I've never seen him discussing his faith. (If he's even a believer?)
Come now, brother. This is hyperbole in appeal to the crowd or perhaps given over to frustrations or just having a bad day. I suspect you may have not been following and reading @
Town Heretic over the years.
A few, among many, exemplars related to your quoted point:
No one doubts that my brother in the Lord, TH, is an acquired taste. In fact, you are much the same to me, GM. For that matter, I suspect not a few consider myself in the same light, too.
It takes some honest investment to get to know the mind of the person behind the words we read in an online venue. That requires reading what they have to say often and reading them carefully. It took me quite a bit of time to tease out Town's essential belief system, for he is just not one who wades into each and every topic related to doctrine.
When I engage another, it can be assured that I have first taken the time to read what they have had to say by viewing their post histories and conducting searches that do not appear in the normal search history listings (which are limited to about 100 prior posts). For me, such a review is just good manners, for after all, if I have no idea about where my interlocutor is coming from, I have no business weighing in or taking he or she to task. It also is a sign of respect, in that I am not just making some knee-jerk reactive post to whatever has just crossed my desk online.
Fortunately, nothing I have read would give me claim to believe TH is beyond the bounds of orthodox Christendom. And at this site, that is quite an achievement, as we all know too well. Sigh.
We all have our wheelhouses wherein we feel most confident to speak publicly. Our confidence is built up by years of study, thinking, review, engagement with others, and, of course, prayer for discernment. A wise person knows wherein he or she may hold themselves forth, exposing themselves to cross-examination, on a particular topic. Only fools weigh in where others fear to tread.
That TH does not spend the bulk of his time in the ECF forums probably speaks well to his own assessment of where his words would carry great weight. This is not to say he is some shrinking violet on matters of doctrine, only that he likely assumes there are those better equipped to take up some cause. In fact, I would probably tread with fear and trembling, should he apply that mind of his towards matters that I hold dear, so I am loathe to go about poking sleeping bears needlessly.
In summary, Town's interests are quite eclectic, hence, you may just not run across him in print on this site unless you travel in the same circles. My own interests are primarily theological, so when the occasion arises wherein Town is waxing eloquent on such matters, I tend to pay attention to what he (or anyone else, including
yourself, GM) has to say.
I have found that what TH has to say is always edifying to me, even perhaps occasionally frustrating, but never worth ignoring. I appreciate any man or woman whose printed thoughts make me a better person on matters that I hold dear, whether we are walking the same paths or are but co-belligerents. Fortunately, in Town's case, the former is more likely than the latter.
AMR
