Theological Survey

[NarrowPathPilgrim]

Dear Elect Brethren,
I am always finding myself in debates with Arminians, Pelagians, Deists, Ecumenicalists, Mormons, Socinians and occasionally a Universalist or a Gnostic. In most of my debates, I find that if I can hold my opponent to being logically consistent with his own position winning the debate becomes much easier. Consequently, I recently started working on a Theological Survey document designed in such a way that the incoherent theologian will "paint himself into a corner" as he fills it out.

Right now, the document is far from completion, but it has already proved itself immensely beneficial in several of my debates! One young Arminian friend of mine had to make half a dozen changes to her answers after completing the survey, several other friends changed their positions completely half-way through and had to start again from the beginning! The beauty of this survey is that it forces consistency and highlights the weak points of theology, forcing people to consider biblical issues from angles they may not have considered before.

Using better documents cannot change people’s hearts; however, it does prove useful in dividing the wheat from the chaff. So far, I have found that it really speeds up ANY debate by narrowing the problem down to specific issues and allowing you to use their own words against them.

Anyhow, I am looking for all the input regarding this document that I can get. Please review it and make changes as you see fit, then email the document to the address posted below (alternatively, you can just make suggestions in this thread). This is a continually changing document, so marking your changes with highlighting will help me transfer your revisions to my copy.

You can download the document here:
http://www.splendorofcreation.com/TheologicalSurvey.pdf (Adobe Reader)

http://www.splendorofcreation.com/TheologicalSurvey.doc (Word 2003)

http://www.splendorofcreation.com/TheologicalSurvey.docx (Word 2007)


I would greatly appreciate comments, questions, suggestions, additions, corrections, or any other form of input! I would also appreciate assistance in writing a JavaScript or PHP based version of this survey so that it could be filled out from a website and the user could be provided with instant feedback and analysis.

Revised editions may be emailed to me at zach.doty@gmail.com or uploaded and posted here.

Forever In Christ,
Zach Doty

 

[Melethiel]

You assume Christianity has to be completely logical. I, quite frankly, find that to be a weak point of Calvinism.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Dear Elect Brethren,
I am always finding myself in debates with Arminians, Pelagians, Deists, Ecumenicalists, Mormons, Socinians and occasionally a Universalist or a Gnostic. In most of my debates, I find that if I can hold my opponent to being logically consistent with his own position winning the debate becomes much easier.

Have you had any luck with the RCC with it?
Just kidding of course, but logic doesn't take the place of Spirit, Wisdom and Knowledge of YHWH's Words of the Bible.

http://www.scripture4all.org/

Reve 2:17 The one having an ear let him hear! what the Spirit is saying to the Out-Calleds: To the one conquering, I shall be giving to him of the manna, of the having been hidden. And I shall be giving him a counter/yhfon <5586>, and on the counter/yhfon <5586> a name, new, having been written, which no one has seen except the one obtaining.

Reve 13:18 Here the Wisdom is, the one having Mind let him calculate/yhfisatw <5585> (5657) the number of the wild-beast, for of man it is, and the number of it six hundred sixty six.

 

[LJSGM]

well, I'm can't download anything, but if you post a link to a website, or even post on here, then I'll read it.

 

[NarrowPathPilgrim]

You assume Christianity has to be completely logical. I, quite frankly, find that to be a weak point of Calvinism.

And you assume that it does not have to be logical? Both are technically assumptions; from an epistemological standpoint, all truth is presupposed, there are no "brute facts".
I have chosen to presuppose that the Bible is true and that God is a God of truth (Deut. 32:4, Isaiah 65:16) who reveals only truth in the form of propositional statements. The Laws of Logic are the transcendent standards of truth which are intrinsically part of God’s communicable attributes. Man, created in God’s image, has this knowledge innately. The scriptures contain only truth (John 17:17) and truth cannot contradict itself therefore God cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Heb. 6:18, Numbers 23:19).
Its far more logical to believe in logic! I'm not a rationalist but I'm not an irrationalist either. God created men in the image of God as rational beings, so use your noggin!

Just kidding of course, but logic doesn't take the place of Spirit, Wisdom and Knowledge of YHWH's Words of the Bible.

I have not said that logic takes the place of the Spirit, Wisdom, or the Scriptures. I have merely said that the God reveals only truth, and truth is logical. Logic is objective, not subjective. The works of God often appear counterintuitive to the natural man, nevertheless they are perfect, true and wise.

well, I'm can't download anything, but if you post a link to a website, or even post on here, then I'll read it.

Ask and you shall receive. Here it is in HTML format.
http://www.splendorofcreation.com/TheologicalSurvey.html

 

[Lotar]

Of course, if you convince Calvinists to be consistent they are forced into admitting that they are Nestorians and that God Himself has no free will, being bound deterministically by His nature.

 

[Nathan45]

Well since you wanted feedback...

as one of the Deists you may end up arguing with, this test is incredibly long and nearly all of the questions are pointless/meaningless. The feature I would request is a "I don't know/care and it's not imporant" Box, but that's assuming i'd finnish the quiz.

IMO it should be trimmed down a bit.

Just my 2c

 

[Nathan45]

God the Father eternally generates the Son; God the Son is eternally generated by the Father; God the Holy Ghost eternally proceeds from both the Father and the Son.

Like this question for example. I need a "Don't know/care" checkbox.
For practical matters: How does this knowledge aid you in any way in serving your particular God while on earth?

Why do christians/calvinists put so much emphasis on stuff like this? I feel the same way about all of the nicene creed related dogma--I mean, i'm sure you have some obscure verse to prooftext this by, but who cares?

 

[RC_NewProtestants]

Yes I don't see the survey of very meaningful. It certainly would not demonstrate logical errors. some of them are simply to vague to have value. For instance one on the trinity said that there is one God revealed in 3 different forms (modalism) and the next was one God revealed in 3 persons. Would not 3 different forms equate to 3 persons? Then again what does one mean by persons when they speak of one of something.