Really? That's what you've noticed? Fascinating.
What I've noticed is that, on occasion, the bigotry of certain anti-Catholics becomes particularly obnoxious and Protestants who realize that bigotry isn't actually something that Christians should aspire to will step in and point out how un-Christian the anti-Catholics are.
I'm curious though? What do you define as Catholics "losing" the arguments? Can you point to a single one of these threads where a Catholic FReeper has actually decided to become a Calvinist? What exactly is it that you think you have "won" here?
Several days ago I pointed out something about this thread that nobody has seemed to address and that is the FACT that this thread was posted and written by a pro-abortion, ATHEIST FReeper who was banned for being a troll. The premise of this thread is based on an absurd assumption that is based on a totally false understanding of historical events, yet a group of dedicated swarmed the thread and I can only conclude that this was done because they were attracted to the title.
I must say that it was rather eye-opening yesterday to see a thread posted where Calvinists openly call other Protestants satanic and blasphemous. But I still wonder, if God has predestined EVERYTHING and man has no free will at all, what is the point in Calvinists engaging in these debates? Are certain Calvinists predestined to show how hateful they can be? Or do they secretly doubt their own salvation and think that sadistic attempts at demonstrating superiority will some how prove their predestination?
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It's rather ironic.
Thanks for this post.
It expresses so well the sentiments of not just a few.
It speaks for common sense, and peace among men of good will.
What I have noticed is that certain anti-Catholics seem predestined to be a$$holes not nice people. I guess when you believe you are among the elect then you are exempt from actually adhering to the truth or acting upon the Scripture you claim to know so well. This is especially true when taunting and baiting those you absolutely know to be damned.
When every Catholic topic thread attracts the same parties who offer up the same lies about the Church, its history, its clergy, and its Catechism, ignoring the countless rebuttals and refutations, there is no point pretending that civil discourse is possible or that the truth can will ever be acknowledged. I for one have had enough of pretending we are dealing with decent, rational, and sane people. The Church is not endangered or even harmed by them, but their souls are in jeopardy.
34“You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
35“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.
36“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
37“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
- Matthew 12:34-37
Well, this thread has finally become a serious discussion on issues like canon, predestination and other issues. And, it has become a very good learning experience — even from Dr. E who can be very informative and people WILL read her posts if there are no insults.
Well said and spot on.
Read the thread. As usual, Rome cannot refute the Scriptures.
Regarding the original posting of this thread, who knows what thread simply gathers people's attention? I remember a few years ago the Nativity movie thread went longer than this one.
As far as the other Calvinist thread goes, I was chastised by the RM the other day for bringing one thread over to another.
But since you brought it up, if one had actually read that thread they would have seen it is an interesting take on infant baptism which reminds us once again that John Calvin believed children who die in infancy all go to heaven -- something Rome completely denies and Arminians remain divided over.
I realize Roman Catholics are made uncomfortable by dissent. Protestants, not so much. Protestants know they are called to rightly divide the word, and that takes effort and thought rather than simply swallowing the latest edict from an anti-Scriptural bureaucracy with its own anti-Scriptural agenda.