Bad Apologetics - False Traditions Quiz
While surfing Google's Blogsearch, I ran across a Christian Apologetics site that has a goodly number of online quizes. I decided to take the False Traditions Quiz and see what that was all about. The quiz itself is an overly long series of true-false questions with a single scripture verse cited to back up the quiz's 'correct' answer.
Question 1 asked about the road being wide and including a billion people. Well, we already know that because the road is narrow, it doesn't matter about the billion people. The answer is false. However, the answer is false because of the statement before the 'and' about the road. Jesus died for all men, so there could quite easily be a billion or more people saved, especially when the current world population of Christians is about 2 billion. Matthew 7:13-14 is a good verse.
Question 2 asked if the head bishop is infallible in matters of doctrine, faith and morals. First, why not be direct and ask about the Pope as that is the only bishop in the world with a claim of infallibility. The head bishop of a Baptist church does not claim the charisma of infallibility and will quickly say so. So after answering true, the quiz says 'false' and quotes Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one". Well, amen brother! I agree 100%. There is none righteous. But, what has this to do with the charisma of infallibility? Our quiz writer seems to have confused impeccability with infallibility. A common error, even among Catholics. The correct verse to cite would be John 16:12 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth". Anyone being guided by the Spirit into all truth is by definition infallible, be they a pope, bishop, deacon, elder, or child. No other outcome is possible.
Question 3 asked if a church can forgive sins. The answer is clearly false because at no time did Christ ever delegate His authority to forgive sins to a Church, but to select men. The answer was false and cites Mark 2:7 "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" That's a better match than the previous Romans 3:10, but a better verse would have been John 20:22-23 "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'"
Question 4 asked if we must confess our sins to a priest or pastor. As this is an "or" question only one half need be true. The correct answer is true because a priest has Christ's authority to forgive sins per John 20:22-23, while most pastors do not. The quiz says false and cites Psalm 32:5 " will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." That's interesting that the quiz writer selected from the Jewish old covenant scriptures and not the Christian new covenant scriptures. While John 20:22-23 would be a better verse, I'd likely go with James 5:15 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Amen, brother James. Amen! We so need to confess our sins to a fellow Christian and be prayed for by a righteous man.
Question 5 asks if celibacy is a requirement for church leadership. The quiz says false and cites 1 Timothy 3:2 "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;" The quiz writer seems to equate 1 Timothy 3:2 with a requirement for church leadership to be married versus Paul intent of not having bishops engage in polygamy. A better verse is Matt. 19:11–12 where Jesus teaches "...they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it".
Question 6 asked if Peter was married. Well, he had a mother-in-law and that's hard to do without first being married. This questions begs the question "What tradition teaches that Peter was never married?" I'm not aware of any Christian sect that holds that teaching. If this is some sort of attempt at disproving Peter was never Pope then its a poor one. Any baptized Catholic male may be elected Pope, marriage is no barrier. Peter more than qualified.
Question 7 asks if a priest can turn bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Well that's an outright false. Of course a priest can't; that's the work of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who has ever attended a Catholic mass knows well that the priests says "And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate this Eucharist." Its also interesting the quiz cited Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." (Its that whole Isaiah 55:11, Genesis 1:3, Luke 22:19 thing. God holds a piece of bread and God's words "This is my body" bounces of the bread and returns to Gods ears.) Apparently, the quiz writer seems to feel that Luke 22:19 makes something impossible for God and we know that ain't so.
I could go on with every question, but it gets tedious and makes for a very long post. Some questions and verses a good, some are clearly erroneous. The series of questions on Mary at the end are allegedly false, but the answers seem based more on the quiz writers perception of truth versus what actually is true. Most of the cited versus are poor responses. Unfortunately, if you'd like to see this part of the quiz, you have to slog through everything before.
Bottom line, the quiz is too long and a poor apologetic tool for its intended audience. At the conclusion of the quiz, the reader is not taken back for additional quizes or directed to any apologetics material, but strangely directed to links for commercial products. The site seems to be using the Scriptures and our Lord's Church for making a quick buck, much like the reknown temple money changers. Apparently, by including Christian apologetics materials that makes everything A-OK. What say you?
