Neogillist
Puritan Board Freshman
About a year ago, I started attending a more concervative reformed church (URCNA) and became member in September I think. Two months after I started attending I joined the group of young adults and met a young man who told me he was also new to the church. He had a B.A. in philosophy and was very well versed theologically. He had previously been excommunicated from the RPNA, probably the most radical and exclusivistic reformed denomination still existing in North America. He had been a member of their church for about five years, and after getting sick of internal tensions and conflicts he left, and they excommunicated him.
The first two months I knew him he was still very radical. He was a strong sabbatharian/covenanter, he still subscribed to WCF and seemed like a solid believer. I would enjoy having theological discussions with him, as he had read tons of reformed material, including Calvin, Hodge, Gill, Owen, Rutherford and others. Over last summer he became more moderate, more to the level of my church. He became a member of the URCNA and made a profession of faith. In September, he started attending a pre-profession class with me and other people at church. As we discussed our views, he seemed like he had changed his convictions a lot, he also showed me some liberal theological books that he had rented at the library, which he said that young Christians should not read because it could shatter their faith, but that he himself would not be moved by it. Afterward he started reading "higher liberal critiques" of Christianity as well as physical theories like string theory, etc. I could notice that he was becoming increasingly dissillusioned, and he admitted having started to become more "liberal."
Last Sunday I noticed that he was not at church, which was unusual for him. Then some of the elders talked to me saying that he had left us after adopting a whole new set of beliefs. So I wrote to him two days ago, and he basically told me he has rejected Christianity and become a Deist/Unitarian, the strong Calvinist/Presbyterian he was. He will not allow others to reason him out, and my church is in the process of excommunicating him.
It really grieves me to see such a thing happening, especially as it is the first time I see someone looking like a genuine believer and good friend of mine go apostate. He said that after all the research he has done, Christianity cannot stand and is a subservient system like any other religion. Close scrutiny shows that the Bible cannot be inspired, and that Christian orthodoxy is merely a historical development, according to him. I guess this is what happens to those who try to rationalize faith and do away with it. He had read a lot of Christian appologetics, including Van Till, he knew more doctrine than any of my elders, and even had a credible conversion experience about eight years ago, his life showed external piety, but once the poison reached his faith, it was too late.
You guys tell me what you think.
The first two months I knew him he was still very radical. He was a strong sabbatharian/covenanter, he still subscribed to WCF and seemed like a solid believer. I would enjoy having theological discussions with him, as he had read tons of reformed material, including Calvin, Hodge, Gill, Owen, Rutherford and others. Over last summer he became more moderate, more to the level of my church. He became a member of the URCNA and made a profession of faith. In September, he started attending a pre-profession class with me and other people at church. As we discussed our views, he seemed like he had changed his convictions a lot, he also showed me some liberal theological books that he had rented at the library, which he said that young Christians should not read because it could shatter their faith, but that he himself would not be moved by it. Afterward he started reading "higher liberal critiques" of Christianity as well as physical theories like string theory, etc. I could notice that he was becoming increasingly dissillusioned, and he admitted having started to become more "liberal."
Last Sunday I noticed that he was not at church, which was unusual for him. Then some of the elders talked to me saying that he had left us after adopting a whole new set of beliefs. So I wrote to him two days ago, and he basically told me he has rejected Christianity and become a Deist/Unitarian, the strong Calvinist/Presbyterian he was. He will not allow others to reason him out, and my church is in the process of excommunicating him.
It really grieves me to see such a thing happening, especially as it is the first time I see someone looking like a genuine believer and good friend of mine go apostate. He said that after all the research he has done, Christianity cannot stand and is a subservient system like any other religion. Close scrutiny shows that the Bible cannot be inspired, and that Christian orthodoxy is merely a historical development, according to him. I guess this is what happens to those who try to rationalize faith and do away with it. He had read a lot of Christian appologetics, including Van Till, he knew more doctrine than any of my elders, and even had a credible conversion experience about eight years ago, his life showed external piety, but once the poison reached his faith, it was too late.
You guys tell me what you think.
