HOW CALVINISTS SPREAD THANKSGIVING CHEER Charity and predestination go hand in hand.

Wall Street Journal ^ | November 18, 2011 | Aaron Belz

[Dr. Eckleburg]

And the most amazing part of this story is that there are 1,500 members of a Presbyterian Church in America in, of all places, the People's Republic of Santa Monica!

Post Tenebras Lux - After darkness, light.

All glory to God.

"Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it. -- 1 Thessalonians 5:24

[smvoice]

I know one thing I’m VERY thankful for: YOU’RE BACK! It’s SO GOOD to see you posting again :)

God Bless,

smvoice

[MarkBsnr]

Hello, good Doctor. Your absence has been sorely missed.

Yet the church's pastor, Rankin Wilbourne, is happy to pepper his sermons with references to Bono and "Jersey Shore," and the church has grown to around 1,500 members from 500 in three years.

Not only does he have bad taste, his wife is not up to Tammy Faye or Jan Crouch standards. We must pony up enough funds to send her a trowel for her makeup. And the hair? Bleach blonde is one thing, but it is nowhere near high enough. The higher the hair, the closer to God, you know.

[lastchance]

God bless them for their charity.

[metmom]

Four posts before a post to take it off topic.

You’re slacking.

[metmom]

Delivered by several churches led by Pacific Crossroads in Santa Monica, Calif., the boxes contain ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal for six. They allow impoverished families to skip food lines and neighborhood pantries and enjoy the holiday in their own homes.

The love of Christ in action.

[MarkBsnr]

Four posts before a post to take it off topic. You’re slacking.

You'll have to blame God. I was predestined to do it.

[suzyjaruki]

This day, this Thanksgiving, this life is so full of blessings!

A friend's home saved from burning during the Reno Urban Wildfire yesterday and today, hearing from a precious sister-in-Christ that has been so missed.

In regard to the WSJ article, I believe that the reason for the failure of government run social programs and the lack of accountability is that the government has taken over the work of the church from afar. No one is blessed in these transactions.

"Finally, on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, dozens of church members take the boxes to the doors of families in need". Both parties are blessed.

[Lee N. Field]

Dr. E., so glad to see you back.

[HossB86]

Dr. E!!!!

So GREAT to see you back!!!

Great post....

Hoss

[metmom]

That’s your opinion.

[DJ MacWoW]

Did You Know?

The Current FReepathon Pays For The Current Quarters Expenses?

Now That You Do, Donate And Keep FR Running

[Calm_Cool_and_Elected]

What a great idea! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

[Mr Rogers]

I think what surprises me about this article is the idea that the action taken is uncommon, and that non-Calvinists don’t give to the needy.

Oh well. Guess God in his sovereign will blinded them to the Baptists and Catholics who help the poor.

It is kind of like the joke about a man who is given a tour of heaven. He meets folks of many denominations, but then is given slippers and told to make no noise. After creeping past a walled section, he is told he can speak again.

“What was that all about?”, he asks.

“That is the Baptist section. We keep it quiet because they think they are the only ones here...”

[RecoveringPaulisto]

Calvinists invented Thanksgiving. Of course we are going to be the best celebrators of it!

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Four posts before a post to take it off topic.

And a nasty misogynist post, at that. No surprise there.

[marshmallow]

Across the USA every Thanksgiving, meals and food parcels are distributed in the hundreds of thousands. Churches of many different denominations, the Red Cross, food banks, businesses and individual philanthropists all contribute. Here in Augusta, GA, the late James Brown (aka "The Godfather of Soul") used to give out hundreds of turkeys every Thanksgiving. It happens all over the country. So I'm guessing that the only thing which makes this piece newsworthy is that it's Calvinists who are doing it. I mean if Calvinists did this all the time, it wouldn't be news, right?

The headline says that "charity and predestination go hand in hand". Is that to imply that predestination is a prerequisite for the exercise of charity?

Perhaps "da Godfather" was a member of the elect, too.

[caww]

Well greetings Dr.E. and so nice seeing your name in lights once again...you have been missed more than you know. Now things will get back to normal! ;)

[Natural Law]

"The love of Christ in action."

Looks like someone is serving up a heaping helping of hypocrisy for Thanksgiving. When you feed the poor you are ridiculed and scoffed at for useless corporal works of mercy.