Source: False Traditions Quiz
Question 1 asked about the road being wide and including a billion people. Well, we already know that because the road is narrow, it doesn't matter about the billion people. The answer is false. However, the answer is false because of the statement before the 'and' about the road. Jesus died for all men, so there could quite easily be a billion or more people saved, especially when the current world population of Christians is about 2 billion. Matthew 7:13-14 is a good verse.
Question 2 asked if the head bishop is infallible in matters of doctrine, faith and morals. First, why not be direct and ask about the Pope as that is the only bishop in the world with a claim of infallibility. The head bishop of a Baptist church does not claim the charisma of infallibility and will quickly say so. So after answering true, the quiz says 'false' and quotes Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one". Well, amen brother! I agree 100%. There is none righteous. But, what has this to do with the charisma of infallibility? Our quiz writer seems to have confused impeccability with infallibility. A common error, even among Catholics. The correct verse to cite would be John 16:12 "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth". Anyone being guided by the Spirit into all truth is by definition infallible, be they a pope, bishop, deacon, elder, or child. No other outcome is possible.
Question 3 asked if a church can forgive sins. The answer is clearly false because at no time did Christ ever delegate His authority to forgive sins to a Church, but to select men. The answer was false and cites Mark 2:7 "Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?" That's a better match than the previous Romans 3:10, but a better verse would have been John 20:22-23 "And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'"
Question 4 asked if we must confess our sins to a priest or pastor. As this is an "or" question only one half need be true. The correct answer is true because a priest has Christ's authority to forgive sins per John 20:22-23, while most pastors do not. The quiz says false and cites Psalm 32:5 " will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah." That's interesting that the quiz writer selected from the Jewish old covenant scriptures and not the Christian new covenant scriptures. While John 20:22-23 would be a better verse, I'd likely go with James 5:15 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Amen, brother James. Amen! We so need to confess our sins to a fellow Christian and be prayed for by a righteous man.
Question 5 asks if celibacy is a requirement for church leadership. The quiz says false and cites 1 Timothy 3:2 "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;" The quiz writer seems to equate 1 Timothy 3:2 with a requirement for church leadership to be married versus Paul intent of not having bishops engage in polygamy. A better verse is Matt. 19:11–12 where Jesus teaches "...they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of God. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it".
Question 6 asked if Peter was married. Well, he had a mother-in-law and that's hard to do without first being married. This questions begs the question "What tradition teaches that Peter was never married?" I'm not aware of any Christian sect that holds that teaching. If this is some sort of attempt at disproving Peter was never Pope then its a poor one. Any baptized Catholic male may be elected Pope, marriage is no barrier. Peter more than qualified.
Question 7 asks if a priest can turn bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. Well that's an outright false. Of course a priest can't; that's the work of God in the person of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who has ever attended a Catholic mass knows well that the priests says "And so, Father, we bring you these gifts. We ask you to make them holy by the power of your Spirit, that they may become the body and blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate this Eucharist." Its also interesting the quiz cited Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." (Its that whole Isaiah 55:11, Genesis 1:3, Luke 22:19 thing. God holds a piece of bread and God's words "This is my body" bounces of the bread and returns to Gods ears.) Apparently, the quiz writer seems to feel that Luke 22:19 makes something impossible for God and we know that ain't so.
I could go on with every question, but it gets tedious and makes for a very long post. Some questions and verses a good, some are clearly erroneous. The series of questions on Mary at the end are allegedly false, but the answers seem based more on the quiz writers perception of truth versus what actually is true. Most of the cited versus are poor responses. Unfortunately, if you'd like to see this part of the quiz, you have to slog through everything before.
Bottom line, the quiz is too long and a poor apologetic tool for its intended audience. At the conclusion of the quiz, the reader is not taken back for additional quizes or directed to any apologetics material, but strangely directed to links for commercial products. The site seems to be using the Scriptures and our Lord's Church for making a quick buck, much like the reknown temple money changers. Apparently, by including Christian apologetics materials that makes everything A-OK. What say you?
Source: False Traditions Quiz
Labels: Apologetics, Bible, Doctrine
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