If everything that is called Christianity ... is Christianity then there is no such thing (Warfield)

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"If everything that is called Christianity in these days is Christianity, then there is no such thing as Christianity. A name applied indiscriminately to everything, designates nothing." B. B. Warfield, "'Redeemer' and 'Redemption'", The Princeton Theological Review (April 1916): p. 199.
 
In a way, doesn't this invalidate the "No True Scotsman" fallacy? I have thought about this a good bit, especially in the context of Christian apologetics. So often, an atheist will object to Christianity due to, say, some murderer who claimed to be a Christian, and even kill on the basis of Christian doctrine. The Christian might then reply, "Well, a true Christian would never claim such a thing." The atheist will be quick to reply, "'No True Scotsman' fallacy!"

Therefore, I see the "No True Scotsman" fallacy as sometimes applicable, sometimes not. (It is not a formal fallacy, after all.) Because, as Warfield says here, if anything is to have a meaningful definition, then even the "No True Scotsman" fallacy fails at some point. It is legitimate, for instance, to say that no true Christian would deny Christ as Savior, since that would definitionally make such a person not a Christian. Otherwise, the word "Christian" means nothing. So "No True Scotsman" is not a free-for-all against any generalization. It is only applicable insofar as generalization appeals to a true definition.

Sorry if this is not directly on topic, but this quote by Warfield brought up this old struggle for me.
 
"If everything that is called Christianity in these days is Christianity, then there is no such thing as Christianity. A name applied indiscriminately to everything, designates nothing." B. B. Warfield, "'Redeemer' and 'Redemption'", The Princeton Theological Review (April 1916): p. 199.

Or, in opposition to the Framians, if all of life is worship, then nothing is worship.
 
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