Posted on 10/29/2011 10:01:19 PM PDT by marshmallow
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP) – A Southern Baptist Convention official says one of the top challenges facing the nation’s second largest faith group behind Roman Catholics is the increasing influence of Calvinism in churches.
“I think one of the issues which is a tremendous challenge for us is the theological divide of Calvinism and non-Calvinism,” Frank Page, CEO of the SBC Executive Committee said in a blog interview posted Oct. 18 at SBC Today.
“Everyone is aware of this, but few want to talk about this in public,” elaborated Page, who assumed the post of president and CEO of the SBC fiduciary and executive agency last year. “The reason is obvious. It is deeply divisive in many situations and is disconcerting in others. At some point we are going to see the challenges which are ensuing from this divide become even more problematic for us. I regularly receive communications from churches who are struggling over this issue.”
Page, a former South Carolina pastor who served as SBC president 2006-2008, authored an 80-page booklet in 2000 titled Trouble with the TULIP: A Closer Examination of the Five Points of Calvinism. In it he termed Calvinism a “man-made” doctrine not supported by Scripture and defended what he called "the true teachings of grace."
The book countered a common acronym for the five main points of Calvinism, a theological model named after Protestant reformer John Calvin. They are: Total depravity, Unmerited election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace and Perseverance of the saints.
Page presented an alternative acronym of GRACE. “Given through Christ, Rejected through rebellion, Accepted through faith and Christ died for all” that summarized four points of a counter view of Calvinism called Arminianism. Page’s final “E” departed from Arminian thought with “everlasting life/security of the believer, a Calvinist doctrine held by most...........
(Excerpt) Read more at abpnews.com ...
Interesting, the Federal government is arguing that Church governance exists only to the extent that the Federal government says it does.
Calvinism (as defined in this century, not necessarily Calvin), is causing a failing away.
It's a modern version of fatalism.
Also, it is AGAINST the philosophy of Sola Scriptura. Essentially shortly after leaving the Catholic church due to extra-biblical doctrine, we (the protestant/reformers) adopted another.
If modern 5 point Calvinism is evident from the bible, then why is the doctrine required, and called Calvinism? If not evident from the bible, then it should not be considered as gospel (obviously).
I am sure there will be lots of offended people - they defend Calvinism with more zest than biblical doctrines. I usually find that staunch Calvinists are anti-zionists (this is called replacement theology). What is funny is that the whole “God has written out” the Jews theology militates against God's Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Sovereignty.
Not to offend anyone, but it seems after doing some reading that Calvinism is the height of arrogance. Also explains what I found when searching for a church a few years back.
True Calvinism doesn't have anything to do with arrogance (although many debates over the theology end that way).
True Calvinism is about reassurance of the saints.
The one who believes what Calvin taught (and Paul and Augustine before him BTW) will walk in peace and assurance. And that's a wonderful thing.
Fatalism, determinism and ‘salvation from God’.
I wouldn’t be the first to note that Calvinism and atheism rose in the West.
The SBC is getting just as PC as the rest of them.
If you accept “tax free” or “non-profit” status from the IRS, they own you. Do not register your church or anything taxable and you will have free speech.
Unfortunately it was preordained from the beginning of time that I do so.
Oh yeah, and going around proclaiming that you are "born again" is really PC. Right.
“If modern 5 point Calvinism is evident from the bible, then why is the doctrine required, and called Calvinism? “
The term “Calvinism” is just shorthand for a system of theology. So is “Arminianism,” and a lot of other “isms.”
Why call the “Trinity” the trinity? Why speak of “Creationism?” What is the purpose of the word “Dispensationalism?”, “inerrancy,” etc.?
Don’t object to Calvinism just because it is a shorthand word. If all of our discussions avoided shorthand words we’d be re-explaining ourselves all day.
“Calvinism is the height of arrogance. “
I find this to be a strange conclusion, because the main point of the Calvinistic viewpoint of salvation is, God alone saves. Man can’t save himself.
Agree with that or not, it isn’t arrogant.
“I wouldn’t be the first to note that Calvinism and atheism rose in the West.”
So did Christianity!
No causation by correlation. A whole lot has risen in the West.
“Unfortunately it was preordained from the beginning of time that I do so. “
Indeed, God knows all things and is not caught by surprise. By any of us.
What those who oppose this truth don’t seem to want to acknowledge is, that this does not absolve us of responsibility. Nowhere in God’s word does He absolve us of the responsibility for our actions.
God hardened Pharoah’s heart. Yet, it was Pharoah that sinned.
“It’s a modern version of fatalism.”
I disagree (obviously) - no proper Calvinist denies that God hold him accountable for his behavior.
God Sovereign; Men Free. A seeming contradiction, yet, that is what we find in Scripture.
God hardened Pharoah’s heart. Yet, Pharoah sinned.
Happy Ref Sunday!
The arrogance stems from the Brahminical attitude of "me and my kids are an upper caste Elite Elect (Covenant Theology)"
yes, it was predestined for marsh to post it, for you to reply and for me to reply to you. All pre-programmed -- sins and all... we are just robots who follow a program :)
Persevero: So did Christianity!
Not really -- Christianity arose in the East, technically in Asia and for centuries, in fact arguably for most of the first millenium, the "action" was in the East. The Assyrian Church converted people as far as Mongolia, while the Marthomites were busy in Southern India etc.
Christianity is not a "Western religion"
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