"If McGowan is right about inerrancy, dozens of North American colleges and seminaries, several thousand scholars, tens of thousands of pastors, and millions if not billions of Christians worldwide need to repent and change their doctrinal statements--and, so as not to be hypocrites, their beliefs." (R. W. Yarbrough, "The Embattled Bible," Themelios 34 [2009]: 11, emphasis mine)
Repent and change their doctrinal statements? Why so dramatic? Maybe inerrantists got it wrong and have to go back to the drawing board, what's the big deal? As if inerrantists aren't allowed to make mistakes and their doctrines have to be always right--especially when they try to articulate their beliefs regarding scripture.
It might be just me, but has not something gone awry when a broad cultural swath of Christianity understands faith in such a way that it becomes natural to say things like this: Repent and change your doctrinal statement? I've heard of repenting and changing one's ways, but repenting and changing one's doctrinal statement? I can't help but think that something's got to give!
