Re: Sarfati's verbal behavior and the Bible's

----- Original Message -----
From: "ed babinski" <ed.babinski@furman.edu>
To: "Michael Roberts" <michael.andrea.r@ukonline.co.uk>
Cc: <asa@calvin.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 10:49 AM
Subject: Sarfati's verbal behavior and the Bible's

>
> My webmaster told Sarfati: "I found your comments highly insulting,
> un-christlike, and exceptionally un-professional."
>
> Sarfati responded: "How exactly are they are un-christlike? It seems
> 'un-Christ-like' not to believe what He [Christ] did about Genesis!"
>
> Also, in fairness of Sarfati's sharp sarcastic tongue, is his verbal
> behavior inconceivably worse than the verbal behaviors of prophets,
> psalmists, Jesus and Paul, who employed some serious rhetoric at times?
> For instance, when I questioned Sarfati about the way he addresses people
> whose beliefs differ from his own, he directed me to an online article by
> J. P. Holding, titled, "Is it 'Un-Christian' To Engage in Satire?"
>
> http://www.tektonics.org/lp/madmad.html
>
> So, the problem may lie not only with Sarfati, but perhaps with "Biblical
> language" itself. I could of course give examples of some serious
> rhetoric from the Bible, far more serious and sarcastic than Sarfati's.

    Yes, the Bible uses pretty bruising language sometimes - e.g., Gal.5:12.
(The idea there is "I hope that when they're being circumcised the knife
slips.") But aside from ethical issues, the following points should be
considered.

    1) People should not use sarcasm, ridicule &c unless it's actually
funny & effective. Most people who use such devices make themselves look
silly because they don't know how to do it. E.g., distorting someone's
name - Blabinski for Babinski - is childish. It's at about the same level
as when my daughter learned the telling put-down "doody head" in 1st grade
(in Australia). When adults use language like this it's a reasonable
inference that their arguments are weak & that they're putting up a
smokescreen.

    2) There are 2 very different situations that are relevant here. The
biblical writers are using sarcasm &c as a rhetorical device in the public
arena. E.g., Paul was trying to persuade one group of people (e.g., the
Galatian Christians) that another group (the Judaizers) were wrong and that
he was right. Generally that kind of thing happens when a dispute has
already become more or less public and opposing positions have been set. In
the situation you've described, OTOH, Sarfati was (as I understand it)
dealing with you as a private individual. The only purpose such rhetoric
serves then is intimidation.

    I think that the best thing to do with Sarfati & those of his ilk is to
leave them, as much as possible, severely alone. Their claims need to be
refuted as strongly as possible in whatever media are available, & this
includes saying bluntly, with supporting evidence, that those claims are
false, absurd, &c - & if the evidence warrants it, lies. But trying to
debate with hardline YEC cadres is a waste of time. Efforts should be
directed instead to trying to keep them from infecting others.

    Whatever the biblical examples may be, childish rhetoric should be
avoided. Intelligent people can see through it.

Shalom
George
http://web.raex.com/~gmurphy/
Received on Tue Oct 5 12:31:47 2004