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Archives
Letters to the Editor
2009
October 2009
Published Letters
This first letter refers back to an published in
the August 2009 edition
Dear Editor:
In the leading article of the August edition of T&S “Freedom to Differ” Rev Andre van Oudtshoorn makes the point that human reason is fallen and thus flawed with the implication that all theology prepared by uninspired Christian writers is suspect.
Readers were reminded of how serious the business of theology is. When speaking about God we need to be careful and must allow God to define Himself. However what followed seemed to cast a shadow of doubt upon the truth and even usefulness of any creedal/confessional statement more detailed than say the Apostles creed. Van Oudtshoorn maintains that various theologians through the ages have offered interpretations of the Bible from their own culturally conditioned perspectives, adding that at times their own presuppositions, lack of knowledge, arrogance and sinfulness have obscured the gospel message. The article goes on and asserts that some theology, while it may have been authoritative in its day, is nevertheless provisional, lacking certainty, questionable, to be improved upon and is always open to the possibility of being wrong. My concern is that the article is very general in its scope and almost completely unsubstantiated. No specific examples are given with the result that readers will be left doubting the veracity of our Reformed confessions and wondering ‘where is our theology wrong?
Given the fact the Trowel and Sword is a magazine which seeks to promote and defend a Reformational understanding of what the Scriptures teach I find it difficult to see how the lead article in the abovementioned edition does that. Perhaps Andre could enlighten us as to which of our forefathers ‘from Calvin onwards’ were mistaken and how and which doctrines in our confessions are in error or redundant so that we can be properly edified and not left with unfounded misgivings about our church’s confessional basis.
Yours in Christ
Hans Vaatstra
Gosnells WA, August 30th 2009
Dear editor,
We are sorry we haven't managed to write this earlier, but hope it might still be of some help in backing you up in how you feel about the future of T & S, as expressed by you in an article after the last Australian Synod. We really appreciate receiving T & S, and I, Joyce, read it from cover to cover. Not that all articles are of my type, but that doesn't matter. It is really the only way we in NZ can keep abreast with what is happening in the Australian CRC. And for us that is important, as we lived and worked for 14 years in the RTC and those churches in Australia. Admittedly, we are senior people, in our mid-late 70's, so we won't be around for a long long time still, we presume! However, while we are, we hope to be able to benefit from the magazine.
However, we do have a real problem with it going 'electronic'! Although we use the computer a lot, and especially emails, and I even use a mobile phone now!, we are not into websites, nor do we want to be bothered at our age. It is just so much easier for us to receive a magazine in the post, and frankly, I don't think we would go to the trouble if we had to down-load it. And we certainly wouldn't sit and read it on the screen. That is not physically easy for us.
So here are our thoughts, in case they are of any interest/value to you in the months ahead. May the Lord bless and strengthen you in your work, also in the future, which sounds pretty daunting (The northern W.A. bit) We know W.A. a bit from our time at the Brookton mission for 2 years, and remember that with great fondness. But it is a harsh country, and would be too tough for us now!
With greetings in Him,
Joyce (and Carl) Larsen.
Dear Editor,
I would like to comment on the Harry Potter review in the last T&S.
I know the views of the reviewer are not necessarily that of the magazine, but to some extent publication can be deemed as some degree of tacit support. I am not too concerned with people who want to watch it, although personally I think it falls into the category St.
Paul describes as "everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial." However, I am concerned that someone should venture to describe it as containing 'Biblical themes and truths' and say that Harry somehow resembles men and women chosen by God. When looked at objectively, Harry, the good witch, battles it out with Voldemort, the bad witch. This I find disturbing as Harry, a self confessed witch, is equated with good. In reality, both are evil and this sort of talk muddies the definitions of good and evil considerably.
Isaiah says, 'Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil'. This equivalating Harry to God used Bible characters is unfair. Does not the Bible condemn witchcraft with 'You shall not suffer a witch to live' and many other injunctions to stay away from such activity.
Also, all the talk about faith, loving self sacrifice, and supportive relationships is misplaced. It all seems reminiscent of some mafia underworld story where the assassins, mafia bosses and pimps all work together to achieve their underworld aims of drug running, murder and prostitution, but their friendships and love for one another and supportive community all come together to dodge the police and other mafia groups and then tag it all as Biblical in theme because they look out for each other. Furthermore, we can now compare them to Biblical characters because they are flawed?!
All this comes atop the fact that Harry Potter has probably done more good for promoting witchcraft, especially amongst the young, than possibly any other publication to date. Need we remind ourselves that witchcraft is a celebration of death and Satan and any comparison to God chosen people or Biblical truth is truly misguided. Let's not let our post modern culture steal our Biblical sense of right and wrong and let's expose Harry for who he truly is, a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Yours sincerely,
Lukas Butler
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