Monday, June 13, 2005
What Is Our Responsibility?
So, you are sitting in the pew -- and from in front of the church comes a real corker. You know what I'm talking about, not an interpretation that you disagree with, not something that is an obvious slip of the tongue, no, I am talking about a flat out factual error. Say someone contends multiple times in a short speech that it was the Greek army that held siege on Masada when in fact the Greek army had not existed for a couple of centuries by the time of the Maccabeen revolt which culminated at Masada, that it was in fact the Roman army that held such siege. What do you do?
I know, I know, tradition says you hold your tongue and you speak to the individual quietly after the service, or you let it drop altogether -- but by that time 100's, if not 1000's of people now have an absolutely wrong fact lodged in their skulls. And, if you are say a Bible study leader at that church and the issue comes up, you will now have to bring in 20 different reference books to prove your point, because the wrong information came from the pulpit.
The traditional approach would be fine if the individual involved came back the next week and owned up to the error -- but the last few times I have run into this situation, such admission of error has not been forthcoming.
Bottom line is this -- differences of opinion are one thing, but errors of facts are another. Can we let them stand? If not, how do we challenge them in an appropriate fashion? Inquiring minds want to know!
I know, I know, tradition says you hold your tongue and you speak to the individual quietly after the service, or you let it drop altogether -- but by that time 100's, if not 1000's of people now have an absolutely wrong fact lodged in their skulls. And, if you are say a Bible study leader at that church and the issue comes up, you will now have to bring in 20 different reference books to prove your point, because the wrong information came from the pulpit.
The traditional approach would be fine if the individual involved came back the next week and owned up to the error -- but the last few times I have run into this situation, such admission of error has not been forthcoming.
Bottom line is this -- differences of opinion are one thing, but errors of facts are another. Can we let them stand? If not, how do we challenge them in an appropriate fashion? Inquiring minds want to know!
