The debate between Corey Mahler and James White is more difficult to forecast than the Mahler debate against Samuel Sey. Samuel Sey was predictably going to flop. In contrast, I have to believe that James White’s prolific debate experience will have him do far better than Sey, but admittedly, I’ve never watched a White debate. But the thing about this debate is: it’s a sequel to the prior one, which gives a good indication of where and perhaps how it will go.
The debate is framed on “Black sanctification.” Corey Mahler introduced an argument about how sanctification works collectively across different races. This was Mahler’s most controversial moment in the debate, which Samuel Sey used to save face.
James White is zeroing in to go to the mattresses on this issue, which is how he wants the debate framed. Corey Mahler will have had time to contemplate how he could have done better on this very issue, and more clearly articulate his point.
In the prior debate, I thought Mahler did not fully articulate his view on this topic, and the moderators could and should have let it play out longer. Now they are, but with White instead of Mahler.
But now for the ultimate question: who will win. I think this will be a win for each side, as each side will be able to claim victory. This was sort of what people pretended happened after the Sey debate, even though it was clear Mahler won. James White can’t do worse than Sey, but it doesn’t mean he might not try to be as obtuse. So, in short, I am predicting a stalemate that will be beneficial for both sides.
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Mahler was setting up an argument in the cross-examination (for quite some time) that he (apparently) decided to not actually make in his closing (unless I missed it by watching the stream with The Other Paul, Christian Wagner, and Christian Mario clowning around during the debate), but was clearly intended for that point, i.e this: he was thinking about arguing that James White conceded his point because he denies baptism to infants; so James thinks the spirit of God cannot sanctify infants to the same degree as adults, due to their lower intelligence; ERGO (Mahler’s dropped argument entails) James White concedes that the spirit of God cannot sanctify blacks to the same degree as Whites, due to their lower intelligence.
James White basically only argued against Eastern Orthodoxy the whole time, since all he really argued is that ethnically segregated churches are not allowed, and his only argument for that really was that there will be elect people from each race. Russian Orthodox hardest hit. Or Serbian Orthodox hardest hit. Or maybe Latvian Orthodox hardest hit.