Turning down the volume

I've been vainly trying to follow along with the raging debate at Pyromaniac. I did some reading about the topic du jour - cessationism - as a way to get a handle on the discussion, and I have been trying to follow along in the comments.

You know what I've discovered? If I try and keep up at Pyromaniac, and read all the lengthy comments, I won't get to read other blogs I like, keep up with my reading, tend to my family, or get to bed at a decent hour. There are simply too many voices in this debate. It's a classic case of too many cooks. Why doesn't Phil simply start a message board? It must be exhausting to read all those comments. It's a cacophony of commenters. And in all that commenting, there is much sound and fury, but I'm not getting a really solid picture of anything. All I seem to be learning is who is for what and who isn't.

As much as I'd like to learn more about this, I think I will have to revert to an antiquated form of education: a book or two. I am sure I can get a clear understanding of this issue without all the "extra voices" out there. I kind of feel like I'm a theological slacker by not trying to have fun with all of the rest of the pyro-perusers (a term coined by Libbie), but I can't be a one-dimensional blog reader. Besides, there's one guy there who I think is a rather rude fellow, and I've been tempted to say something to him. Flee, girl, flee.

And I'm not saying this because I don't think it's an important issue; I do. However, sometimes the best kind of learning is done in quieter circumstances.