E
exnihilo
Guest
I’d say I didn’t think much about it. I like most people just assumed the church I grew up in was right. I would have become aware at some point there were other churches. But it took a while to understand there were significantly different and contradictory teachings. Once I understood there were differences it was explained by members of my church by the essentials vs. non-essentials distinction. I then wondered how you knew what was essential. For me there wasn’t a satisfactory answer to that question.
I should also point out my church never stressed the Bible alone. I’m sure a lot of members thought that way. But if you really examined the official teaching you wouldn’t find that taught. In fact you would find that rejected. When I say official teaching there was really very little dogmatic teaching. So even what seemed to be official could have very little authority.
I now think Sola Scriptura is wrong. But I understand how people can believe something that seems to be flawed. There is the weight of tradition. Being brought up in a culture where this is a common belief strongly influences your thought. But really most people just don’t think about it. Consider the US dollar. Most people unthoughtfully will exchange labor or goods for a piece of paper. What sense does that make? None, unless you understand how paper money came about. Even if you come to believe that the paper money system we have today is a bad idea you’ll probably still use it because you know, despite it being a bad idea, everyone else goes along with it.
I think simply not thinking about it, or not thinking it through, accounts for a lot of individual beliefs. But that isn’t to say there aren’t men who have thought it through and still have principled reasons for holding to their beliefs. That is a separate thread of course.
I should also point out my church never stressed the Bible alone. I’m sure a lot of members thought that way. But if you really examined the official teaching you wouldn’t find that taught. In fact you would find that rejected. When I say official teaching there was really very little dogmatic teaching. So even what seemed to be official could have very little authority.
I now think Sola Scriptura is wrong. But I understand how people can believe something that seems to be flawed. There is the weight of tradition. Being brought up in a culture where this is a common belief strongly influences your thought. But really most people just don’t think about it. Consider the US dollar. Most people unthoughtfully will exchange labor or goods for a piece of paper. What sense does that make? None, unless you understand how paper money came about. Even if you come to believe that the paper money system we have today is a bad idea you’ll probably still use it because you know, despite it being a bad idea, everyone else goes along with it.
I think simply not thinking about it, or not thinking it through, accounts for a lot of individual beliefs. But that isn’t to say there aren’t men who have thought it through and still have principled reasons for holding to their beliefs. That is a separate thread of course.