but more so at Gerry's insistence that John is some sort of lesser Christian, because he may have some positive remarks about Gibson's film, and thus is to be shoved over into the group of heretics that real Christians are to beware.
I respond:
That is totally uncalled for Fred. There isn't anything in my post, which I went back and reread before posting here, that would cause you to make such a statement. I don't think John is "some sort of lesser Christian, because he may make some postive remarks about the Gibson film". But I do think he is mistaken if he embraces the postion that the film is not a violation of the 2nd commandment. That is what I was implying and I think that is clear from my post.
I also think it is clear from my post that the position you have espoused with respect to NCT, if that is the consensus in the McArthur camp, would make it reasonable to assume, or surmise, that John might take a more tolerant view of violations of the 2nd Commandment. Thus, my question was based on a reasonable assumption about the possibilities and I was asking for a clear statement from you in that respect. While your response wasn't clear, it was directionally what I expected and I will make other plans for the time slot.
I will just add that having come from an antinomian environment, and having seen the effects such a belief can have on a congregation, it seems unwise to use the term "boogy man" to describe this heresy. I have chosen my view of the case entirely apart from the WCF statements on the issue, having as my authority the scriptures and having seen the outworking of a softening of position on this critical doctrine. As I have said elsewhere, it was evident to me that there was something very wrong long before I knew that there was a "boogy man" called antinomianism that was responsible.
So for me the issue is far more important that Democratic vs Republican politics. But then, to many professing Christians, nothing is really more important than politics, for in their heart of hearts, that is where their trust and faith really lie.