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.
The SBC is getting just as PC as the rest of them.
Unfortunately it was preordained from the beginning of time that I do so.
Happy Ref Sunday!
The first problem here is lumping all “Calvinists” in one bag. There are many degrees of Calvinism, the fatalistic perspective/anti-Israel perspective being on the fringe.
The Reformed Baptist churches are growing (they are Calvinists) while the SBC is shrinking, and they see this as a threat.
I have never been a part of any denomination and worked among believers of all stripes and colors, but spent more time amongst SBC than any single group. For them to call Calvinists arrogant is incredible, as I’ve found many SBC pastors to be most arrogant.
The problem is fairly simple: man’s mind cannot comprehend the apparently conflicting truth of scripture: God is sovereign, man is reponsible.
So to reconcile not being able to comprehend one aspect of God, His truth, man camps out on one side or the other.
Either side to an extreme is wrong. Period.
(How’s that for arrogance???????)
By the way, Charles Spurgeon boasted that he indeed was a Calvinist while the Baptists in England fought against what was referred to as ultra-Calvinism - the extreme......
authored an 80-page booklet in 2000 titled Trouble with the TULIP*: A Closer Examination of the Five Points of Calvinism.
Worth pointing out that the so-called "Five points 'o Calvinism!" come from the five heads of doctrine in the Canons of the Synod of Dordt in 1619, a full century after Brother Martin kicked over the apple cart. The synod was called to deal with errant teaching ("Arminianism") that had arisen in the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the document it produced was a narrowly focused polemical document.
All of which is to say, there's more to "Calvinism!" than 5 caricatured points about soteriology.
Happy Reformation Sunday, y'all............
fröhliche!
*(TULIP isn't an acronym that works anywhere but English, and wasn't used until sometime early in the 20th century. Noone has quite tracked down where it was first used.)
Happy indeed. Much that is good would not have happened without it. Yet divisions within the church are never happy. That same Paul who brought us the challenges of Romans 9 et al, also warned us in the last chapter of that same book to mark those who stir up trouble and division among believers, and avoid them. The motive for such behavior is not love, but self-satisfaction. There is no upside to that. Wars over such doctrine are almost always "Islamic" in character, i.e., "if you don't like my position you are an infidel." A family member of mine was nearly destroyed by such a fight. I will never go there again. If you put your faith in the triune God and the resurrected Jesus, I take you to be family, though we may disagree on a multitude of issues. But I often find my love is not reciprocated, unrequited, as it were. I am one of those despised "Calvinists" and worse still a "Protestant," so I am deemed by those who should love me as an infidel, though we both labor at serving the same Master. This is tragedy, not comedy. Your tone is misplaced. Save your mockery for those who hate the Gospel, not those who love it.
I think that most sbcers don’t care one whit about calvinism vs arminianism. They are doctrines of man not docttrines of G+5.
Should read: They are doctrines of man, not doctrines of God.
My mother in law’s church was destroyed by this controversy; It no longer exists. The Calvinists gathered together and tried to carry the argument to another church. After a year of their demands the Pastor threatened to resign and the board told the Calvinists to leave. Some of the went to yet another church and started it up again and they were told to leave.
Their fruits were dissension and closed churches.
Does this calculation only include the memberships of actual Southern Baptist Convention-affiliated churches?