Posted on 05/26/2007 4:32:30 PM PDT by Titanites
I am a convert to the Catholic Faith from Calvinism. I loved Calvinism and owned a library full of Calvin, Luther, Warfield, Hodge, Murray, Owen, Machen, etc. as well as helped plant a local Orthodox Presbyterian Church. I knew Reformation Theology and how much hatred it generates for the Catholic Church. As a Calvinist, I could boast with the best of them. I even persecuted the Catholic Church and went after every one of them I found, beating them back with Scripture, upon Scripture, upon quotes of Luther, Calvin, etc. I found great pleasure in debating Catholics.
My one flaw was learning what the Early Church Fathers believed. A Catholic who had not fared well in a debate with me, mentioned I should read the Early Church Fathers to see just how Catholic they were. I honestly thought I would just gain more "ammo" to use in my battles.
I found Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp with my first visit to the University Library. I poured over them for months until finally I pounded the books on the table with my fists, tossed them from the fourth to the third level of the library and wept. It seemed these great martyrs for the Faith were Catholic. It had taken about 8 months of going over Clement, Augustine, Athanasius, etc. to see the Catholic Church was the Early Church. I kept coming back to Ignatius and Polycarp as I could not get them out of my mind.
Over the next two years, I read more and more on the Catholic Faith and became less and less convinced the Reformed Faith was correct. It became clear to me; it was nothing more than a novelty, spewing forth doctrines that had never been believed before. Christ promised the Holy Spirit to His Church and stated the gates of hell would not prevail against it. I thought that was a lie and for 1500 years, the Church had been without truth and the gates of hell had prevailed. It is very humbling to come to the conclusion you have been horribly wrong, even to the point of not trusting the words of our precious Lord and Saviour. Yet, I still was not ready to become a Catholic.
Then one day when I was reading the Scripture I read Paul talking about how he was the most religious Pharisee, the most upright, and you know my heart was pierced and I actually laughed about how I could claim I had been one of the best Calvinists around, but then it hit me. Was that even something to boast about? So I looked up one of the most wonderful examples of boasting the Lord mentioned. Luke 18:9-14 (Please read the Scripture as this is my paraphrase)
'Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Calvinist and the other a sinner. The Calvinist (that would be I) stood and was praying thus to himself, God, I thank thee that I am not like other people, sinners, Catholics, heretics, or even like this sinner beside me. I planted your church in this god-forsaken part of the country, I read the Scriptures and Calvin and Luther twice a week, and the rest of the week I read nothing but reformers and your Scriptures. But the sinner standing a little off to the side, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast saying, God, be merciful to me the sinner. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled but he who humbles himself shall be exalted."
You know who the sinner was? I turned next to Luke 5:8 because I was then looking for others who admitted they were sinners for I knew I was once the boaster but now I was the sinner. "But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Peter then was able to go on and follow Jesus. Peter came home, this home became the Church, and he was the Rock it was built upon, and he was justified.
At that moment, it finally became clear I could not stay a Calvinist or stay in the OPC. I had plans to attend Westminster Seminary and those were discarded. I lost friends and was informed I must have never been a Christian in the first place.
As I became least, Christ became more. I decided the only place I could go was the home where the Apostle Peter went. I was accepted into the Catholic Church in Easter 2002. I have never been happier and I wish and pray this joy for all. I will never be the same after taking the Body and Blood of our Lord.
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 Tuesday, October 31, 2006 08:24 PM Host: user-69-73-57-251.knology.net Greetings,
I am an Entered Apprentice as of October 2006, soon to be Fellow Craft. Your sight is an inspiration to what I have always believed Masonry would be. Thank you. |
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It also looks like Mr. Beason may now be hawking "The Secret":
LOA and Chanting and changing the world collectively |
That's false. We keep explaining to you that it's false, you keep ignoring us and stating the same falsehoods you have stated before.
Here it is, one more time:
The penalty of anathema no longer exists in canon law, and even when it did, it (like any other canonical penalty) didn't apply to non-Catholics. Vatican II (Lumen Gentium) was quite clear that we hope for the salvation of those who are bound to us by the shared belief in Christ, the shared belief in the authority of the Scriptures, and a common baptism. That includes you.
