The Scandal of the Unembarrassed Protestant (We possess muscularity, let's not pretend we don't )

Reformed Catholicism ^ | June 13, 2004 | Tim Enloe

[AlbionGirl]

Let me say in advance that this post is a bit stronger rhetorically than most of the posts that have appeared on this blog thusfar. I have mulled over these thoughts for several days now, and edited them extensively several times before at last deciding to post them, and I alone take responsibility for whatever offense they may give some. To be perfectly honest, though, after watching a good bit of sheerly negative naysaying about the nature and prospects of Reformed Catholicism being bandied about some Roman Catholic venues, I?ve had enough. I wish to issue not merely a rallying-cry for Protestants interested in recovering catholicity, but a counter-challenge to the said Roman Catholic detractors, who thusfar do not appear to even grasp what Reformed Catholicism is about, much less show that they themselves are sufficiently aware of the very great complicity of Roman Catholicism in the current state of ecclesiastical division and Christian cultural capitulation. So this post is a mildly polemical one offered in response to the polemics of others. It is important for some (both Roman Catholic and Protestant) to see that Reformed Catholicism does have teeth when it comes to Rome, and is not afraid to use them when necessary. But again, with all due concern for the names and reputations of my fellow writers on this blog, I take sole responsibility for the content and tone of this post.

[AlbionGirl]

Man, I feel good, like I fully expelled a toxin. It's so much easier to tell anonymous friends the truth than those who are immediately and immensely stung by an examination of potential benign culpability.

Perhaps this particular long night's journey into day is at an end, praise Our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lover and Comforter of those afflicted, unto the Ages of Ages, Amen.

Blessings on FR too, this site is the best of its kind on the web, bar none. I feel in a generous mood, so I think I'll send off an additional donation, as a sort of theraputic thank you. Money's not the root of all evil, the love of money is.

[AlbionGirl]

Apologia ala Maria Luisa...

Let all God's People truly, genuinely wish each other the Peace of the Lord, a place at His Table, a Room in His Mansion, but let us dispense with the sham of ecumenism. This side of Glory, we will not be in agreement, God will sort it all out, absent malicious hearts, we need not worry. Questions will be posed to the Shepherds that will not be posed to us.

Scripture tells us that when Our Jesus separates the goats from the sheep, it is less what they did that he's concerned with than what they didn't do, it's their Sins of Omission that will be their undoing.

Though I do understand the thinking that drives closed Communion, I truly appreciate the Reformed views on Fellowship of the Altar, it's born of Love. They won't have to answer the question that God might pose to their counterparts: Why did you refuse to feed my Sheep?

Let's coalesce and agree when we are called to witness to the world against abortion and all things excreable and dishonorable, but let us name our requirements upfront: we are not out for a pound of flesh. We do not ask that you rescind Trent or Vatican I, we merely ask that you admit the Reformation was inevitable and that the culpability is yours, and we require that you make John Calvin a Doctor of the Church.

Then let us decide, as the Apostles did in Acts when choosing another Apostle, on Saintly Men to review and coalesce around the Doctrinal differences and issues.

We Protestants are also the People of God, let's not brook any sophistry to the opposite. As I said, we possess muscularity, let's stop pretending we don't.

What say you, Dr. E?

[AlbionGirl]

To sweeten the pot, my friend, here's a picture of Alice Cooper to accompany that great quote you have on your profile page.

"When you believe in God, you've got to believe in the all-powerful God. He's not just God, He's the all-powerful God and He has total control over everyone's life...nothing else speaks to my heart. This doesn't speak to my intellect, it doesn't speak to my logic -- it speaks right to my heart and right to my soul, deeper than anything I've ever thought of. And I totally believe it. That being said, I'm not a very good Christian. I mean, none of us are ever 'good' Christians. That's not the point. When you're a Christian, it doesn't mean you're gonna be good, it means you've got a harder road to pull." -- Alice Cooper

[AlbionGirl]

Every Kind of People
Said the fight to make ends meet
Keeps a man upon his feet
Holding down his job
Trying to show he can't be bought

It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about Every kind of people
To make the world go 'round

Someone's looking for a lead
In his duty to a King or creed
Protecting what he feels is right
Fights against wrong with his life

There's no profit in deceit
Honest men know that
Revenge do not taste sweet
Whether yellow, black or white
Each and every man's the same inside

It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about
Every kind of people
To make the world go 'round

You know that Love's the only goal
That could bring a peace to any soul
Hey, and every man's the same
He wants the sunshine in his name

It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about
Every kind of people
To make the world go 'round
It takes every kind of people
To make what life's about
Every kind of people
To make the world go 'round...

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I miss Robert Palmer. 8~)

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Man, I feel good, like I fully expelled a toxin. It's so much easier to tell anonymous friends the truth than those who are immediately and immensely stung by an examination of potential benign culpability.

Isn't that amazing? I've experienced that, too. It's like when people tell you to keep a journal, only this is interactive and the feedback is instantaneous. It's school and therapy and comaraderie all rolled up into one. 8~)

Perhaps this particular long night's journey into day is at an end, praise Our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ His Only Son, Our Lord, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lover and Comforter of those afflicted, unto the Ages of Ages, Amen

Amen, AG. God has guided every footstep to the place you are standing this very moment. Your journey glorifies His name, and brings hope and encouragement to all His hungry sheep.

