This Week in Calvinism - August 17, 2012

• John Pierce is baffled by the debate over Calvinism in the SBC. He finds it odd that Southern Baptists are willing to accept diversity on essential issues like salvation, but not on issues like women in the pastoral ministry.
  
  
• A "Calvinist" pastor has an affair with a 16-year-old girl. That disproves the doctrine of perseverance of the saints, so therefore Calvinism is wrong. Now that is what I call unshakable logic.
  
  
• Robert Arakaki, a Calvinist-turned-Orthodox, plucks the TULIP. As he explains, "(1) Calvinism relies on a faulty reading of Scripture, (2) it deviates from the historic Christian Faith as defined by the Ecumenical Councils and the Church Fathers, (3) its understanding of God's sovereignty leads to the denial of the possibility of love, and (4) it leads to a defective Christology and a distorted understanding of the Trinity."
  
  
• What are some grave weaknesses of Calvinism? Well, for starters, it "eliminates the concept of moral responsibility," it's "intrinsically anti-missional," and it's "the fastest road to universalism in Christianity."
  
  
• Worried about Calvinism causing more division in the SBC? Don't be. There's now a top-notch advisory team devoted to coming up with a strategic plan to bring everyone together.