Of course, not only are we to believe you don't hate Catholics, but you will no doubt ignore my statements about what my religion teaches and insist that you know it better than I do.
Most of them don't have the slightest shred of a clue what authentic Catholic teaching is. Unfortunately, I can't hold them entirely responsible for that; the Church itself is highly blameworthy.
And no, Mary is not my redeemer, and the Catholic Church teaches no such thing. She did, however, coöperate in a unique way with the objective redemption, as the Bible clearly teaches.
I am a Calvinist, and am saved. I was predetermined to be saved. I didn't have to do anything.. nothing at all. I thought it was a big deal when I accepted Christ, but in retrospect, its not really, since I didn't really choose to. I was predestined to do so.
After that I spent a lot of time partying. Why not? I'm saved?
But then someone pointed out that if I was truly saved, I wouldn't party, so I stopped partying.
But at least I didn't have to go to church. Well, maybe not. All of those who were lucky like me to be predestined (sorry for the rest of you, you will burn in hell) go to church. We don't have to, I mean, we are saved no matter what. But, out of thanks for being saved, we got to church every sunday.
Everyone at my church is saved. How do I know? Because they were all predestined, and if they weren't predestined, they wouldn't go to my church.
Now, its not like you can just go to my church and be saved, but if you do got to my church, you will be saved, because if you weren't predestined you wouldn't go to my church.
Got it?
I observed earlier that he got tired of God not finding him and he decided to hunt for God .
This man has no clue who God is.
He needs our prayers
Good hunting P_M
Obviously you do not have it.
co does not stand for “cooperate”
CO
co–
pref.
Together; joint; jointly; mutually: coeducation.
Partner or associate in an activity: coauthor; cofounder.
Subordinate or assistant: copilot.
To the same extent or degree: coextensive.
And we all know how much the Catholics like their Masonry...
...Past Grand Deacon J.C. Parkinson, an illustrious English Mason, frankly avows: "The two systems of Romanism and Freemasonry are not only incompatible, but they are radically opposed to each other" [195] and American Masons say: "We won't make a man a Freemason, until we know that he isn't a Catholic."
The problem is no one will seek God unless He acts first. Speaking of the unregenerate man scripture says this
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
The unregenerate man seeks a god of his own liking, one he is comfortable with, one that meets his expectations and desire of what god should be like.
Most men are not interested in the God of the bible, that God is really God of everything.
God will reward ( notice it does not say "save" ) those who seek Him, because only those that are already His will seek for Him .
I do not know if this man is a reprobate or not, but at this time in his life he is looking for a god he can control. This man was never a calvinist.
Not exactly. The Early Church is Orthodox (and catholic).
How come? Maybe since I was predestined to go to heaven I don't waste my timing worrying about what I say in the meantime.
The author suggests that he "poured" over Polycarp.
It makes it hard to view this as serious writing.
Predestination?
Never understood it...it’s Christianity for the lazy...for those who don’t wish to take responsibility for their actions...for those who don’t believe in free will.
At least the Baptists, Lutherans and Methodists take ownership for their respective actions.
Calvinism...that’s just another oddity...
It’s not for the lazy, it’s for the self-righteous. The reason unlike other religions, Christianity was unique in that it did not say “you are godly”, or “you are the chosen one” which is something that people want to hear. Christianity says “you are a sinner”. Calvinism is just a construct so that people can think they are the chosen one and feel good about themselves.
I take it that you are not actually a Calvinist.
Calvinism is decidedly the most non-intellectual of the faiths in this world...it’s on par with Mormonism and Islam as childlike in its construction.
"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." -- James 5:12
This is hysterical.
I think I saw him on the side of the road last week with a sign:
“I’ll Convert for Food.”
?
Someone’s been up past their bedtime...
LOL, your ignorance is showing !
Doubtful...
Calvinism...predestination...so sad to see that people believe that faith is a choice not left to them. If that were true, what point would there be in evangelizing the world? All of the converts would be “pre-converted.”
Please, Calvinism is for the weak-minded.
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