This Week in Calvinism - May 27, 2016
- A former cage-stage Calvinist himself, William Birch lays the blame for the enabling of cage-stagers at the feet of men like R. C. Sproul and John Piper: "These Calvinist teachers enable young and impressionable Calvinist converts toward demeaning, objectifying, and condemning Arminians and other non-Calvinists, and maintaining a superior attitude that is most unChristlike." While Mr. Birch may try to assure us that "[t]here is no category as a cage-stage Arminian," I do find it interesting that the most vocal anti-Calvinists seem to be former Calvinists themselves.
- Peter Lumpkins presents evidence suggesting "that Baptists of the south were not as forged into strict, confessional Calvinism as many Southern Baptist Calvinists claim."
- SBC presidential nominee Steve Gaines on teaching Calvinism: "I do believe that our students need to know about Calvinism. I don't mind our seminaries teaching about Calvinism, but it should not be the exclusive theological position taught in any of our schools."
- This week's Free Stuff Fridays giveaway is sponsored by Missional Wear. And don't forget to claim your free sticker!
- The Calvinism debate between Dr. James White and Steve Tassi has been postponed.
I realize that I've been searching for reassurance that God loves me for the past few years. I've also been trying to find out if He loves others and if it's biblical for me to tell others that God loves them. This was never a serious issue for me in the past, but because of Reformed Theology or Calvinism, or whatever it's called, I now struggle with this issue all the time. I read my Bible like never before. I've attempted to read several books and articles on the subject. I say attempted to read, because sometimes it seems like a never ending circle of terms and slight differences in meanings of words that I have to read and read again to make sense of. It's hard to understand, but what is really hard to understand is why are Christians allowing something like this to divide us when this is a most critical time for us to be unified? Why can't we stop?
ReplyDeleteLet's stop using any label except Christian. That's what the Bible says we are to be called.
Please stop trying to indoctrinate my children according to TULIP or the five points of Reformed Theology. The Bible tells me to train up my children. I am supposed to talk about God's word with them as we go about our day, and I am supposed to write scripture on the doorpost of my house. Surely you know that lots of Christian parents don't realize what you're teaching to their children. Can't you teach them God's word without focusing primarily on the five points that you deem most important?
Will you stop telling me and my children that we don't really know God? I've read my Bible cover to cover, and it tells me that Jesus died for all and for the world.
The Bible is rich. God's word is alive. All scripture is God-breathed. Please stop telling my family that a majority of the Bible only applies to Israel.
Can we stop being less than honest about our agendas when we begin to serve in a church? I feel like I have had to be careful with my words and careful not to say God loves everyone for the past few years, but that means I'm not being honest about what I believe.
I am heartbroken as I write this. Our church of over 23 years is falling apart. The church where my children have been born and raised. It is as though our church is going through a divorce. The environment has become discouraging and we are watching it slowly fall apart. Our church is filled with Christian brothers and sisters who have loved our family since a few short days after our family began. I don't want to lose these precious people in my life. I don't want this sweet fellowship to die. Can we please stop preaching a doctrine that divides brothers and sisters? The gospel is supposed to be good news. Those who divide are supposed to be put out after a couple of warnings. We are not supposed to do anything that offends our brothers and sisters. Teaching a doctrine that I don't agree with because I don't think it agrees with the Bible is definitely offensive to me.
Let's start showing God's love through our unity and inclusiveness. That's how the world is supposed to identify us. We need to stop labeling and start acting like Christians, specifically like Christ. We need to stop allowing Satan to divide us over a man made, five point list, and start working together according to the whole of scripture. Please, our world needs us now more than ever.