Interesting discussion at OneInJesus blog

Well, I had planned another entry today stemming from my previous one but haven’t gotten around to writing it yet, largely because there are so many thoughts in my head that I cannot figure out how to approach it.

Instead, I’ll share an interesting post and subsequent discussion over at Jay Guin’s blog concerning an always-controversial topic in the churches of Christ, instrumental music.

I know it’s been discussed and debated ad nauseum, but being new to the blogosphere I’m getting my primer on both sides of the debate.  I’ve dropped a couple of questions of my own into the discussion hoping for some clarification.  I’ll in turn ask them here as well and hope for the same thing.

1. Opponents of IM use this very argument (silence of the scriptures) to prove their case, but seem to ignore or explain away the many other things that have been introduced into our churches that are also not mentioned in the NT.  How can we have it both ways?
2. (In response to a comment on aids and additions) How is it determined what is an aid and what is an addition?

These aren’t intended to be leading or entrapping questions.  But they are questions that have bugged me for a while as I have heard certain defenses used against the usage of IM, the first because it seems to signify a lack of consistency in applying the principle of prohibitive silence; the second because there does not appear to be any clear-cut Biblical distinction between what men have labeled “aids” and “additions.”

How do you answer those questions?