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 In
May 17,’73 TRUTH Magazine, bro. James Adams reviews Carl Ketcherside
re. “Unity in Diversity.” We here summarize Adam’s expose of
fallacious “examples” used by bro. Ketcherside.
“Ketcherside
employed a group of singers and a symphony orchestra to illustrate the
validity of his “unity in diversity” concept in religion. He
correctly noted that singers sing different parts, even sounding
different notes, in unison and that instrumentalists play different
instruments sounding different notes in unison, yet there is “harmony”
or “unity in effect.” What he does not emphasize is the fact that
all singers or players sing or play the same piece of music which has
been written and arranged by an expert in the -field so as to produce
the “harmony” and “unity of effect.”
The
next example employed by Ketcherside is the “planetary system.’...
He calls Aristotle to witness to their unity of movement though diverse
in “size, shape, speed and power of attraction” in his classic
phrase, “the music (symphonia) of the spheres.”.. (But) The
planets.. . function in strict conformity with Divine law, the law of
the universe, hence their marvelous unity.
Next,
our effervescent brother cites Paul’s use of the human body to
illustrate how unity can exist in diversity (1 Cor. 12).... In
discussing the matter, he recognizes that Paul’s point lies in the
fact that “all members have not the same function.” Function,
brother Ketcherside, function -- not faith and religious practice. Paul
teaches that
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Christians must be united in faith and practice,
but that each child of God has his own peculiar function, determined
by his abilities or gifts, in implementing their collective practice
based on their faith.
Will
Ketcherside please advise us how (1) the doctrines of salvation by
faith alone and the impossibility of apostasy, (2) the impostures
connected with so-called “glossolalia and divine healing,” (3)
the practice of monthly, quarterly, and yearly communion along with
the use of mechanical instruments of music in Divine praise plus (4)
the multitude of other divergent beliefs and practices among
immersed persons who believe in the deity of Jesus can logically or
scripturally be shown to be analogous to the diverse abilities or
spiritual gifts to which Paul referred in his body illustration?
Joseph
Fletcher (in Situation Ethics) takes border-line cases in the
realm of where only a choice between two evils exists and makes
sweeping generalizations on the basis of principles he imagines
exists in them… Ketcherside employs cases involving differences
over… matters of mere opinion such as “eating meats and
observing days” (Rom. 14:8), then makes sweeping generalizations
regarding the toleration of aberrations in matters of faith,
doctrine, worship, organization, and work. He takes principles that
involve the private practice of individuals and applies them to the
collective work and worship of the saints.”
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