Friday 3 July 2026

The Thirty Nine Articles

Most of my friends and colleagues would say that religion is the cause of all the wars in the world. Of course who really cares??!! So what if religion is the cause of all conflicts? Surely if the language of faith is not acceptable in public discourse, then surely only the language of science is the only acceptable language of public discourse, and of course, Science can only proceed with empirically validated statements, ie what used to be called the scientific method. So to make a statement like religion is the cause of all wars and conflict, one would have to prove and validate such a statement by recourse to what used to be called the evidence.

However if one goes into the history of philosophy, then one finds something that I choose to call “radical British empiricism”....ie only statements that can be backed up by evidence are valid. So called “Metaphysical” statement are regarded as meaningless. But as has been pointed out somewhere it is not possible to validate by reference to the empirical data “radical British empiricism”.

So the theory falls down.Hoist by its own petard. In the so called hard sciences it is possible to proceed with reference to the empirical evidence. But when one comes to the so called humanities and of course theology and philosophy then the rules of proof and evidence are not so clear. One is left perhaps in a endless sea or even ocean of opinion. And of course most people demand to be believed without any evidence or proof. There is apparently no methodology for demonstrating the proof or lack thereof of any metaphysical statements. If there is no objective way to prove or disprove metaphysical statements then my opinion is just as valid as Einsteins or Newtons.

So then we are brought to logic. Famously exemplified by the Vulcans in the TV series Star Trek mainly by Spock and Tuvok. Logic has been around for thousands of years. Eg Aristotle.

6 july 2026

Agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole clergy in the Convocation holden at London in the year 1562 for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true religion.

Reprinted by command of His Majesty King Charles 1 with his royal declaration prefixed thereunto.

Article 6

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:

So these are writings that are extra Biblical and yet are given as a way to stop all division and dissension.

There are also more modern pronouncements. Eg the Chicargo Statement of Biblical Inerrancy.

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