Dear Editor:

In Rev. Robert R von Oeyen Jr.'s letter there is an issue brought up that just today was discussed at a local gathering of pastors of the PCUSA. The meaning of the word infallibility vs. the word inerrancy. In the past these two words were used as synonyms. I did not know this until recently when I heard them being used as synonyms that I learned a bit of theological trivia.
Perhaps Rev. Oeyen has been through the innerancy controversy over the years and did not notice the change in usage. Myself as a new minister and a neophyte to theological debates had, however, "grown up" theologically with the new usage clearly defined. It is this. Innerancy is the good old fashion Hodge school of direct dictation or that the Bible is word for word inspired without error in its original manuscripts.... Infallability, however, to most of us contemporary Evangelicals or Re - evangelicals to borrow a friends phrase (that is reformed - evangelicals) for us the doctrine of infallibility means that the Bible will not fail one in matters of faith and life. For more information look at the definition under Bible, Innerancy and Infallibility of - Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. ed Ewell. I think we can all agree that this is consistent with the Confessions, the Book of Order, as well as Calvin and certainly with 2nd Timothy 3:16.

Perhaps the Sebastion church is using the old meaning for this word perhaps not. I suggest that they mean the newer sense but only they could tell us which.

All of this point out that much of the argument today is about misunderstanding who you are arguing with. I highly recommend Joe Small's Pamphlet on "Committed Conversations" put out by the office of Theology and Worship - Church Issues Series No. 2. During such a conversation an older "liberal" (his word not mine) looked at me and said you are not the kind of conservative I thought you were. Listen - the fundamentalists are long gone, today is a new day and we are a different kind of evangelical.

We are committed to social justice issues, we are committed to compassion ministry, we simply don't want to jettison the entire doctrine of the Authority of Scriptures. Please out of mutual respect do not continue to paint us with the "fundamentalist" label. It is the junk food of our current debate - it may be fun to eat but it is eventually bad for you.

Peace,