Jon Gary Williams
Articles / Resources

0009

B. H. Atkinson vs Arthur Stabile (Catholic)
September 21, 1950
Staten Island, New York
(By W. N. Fryer)
 
On August 28 - 30 at 8 p.m. at Staten Island, New York at the Flushing Church of Christ.

Bro. Atkinson affirmed "The Church of Christ of which I am a member is of divine origin and is the church of the New Testament." Bro. Atkinson opened the debate with a definition of the terms "Church of Christ" and "Church of the New Testament" and asserted that the doctrines he taught must be found in the Bible, and if he failed to find them in the Bible he had failed in everything.

Mr. Stabile in his first negative speech immediately began an attach on the written word of God, and asserted that as a Catholic he accepted the word of God both written and unwritten. By "unwritten word" he referred to the "apostolic traditions" of the Catholic church. In closing his first negative he stated that the church is based on Jesus and not on a dead book. By this statement he showed he was unwilling to debate the proposition on the New Testament authority above as he had signed to do. He brought in many of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and appealed to tradition and the words of men for authority.

It then became necessary for Bro. Atkinson to challenge those statements which were foreign to the signed proposition. Both speakers conducted the debate on a high plane. The debate ran two hours each night, with the exception of the third night, when each speaker spoke one-half hour longer.

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