theology blessing or curse

[nonconformist]

since i am starting to learn how to discern between good theology vs bad theology on one hand it has been an unbelievable blessing. on the other hand i can take an idea somone comes up with that looks really christian,comes in a christian package,good intentions,looks like a great plan from the outside,but based on a totally unchristian,evil presuposition and i am the only one in a group that can see it and i make the mistake of saying it might be a bad idea and BAM i get accused of critisizing and then the blame goes immediately to my newfound love of reformed "replacement" theology. these charismatics are driving me insane

 

[Scott Bushey]

Wewlcome to the club.......

 

[Augusta]

You are not alone. There are many of us that make use of the head banging wall.

 

[turmeric]

Been there, done that. Keep studying and find some fellowship that will keep you strong in the truth and pray for these others. (Try going through this with your aging ma! Whine!)

 

[smallbeans]

This is unsolicited advice, I know, but just be sure not to give loved-ones, especially elderly loved ones, the fear that you yourself aren't a true believer. It is possible if you come from a fundamentalist background or have parents that are very mistrustful of Calvinism that they may suspect you, and it is often good to "speak their language" once in a while to make sure they know that you're a real believer; especially if you're like a lot of new Calvinists who might be a little in-their-face about predestination like so many folks do at first... I thought about this lately as one of our elderly relatives died and how our deaths can bring anxiety to loved ones if we have not given them a clear confession in language they understand. So if your relatives are Catholic, be sure to let them know that you've confessed your sins to God and received forgiveness, or if they're Baptist, that you've had the experience of God's grace in your life, or if they're Charismatics that you've had the experience of the Holy Spirit, etc. It is just a nice thing to do, especially if you're convinced that they are saved and that they are too old for you to be worrying about the precision of their theology. Obviously, it is never too late to pray for your relatives, but the last thing you're worried about usually with an older Christian relative is whether they have their i's dotted and t's crossed, theologically. But you don't want them to worry about you.

 

[turmeric]

Good point, Jonathan. I'll try to tell mom I'm praying for the Jews. That's her big thing right now.

 

[nonconformist]

great point jonathan but fortunately for my mother it is no issue since our church leaders lack of bible knowledge has destroyed their credability

 

[nonconformist]

also since the puritan reformed circle knows their bible inside and out it gives them great credibility

 

[JohnV]

When I run into things like this I sometimes find comfort in my book of quotes, because this little book is like a commentary on life; and I can see how true some of these sayings are.

First, I have a saying of my own:

There is a saying; I can't remember what it is, but there is a saying.

but here are a few quotes:

Chuck Colson, from The Body
But relativism is firmly established as the reigning orthodoxy of American life

and too often that is true in Christian circles as well. Harry Blamires agrees:

from How Should a Christian Think
As a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularization. He accepts religion - its morality, its worship, its spiritual culture; but he rejects the religious view of life, the thing which sets all earthly issues within the context of the eternal.

Or we could turn to Irving Crystal: (I got this one out of a quote book, so I don't know the source.)

When we lack the will to see things as they really are, there's nothing so mysterious as the obvious.

I like this one. It comes from one of Dick Keyes' lectures at L'Abri in Boston:

Idolatry is what we do with truth when we do not want to face God."

William Drummond, in his Academical Questions, writes:

He who will not reason is a bigot; he who cannot is a fool; and he who dares not is a slave.

Alexander Pope wrote in his Essays on Criticism

Most critics, fond of some subservient art,
Still make the whole depend upon a part

I read these usually with a touch of self-criticism, seeing myself in others. I don't lose touch with the frustration of the situation, but still it is a stepping stone in understanding the culture in which we live. I think we live always in a church setting which is prone to backsliding more than advancing theologically, sometimes moreso than other times. And usually it is masked in some kind of virtuous undertaking of some sort. Some are easy to see through, but yet somehow take the whole nation by storm, like Inclusive Language; and some are well constructed, but are too technical to really catch on. But each one has its purpose, and that is to infiltrate the church at some point. I think I can be one of those points as easily as the next guy can. So its a good thing to be able to step back a moment and look at yourself through the eyes of others, to see if their criticism may be true.

So the last quote goes to Davey Crockett:

When I'm sure, I go ahead.

 

[ReformedWretch]

Thanks for the quotes John! I am certainly going to use them.

 

[twogunfighter]

 

[truthman1972]

Be merciful. But I understand.