Recently, James White announced that he will be debating Corey Mahler of Stone Choir. Naturally, this invited scrutiny from Jon Harris of Conversations That Matter, along with many others, about White’s unwillingness to debate Stephen Wolfe on Christian Nationalism or their other disagreements. Harris emphasized White’s willingness to debate someone with a “cartoon villain” reputation but not Stephen Wolfe.
James White responded in a video segment to these, first digressing about Jon Harris for not being in church leadership (he was incorrect about this). Moving on to the point, James White insists that there is nothing for he and Stephen Wolfe to debate about because they have different backgrounds. White claims that Wolfe can’t read Greek or Hebrew, is not an exegete, is not an apologist, and is instead a political philosopher. So this lack of common fields of expertise is White’s logic behind not debating him. White concludes from this that there isn’t a subject for them to debate and bluffs about not receiving serious debate topic suggestions. As an aside, Stephen Wolfe is rather good at apologetics, specifically interdenominational apologetics, when he tries to be.
James White erroneously claims that Jeff Durbin would be willing to debate Stephen Wolfe on theonomy, even though Durbin reportedly refuses to share a stage with Wolfe. They could have had the debate at the Right Response Conference last month. Instead, Wolfe debated David Reece on theonomy vs natural law, while White claims Wolfe never debates.
James White does come up with a debate topic: whether the execution of Michael Servetas was just or not. Ironically, while taking the negative position, James White insists that he’s a theonomist. On what basis, a theonomist would oppose executing heretics is beyond me, but theonomists are usually politically libertarian.
James White makes a point about the commitment a debate takes, citing his calendar being booked for the next year. He insists that in person is better than online. All of this is to say, even if he were to debate Wolfe, it would be put off into the distant future and perhaps the demand for the topic will have moved on. Instead, White will debate Corey Mahler with a half-month lead time about “Black sanctification.”
Lastly, it must be pointed out that James White is appealing to his own authority while dressed in a flaming gay cat shirt. Dress for the role you want, but if he is going to castigate younger men on the internet, he shouldn’t dress like a gay cat shirt. It’s immodest and betrays his credibility.
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4 Responses
Stepehen Wolfe isn’t racist enough for James White to debate; you have to be at least as racist as Luther or James is embarassed to be seen on stage with you in his old age.
Leighton Flowers last night: James White is going to debate a raging, raging, racist; but somehow I’m beyond the pale because I teach God’s love and provision for ALL people.
I suspect he thinks he has a chance with Mr. Mahler, but not Mr. Wolfe. And Mr. Wolfe is not as fierce as Mr. Mahler, and fewer people would be out of by him.
The shirt is the sort of thing that in the ’50s a man might wear to a backyard barbecue. After WWII colorful casual wear came in big. But back then people would distinguish occasions and for anything that White is doing would put on a suit.
It is not the case that people now cannot distinguish occasions. It is that they believe that there is no fundamental justification for doing so. This is somewhat analogous to the popular idea that all sins are equal, so you can’t make a big deal out of perversion. In both cases there is a presumption of the equality of things based on the rejection of a scale of values or of criteria that makes distinctions throughout cultural life. So in this sense, what White wears points to what White believes or, rather, does not belive.
My father and grandfathers (either one of them) wouldn’t be caught dead in a shirt like that, and neither would I. I know he’s not a homosexual, but I can see why Mr. Fava condemns him for it. Probably many people wear shirts like that today are effeminate or worse.