Historically some of the greatest evangelists have been Calvinists. The first name that comes to mind is George Whitefield, the man who God used to launch the Great Awakening.
So, did the Baptists choose the liberal or the conservative candidate for SBC president?
My southern gospel band plays at a lot of these places. I honestly don’t see them as “positive” places. There is a lot of despair and fear, partly because of all the “helfire” preaching (the “turn or burn” message).
And I’m an adherent to CI, not ECT.
Some enlightenment cqn be found here: rethinkinghell.com
When I was about young, my family was Baptist.
I remember getting all dressed up to go to church to be baptized, only to discover that it meant they were going to submerge me in the Chickahominy River. I abandoned Christianity as being run by nuts later that same day.
I still believe, I just don’t want any part of their nutbar clergy.
The social liberalism and compromise of people like Russell Moore is contributory as well.
It’s an irrelevant debate. It’s like debating whether you have cancer because you brush your teeth.
The problem with the SBC is heretical fundamentalism. All that matters is “sharing the Gospel”. The rest of the Bible is ignored. Practically speaking, the leadership teaches John 3:16 and has reduced the 10 Commandments to one: Be extra, super-duper nice! When the current group of Arminians (Yes, the SBC is overwhelmingly Arminian) got control, they thought they could stem losses in membership by being “theologically inerrant” and socially moderate (liberal), unlike the previous (Arminian) leadership. After all, if you are going to “win people to Christ”, you don’t want what the Bible has to say about the sodomite lifestyle or abortion get in the way. In fact, they reason, embracing some environmentalism, affirmative action and race guilt, and feminism would be really helpful with the young folks.
The rank and file of SBC churches have little idea of what is going on, but the seminaries and the leadership are poisonous and are starting the down the path of the UMC and PCUSA (or the CBF, if you know something about the history of the SBC). Either someone cleans house, or the SBC will die over the next 20 years.
You can really tell who the "big tent" people are. They let outside factors infect their theology. IOW the end (church growth) justifies the means...
TULIP R us Protestants...
Scripture is pretty clear on what Salvation is.
Humans are easily manipulated by the Devil who is a liar and a thief. This is why these debates rage on and on.
A Baptism doesn’t “save”.
A Church Membership doesn’t “save”.
An alter-call doesn’t “save”.
Belief and Hope in Christ and His Finished work on the Cross as a remission for our sins does.
I’d also imagine that the SBC is losing congregants hand over fist because they keep bringing in more Ecumenical Ethicists into their mold, like that wolf Russell Moore.
I blame CalvinBall.
Declining enrollment numbers are a poor indication of theological understanding. In fact, one may argue that the more theologically correct you are, the more people are apt to shy away from the truth. Our Lord Jesus is a perfect example of what happens when one holds a perfect theology.