have never said they desire to present Christ in a sinful manner or to misrepresent Him.
Again, perhaps you should be more specific. Be "plain" and "clear" as your exegesis of Scripture is claimed to be.
JesusFreak78 said:What I'm trying to say is that's what will happen when they make an icon of Christ.
"That is what will happen..." No, it is what happens according to a certain Evangelical Protestant who subscribes to absolute aniconism and is even sympathetic to iconoclasm.
JesusFreak78 said:I have seen plenty, but I turn my eyes away from them since I don't want to look upon a misrepresentation of Christ.
Which your presupposition demands that you do. How utterly pious!

This reaction in no way demonstrates that you have honestly and prayerfully investigated the history and arguments behind Christian iconography and come to an informed decision.
JesusFreak78 said:If I had liked what I saw, I wouldn't been in here having this discussion.
Eh, I don't know. Are you sure it is that you would not want to admit this in the presence of simonthezealot et al.? It would not fit the framework of "the enemies of my enemy are my friends."
JesusFreak78 said:I'm not playing a game and we are all (regardless of where we are coming from) have some kind of presuppositions regardless of we want to admit it or not.
Yes, there is a certain game being played, based specifically upon the conscious choice not to reveal presuppositions, the denial of having any interpretation of Scripture, and the use of dissembling rhetoric.
Upvote
0
