Posted on 06/26/2010 10:46:26 AM PDT by Natural Law
For the record, I think it is deplorable to torture and execute people because of what they do or do not believe about God.
Nevertheless, that was the way heresy was dealt with in the Judeo-Christian world from the time of Moses until just a few centuries ago.
This is not the case.
In Old Testament Israel, ... persons might be put to death for behavior, ... which sometimes included the teaching of what was considered false doctrine, ... but not for belief alone.
That is what is commonly referred to as a “distinction without a difference” because until a person in some way expresses their beliefs we have no idea what they are.
For the record, I think it is deplorable to torture and execute people because of what they do or do not believe about God.
Nevertheless, that was the way heresy was dealt with in the Judeo-Christian world from the time of Moses until just a few centuries ago.
This is not the case.
In Old Testament Israel, ... persons might be put to death for behavior, ... which sometimes included the teaching of what was considered false doctrine, ... but not for belief alone.
That is what is commonly referred to as a “distinction without a difference” because until a person in some way expresses their beliefs we have no idea what they are.
On the contrary, there have been cases in human history where declarations of belief have been coerced from individuals, ... rather than those beliefs being freely aired, ... with those forced declarations being the basis for heretic determinations.
My point is that this was not the way of ancient Israel.
My point is that this was not the way of ancient Israel.
I would be inclined to agree with that. However, in ancient Israel it was known who the non-Jews were and all Jews were expected to be obedient to the Law and when they weren't it was pretty obvious.
While I am certainly no fan of Calvin, I must disagree with this generalization. Paul was much worse than a sodomite before his trip to Damascus.
Now you claim that the Catechism contains historical information? That is more proof that despite your claims to the contrary, you have never actually read any of it. You have just parroted the Calvinist agitprop you were poisoned with. Calvinists themselves may be humorless but some of the things you come up with sure tickle my funnybone.
"Regarding Calvin's Geneva...
Your "Quixotic" use of fonts is ineffective and meaningless since information as to the actual conditions within the hellhole that was Calvin's Geneva is abundant on the internet. Anyone with an objective interest is not going to have their opinion formed by your shrill postings, they can satisfy their curiosity with relatively few mouse clicks.
"typical of anti-Protestant bigots"
I am not anti anything. I am pro-truth. I am not a bigot, but I am proudly judgmental.
"Geneva was governed by an elected representative government..."
To the same degree that Iran, the Soviet Union, North Korea, and Cuba are governed by an elected body. LOL
Trotting out the likes of Dr. Jack L. Arnold to defend Calvin is the equivalent of Goebbels being a character witness for Hitler. You gotta try harder than that.
The difference is that Paul experienced an epiphany that forever changed him. Calvin remained the same evil man until his death.
Hypocrisy defined.
EVERYTHING the Catholics have condemned Calvin and Protestantism for has been done, and usually to a far greater degree for a far longer period of time, by the RCC itself.
And yet to hear them talk, the immoralities and barbarity are just odd blips on the RCC’s purity track record.
Agreed. But the point still stands. God chooses very flawed people to perform His work.
Not all flawed people do His work--see Calvin as an example.
Were you able to get that information on the continuing thread of the Gospel from Apostolic times to present or to the beginning of the Reformation?
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