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I ask because a Moderator changed my question from "IS there a biblical basis" to "WHAT is the biblical basis" and then proceeded to have my question closed and two very good answers deleted. This was done on the basis that "Answers disagreeing with the premise aren't allowed on Biblical basis questions."

I was not working on the basis that the premise was biblical. I was asking IF it was biblical.

The same Moderator also edited the last sentence in my question from "IS Feminist Reconstruction Theology biblical with regard to the following two topics" to "WHAT IS the Biblical basis for Feminist Reconstruction Theology"

My question was changed around from asking IS THERE a biblical basis, to making it look like I assumed there was a biblical basis, and on the back of that drastic change to my question, my question was closed and the two answers I received were deleted.

I accept that one of the points I was looking into has already been asked and answered elsewhere, and so I could edit my question according to the suggestion I was given: "The Biblical basis for using feminine pronouns for God is an important question, so you could just limit this question to that..."

But would there be any point in me editing my question to ask IS there a biblical basis, if it is changed to WHAT IS the biblical basis? The problem is that I don't know if there is a biblical basis for this topic. What I wish to avoid is asking a question on the premise that there is already a biblical basis for this topic. You see my dilemma?

Is it permissible to ask if there is a biblical basis to support some theological view?

Here is the link to my question after it was edited: What is the biblical basis for embracing Feminist Reconstruction Theology within Christianity?

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You can certainly ask is there a Biblical Basis. There's nothing wrong with asking about whether or not something is true, there is no qualitative difference between is and what. Anybody who tells you otherwise is just trying to add something to speech that isn't there. There is no difference between asking is and what, changing the words around will do very little to stop people from answering as they see fit.

What you can't do is ask open ended questions that will elicit wildly divergent responses from every imaginable sect. For instance, when it comes to Feminist Theology why not just ask about the Anglicans who invented it?

I don't think that question should have been closed. Most people can recognize a modern invention, and the roots of the modern invention are what you're asking about. There are books and scholars and preachers and activists to cite. There's no reason that it needs to be elaborated. Tirades can be deleted, but honest answers, even honest answers that are critical can stay. You gave an excellent reasons to conflate the blurring of masculinity in the Bible and the clergy, so I don't think you should be forced to ask one thing or the other because your question isn't about one thing or the other, but the ethos behind the thing altogether.

And the question itself was essentially "Do they even try to justify their beliefs through scripture?" Which is a question you can answer in the negative, when you change it, it's not nearly as good.

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  • Feminist Theology is a recent Anglican invention? Now we're getting somewhere! I can feel a new question coming on......
    – Lesley
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 13:37
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    @Lesley for a Catholic, "modern" means less than 350 years old.
    – Peter Turner Mod
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 13:38
  • Sorry, but I think this post is entirely wrong. And if you are saying that you cannot conceive of anyone seeing any biblical support for, for example, ordaining women, then that is highly uncharitable, and unbelievable.
    – curiousdannii Mod
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 14:13
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    @curiousdannii also, as a Catholic, I'm not hung up on Biblical support for anything. I'm sorry if it is uncharitable to be incredulous at something I can't see that I'd only view with credulity if I did see.
    – Peter Turner Mod
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 14:40
  • @PeterTurner The issue isn't about whether you have multiple sources of spiritual authority, but that "is there a Biblical basis" is functionally equivalent to a truth question.
    – curiousdannii Mod
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 22:27
  • @curious, but it's a 'truth question' within the domain of Feminist Theology. I saw it as a question about doctrine "are Biblical Basis used for Feminist Theology or do they just make it up as they go along?"
    – Peter Turner Mod
    Commented Mar 16, 2021 at 13:20
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The problem with "Is there a Biblical basis for ...?" questions is that they are a proxy for "Is ... true?" As you say above, you yourself meant "IF it was biblical." And the problem those questions is that they are matters of opinion and are destined for sectarian bickering.

For example, consider if someone asked "Is there a Biblical basis for Mary the mother of Jesus being the spouse of the Holy Spirit?" Catholic answers would point to various things they see in the scriptures leading to that conclusion. Protestant answers would vehemently deny it, saying it is blasphemous and completely out of step with the scriptures. Cue angry comments, heated emotions, and lots of revenge downvotes. No one wants questions like that, which is why we don't allow Truth Questions, and it's also why we don't allow Truth Questions disguised as Biblical Basis questions.

It would be exactly the same with your question. If you ask "Is there a Biblical Basis for feminist teachings such as using female pronouns for God or ordaining female ministers?" then you'll get some answers saying yes, and some saying no. We can't allow that.

Instead we want there to be two questions: one asking for the Biblical basis for something (like female clergy) and one asking for the Biblical basis against it. It's common for questions like this to be asked in parallel, and they can link to each other too. Then we can read each question and its answers on their own terms, putting their best case forward, and we can make our personal evaluation for which side has the better argument from scripture.

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    Thanks for the explanation. I may not like it but I appreciate your response.
    – Lesley
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 12:26
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    @Lesley I wish it wasn't necessary either! But I think this is a practical compromise for a site where there are people who fundamentally disagree on pretty much everything.
    – curiousdannii Mod
    Commented Mar 15, 2021 at 12:27

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