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To: Ward Smythe
Let me suggest that you read J.I. Packer's Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Packer shows that a belief in God's absolute sovereignty is essential to evangelism, not opposed to it.

However, even though you didn't mean to imply that Calvinists are cold anti-evangelistic monsters, that did appear to be your case in your earlier post. It would be helpful that you adopt a policy of granting us the charity of believing that we are sincere when we share our beliefs. The fact that there are others on this thread who refuse to grant us that charity is the primary reason that I don't spend much time engaging them.

208 posted on 02/19/2002 5:55:51 AM PST by Jerry_M
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To: Jerry_M
However, even though you didn't mean to imply that Calvinists are cold anti-evangelistic monsters, that did appear to be your case in your earlier post. It would be helpful that you adopt a policy of granting us the charity of believing that we are sincere when we share our beliefs.

Again, I didn't mean to insult. And I do appreciate that you are grounded in your beliefs and know why you believe as you do.

My point about evangelism is just that it seems to me the logical conclusion of pre-destination is "why bother?" I understand that's not the intent and I understand that's not what you (and Calvinists in general) believe.

I have seen it played out though, when a Pastor told a relatively new believer whose husband was opposed to her attending church that "he's probably one of the un-chosen." (yeah, that's what he said). That seemed a little cold.

That's where I'm coming from in my personal experience with the Reformed tradition. And in a previous post, I noted that the same Pastor said from the pulpit "there is no one in hell that Jesus loved."

At the same time, I'll readily admit there's been a whole lot of ugliness on the Wesleyan/Holiness side as well.

215 posted on 02/19/2002 6:09:14 AM PST by Ward Smythe
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