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With all the websites and newsletters for various Presbyterian groups that are available to us today, many of us find ourselves reading lots of articles about the issues being debated in the church (or hearing others talk about them).  In some of these websites, newsletters, and conversations, people make claims about Scripture, about Presbyterian doctrine, and even about the actions, words, and motives of others.  Since these issues are important, it is essential that we read (or listen) carefully and that we think clearly about the things we read and hear. ¹

We need to think about these things carefully, not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of Christ's church, so that our responses will be helpful.  And we also want to be fair to the people who are doing the writing, and to those who are being discussed.  Logical thinking can help us with this, so here comes a mini-course in basic logic.

Logic 101

Two different examples of basic logical statements (don't worry, it won't all be like this!) are:

  1.  Some Ps are Qs.
  2.  If P, then Q.

1.  Some Ps are Qs.

Some examples of a real-life statement like this are, "Some of my friends grew up in Iowa," or "Lots of Presbyterians like rock music."  It is important to notice this point: the fact that some Ps are Qs does not mean that all Ps are Qs.  For example, even though lots of Presbyterians like rock music, it doesn't mean that all Presbyterians like rock music.

So, when we're reading about the current issues in the church, we must remember not to make unwarranted generalizations, nor to accept such generalizations made by others.  Here are some examples:

• Some present or past leaders of some Presbyterian groups (such as the Lay Committee or the Witherspoon Society) may also be active in other types of groups, such as political parties or advocacy groups.  For example, suppose that Jason is a leader in the Witherspoon Society and is also a member of PETA, or that Amy is a leader on the Lay Committee and is also a member of the NRA.  This does not mean that all theological liberals agree with PETA, nor does it mean that all theological conservatives agree with the NRA.  It only means that Jason and Amy each agree with those respective groups.

• Some groups have opposed certain women on national staff because of their theology.  Others have claimed that this means that those groups oppose the idea of women in leadership.  That is as silly as saying that people who were opposed to Clinton or Nixon as president were opposed to all men in leadership!

Some examples of this kind of statement are, "If it's raining, then I'll need my umbrella," or, "If she's a Democrat, she must not really be a Christian," or, "If it's Tuesday, it is also Thursday."  An important thing to remember about these statements is this: they are not necessarily true.  So, when we're reading about issues in the church, we need to be alert both to our own thinking, and to the thinking of the writer.  We (or the writer) may think, "If P, then Q", but that might be wrong.  Here are some examples.

• Some say, "If you think homosexual sex is wrong, then you hate gays and lesbians."  But that is as silly as saying that if a mother believes that her child's lying is wrong, then she must hate her child.  Similarly, people may think that if some Presbyterians believe that same-sex unions should be blessed, then those Presbyterians must want to abolish all morality.  But in fact it usually only means that they interpret morality in a different way.

• If someone's speech was called hate language, or someone's actions were called violence, does it mean that the person was really hateful or violent?  Quite often it does.  But sometimes these words really mean just "disagreement."  An extreme example of this is an Episcopal group that called itself "God's Love Changed Me."  Others then said that that name was "hate language" (because it implied that homosexual behavior could be changed).  So when words like "hate" and "violence" are used, consider the issue carefully.  For instance, don't accept a statement that group A has directed hate language at group B without seeing the actual language for yourself.

• Some think that if a Presbyterian is an evangelical, then that person must be a Republican.  Similarly, many think "liberal" in theology is identical to "liberal" in politics.  But I, for example, am an evangelical and a Democrat.  If P, then not necessarily Q.

In sum, we will be thinking carefully about what we read and hear, and we will be careful about what we write and say.  One more caution: if we have read some claim about some person or group, we will not report it to other people until we are sure it is true.

But above all, the most important thing we can do when we're reading or writing about these issues is to pray.  Pray before we start.  Pray while we're in the midst of it.  Pray afterwards as we think about it all.  And be thankful that God is wiser than we are!
_______________

* Deborah Milam Berkley is a member of First Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, WA

1.  From now on I will just say "read" or "write", but I also mean "hear" or "say".