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| UOJ kitties are offended by the facts. |
One person did not grasp his own favorite logical fallacy, the appeal to authority, so he sent one of his usual snarky but ignorant comments. The appeal to authority does not work when the authority is invalid. For example:
- A synod is not an authority on anything, so appealing to synodical statements, essays, or teachers is a fallacy.
- Studying Greek does not make anyone an authority about anything, especially since many students are mediocre at best and never keep up. Even if they had PhDs in Koine Greek, that does not mean they are correct in all their arguments. If that were so, then everyone in Greece would be an orthodox Lutheran by default.
- Seminary is not graduate school, so graduating from a seminary is not an accomplishment. Universities treat a law degree as equal to a PhD in pay, but they do not hire MDivs to teach. That should suggest something to MDivs who bully members by saying "I studied Greek and have 8 years of study." A typical Lutheran education involves a general BA degree, which is not proof of theological expertise. Seminary includes one year of vicarage and plenty of practical courses that advance sleep rather than doctrinal knowledge.
- Seminary teaches students to adopt synodical norms, not to be students of the Word. All four Olde Synodical Conference seminaries fill young heads with delusions of being the best, with the two Concordias contending against each other - for laughs.
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| Paul Calvin Kelm is the oldest college chaplain in America. |
The false teachers use themselves as authorities and get their buddies to back them up. When I spoke about the facts of Paul Kelm's unionism, Frosty Bivens immediately stood up and began accusing me of slander - in his unctuous, pious, and deeply offended tone of voice. Bivens did or did not go to Fuller Seminary, like his pal David Valleskey, who was angry with David Koenig for telling the truth. What are friends for?
What is a correct use of authority?
First of all, and above all else, the clear, plain meaning of the Scriptures is the ultimate authority, the ruling norm. If we really believe the Word of God is inerrant and without contractions, then all passages are in harmony and support each other in the message revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, a pastor or official cannot play top dog and claim, "My opinion is true because I went to seminary, because I studied Greek, because several synodical types agree with me, some of them asleep in Christ, some of them dead in Christ."
Secondly, the Book of Concord is our best commentary on the meaning of the Scriptures, the witness of the Reformers, and the post-Reformation era. Digging up a letter from Luther and saying, "Aha, this proves I'm right!" is foolish, because the people trained by Luther and Melanchthon provided us with a concise, united witness to the truth, worth careful study. Those who do not think so should be chased out of town and pelted with dog manure, according to the Book of Concord.
Correct argumentation also uses proof by way of quotations and citations. The false teachers do not like my quotation database. They complain about Luther being quoted and they hate their own words being published. Of course, someone can always counter with additional research, but false teachers are lazy, indolent clods. They are their own authorities. They should welcome discussion but they shut down all conversation. This should come as no shock since C. F. W. Walther took over the Stephan papacy and ruled the same way, but without the title.
No layman or pastor should be afraid of debating the meaning of God's Word or the Confessions. St. Paul said it is good to do that, to prove what is good and what is heretical.
