It is very interesting to me what posts illicit a strong response. Cranberry sauce. The Amish. Who knew?

In Acts 17, Paul is preaching Christ to the pagan Athenians. These people have never heard this Gospel, and so Paul brings home his point by appealing to their own secular poets (v. 28). In education circles, this is what we call appealing to a person’s schema. This God is new to them, and so Paul appeals to them using their own literature. We introduce the unfamiliar by appealing to the familiar. While Paul would obviously disagree with a pagan poet’s worldview, he nevertheless sees the good in what the poet notices (“We are His offspring…”). While I didn’t have this in mind when I wrote the post below, using an imperfect illustration to make a broader point is valid, just as Paul did.

These pagan poets were orthodox (they believed the right thing on this specific point) without even knowing what they are talking about. All truth is God’s truth. Can we not say the same thing about correct practice (orthopraxy)? All orthopraxy is God’s orthopraxy – even if those practicing don’t understand fully what it is they are doing. We may learn by their good example if can we refrain from throwing the baby out with the bathwater, as one commenter said.

While the Amish arguably have problematic theology, it is intellectually ingenuous to write them off completely. I’m afraid my single, larger point was lost on the fact that some Amish aren’t saved. Of course. But to turn that around, one must note that many professing Evangelical Christians aren’t saved either.

My position was a simple one. Namely, it is a good, worthwhile activity to consider why we choose the things we choose. The Amish are more notable than Presbyterians for scrutinizing a thing. If I said, “We should ask these important questions just as the Presbyterians do,” everyone would wonder what I’m talking about. However, when you mention that we should evaluate our widgets just as the Amish do, that makes a lot more sense.

Perhaps its simplicity was so simple that one was certain that there was more to it than that. (You shouldn’t give me that much credit.) When I mentioned in the comments that we should imitate that which is worth imitating, I meant exactly that. Gobble the good stuff; spit out the seeds.

If I thought the Amish had figured it out, it would be disingenuous for me to keep living as a Reformed woman who uses electricity. As it is, I enjoy my handy laptop.

Blessings to all who wrote…