I've only read about "Reformed Catholicism" generally on the internet. I certainly think it's a step in the right direction. God willing, they'll all become Calvinists one day. 8~)

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Amen, AG. Isn't that a great testimony.

From here -- http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_04055coop.shtml (the link was difficult to transfer)...

ALICE COOPER TO GET DOCTORATE FROM CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY -- 5/5/04

Alice Cooper is to be awarded an honorary doctorate by a Christian liberal-arts college.

The 56-year-old will be given the degree at Grand Canyon University's commencement ceremony on Saturday.

The father of shock rock whose music and stage antics have outraged parents for more than 30 years reportedly embraced Christian faith in the 1980s.

Until a frank interview with a Christian music magazine two years ago, he rarely spoke publicly about his faith. But in April 2002 he told 'HM: Hard Music Magazine' of his reluctance to become a "Christian celebrity".

Raised in a Christian home, he said he still believed in God although he was not committed. But that changed when alcoholism threatened his marriage. He and his wife, Sheryl, attended a church with a "hellfire pastor."

Cooper said he became a Christian "initially more out of the fear of God, rather than the love of God ... I did not want to go to hell." But Cooper also said he viewed his faith as "an ongoing thing."

A chart-topper with the teen anthem "School's Out," Cooper – who legally changed his name from Vince Furnier – said that although he continued to record and tour with a theatrical horror-style show, "My life is dedicated to follow Christ."

He also maintained that his act was never political or religious and always had "a sense of humour."

"Being a Christian is something you just progress in. You learn. You go to your Bible studies. You pray," he said.

In a written statement university Vice Chairman Michael Clifford said; "Alice Cooper is a guy who made it big in a very tough business and has made his faith a priority".

"He can become a real mentor for our students, sharing his knowledge, valuable contacts and real-life experiences in the performing arts." The rocker has been a financial supporter of the school, university officials said."

[Gamecock]

I heard somewhere he is a Calvinist.

[Augustinian monk]

"Elected" (Cooper/Bruce/Glen Buxton/Dennis Dunaway/Neal Smith) – 4:05


Well that explains this song off the Billion Dollars babies album released in 1973.

[AlbionGirl]

Amen, AG. God has guided every footstep to the place you are standing this very moment.

No question, Dr. E.

Your journey glorifies His name, and brings hope and encouragement to all His hungry sheep.

I can only hope this is true, but thank you for the encouragement.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Even better. 8~)

If you acknowledge the total and perfect sovereignty of God as a given, the rest seems to fall into place.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

This is the true meaning of the Prodigal Son. God rejoices in the salvation of all His sheep. But the ones who've strayed the farthest and yet return, by the grace of God, provide boundless and grateful joy in heaven and on earth.

If we acknowledge that the journey was according to His will, then it follows that often the longest journeys home bring the greatest glory to His name.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD." -- Psalm 40:1-3

[AlbionGirl]

I've only read about "Reformed Catholicism" generally on the internet...

I think 'reformed Catholicism' is a bit of an oxymoron, but the writer of this piece basically calls us to not cede Church history to the RCs or anyone else for that matter. The real point of this post from me to you and to all my Protestant (especially Calvinists) brothers and sisters, is a call to arms, a call to not lay down, to not cede Church History -pretentions to any clause of exclusivity notwithstanding.

Human nature and all of its unsavory and complex ramifications did not cease the minute the church Fathers entered the scene. Politics, philosophy, predilections -a taste for this, a distaste for that did not disappear when the church Fathers entered the fray.

Blessings, Dr. E, today and always.

[alpha-8-25-02]

Some persons love the doctrine of universal atonement because they say, "It is so beautiful. It is a lovely idea that Christ should have died for all men; it commends itself," they say, "to the instincts of humanity; there is something in it full of joy and beauty." I admit there is, but beauty may be often associated with falsehood. There is much which I might admire in the theory of universal redemption, but I will just show what the supposition necessarily involves. If Christ on His cross intended to save every man, then He intended to save those who were lost before He died. If the doctrine be true, that He died for all men, then He died for some who were in hell before He came into this world, for doubtless there were even then myriads there who had been cast away because of their sins. Once again, if it was Christ's intention to save all men, how deplorably has He been disappointed, for we have His own testimony that there is a lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and into that pit of woe have been cast some of the very persons who, according to the theory of universal redemption, were bought with His blood. That seems to me a conception a thousand times more repulsive than any of those consequences which are said to be associated with the Calvinistic and Christian doctrine of special and particular redemption. To think that my Saviour died for men who were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain. To imagine for a moment that He was the Substitute for all the sons of men, and that God, having first punished the Substitute, afterwards punished the sinners themselves, seems to conflict with all my ideas of Divine justice. That Christ should offer an atonement and satisfaction for the sins of all men, and that afterwards some of those very men should be punished for the sins for which Christ had already atoned, appears to me to be the most monstrous iniquity that could ever have been imputed to Saturn, to Janus, to the goddess of the Thugs, or to the most diabolical heathen deities. God forbid that we should ever think thus of Jehovah, the just and wise and good!-C.H.SPURGEON

THANKYOU ELECT BRETHREN FOR YOUR FINE POSTS!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

a call to arms, a call to not lay down, to not cede Church History -pretentions to any clause of exclusivity notwithstanding.

Amen!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

AMEN.

Glorious Spurgeon bump.

"To think that my Saviour died for men who were or are in hell, seems a supposition too horrible for me to entertain...."