Eu cito

Por volta dos doze anos de idade, dei de caras com um livro que o meu pai guardava numa estante do seu escritório. Chamava-se “O Dinossauro Excelentíssimo”. Peguei no livro porque acreditava tratar-se de um livro sobre dinossauros. O meu pai nada fez para impedir que o lesse. Lembro-me vagamente de me ter dito qualquer coisa do género “lê e depois diz-me o que achaste”. Deve-o ter dito, certamente, com um sorriso. É claro que abandonei o livro passado pouco tempo. Tudo era difícil: as expressões, as palavras e, acima de tudo, o sentido do que estava escrito. Mais tarde, por volta de 90, voltei a pegar no "Dinossauro". Não posso afirmar, para benefício do argumento, que reli o livro. Em bom rigor, não o tinha lido. Assim como não posso afirmar que marquei na minha agenda, aos doze anos, que no dia x do mês y de 1990 voltaria a pegar no livro. Mas posso afirmar que o contacto com aquele livro despertou em mim a curiosidade de, mais tarde, o ler. Aquele passou a representar o m...

None of this convinced the author of the article or other commenters. The general conviction was that Williams had not acted decisively for conservative causes, especially regarding sexuality, and therefore that anything he said or wrote that savored of theological orthodoxy amounted to protective coloration at best and outright deceit at worst. In their minds, he was the enemy of orthodoxy and therefore their enemy, and could be granted the benefit of no doubt. (Never mind that on liberal Anglican blogs he was simultaneously being condemned for having sold out to the forces of right-wing reaction. And never mind what Jesus said about loving your enemies, even assuming that Williams really is an “enemy.”) They believed that Williams was wrong and had to be resisted by all available means, tarred by any brush at hand. My response to this attitude is summed up perfectly in Archbishop Sentamu’s lament about a “general disregard for the truth.” The author and commenters bristled at ...

It would help me (and might help others) if were to crystallise my position on the matter of Christian polemics. Partly, the debate has revealed that there is a consensus at a theoretical level, and that what we are discussing is a matter of discernment or wisdom. What's my big problem?  (...)  an apologetic issue - I really think we forget how aggressive rhetoric and polemics from the pulpit is a big turn off for a large numbers of people. Politicians now know this, and even Tony Abbott (an Australian politician) is trying to be more winsome.  a foothold for the devil - so many of the NT lists of sins include things like quarreling, dissension, strife and discord and what have you. As a hotheaded young man, hearing preachers regularly denounce other versions of Christianity fed the self-righteousness and pride of my heart. I think it has taken me some years to repent of this. I don't think I was a very unusual young man - and so it is pastorally unwise to encourage thi...