2 Peter 2: 1 1 There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who ransomed them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their licentious ways, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled. 3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabrications, but from of old their condemnation has not been idle and their destruction does not sleep.
And if you are one of the self-appointed selected elite elect, you may pray to yourself and thank yourself that you are not Catholic and therefore are exempt from petitioning God for mercy. (see Luke 18 for the words of Christ that the Reformed are exempt from)
“If you are self-appointed as one of the selected elite elect, making God beholden to you, then what need of street cred have you?”
There are so many assumptions in that sentence, I was stunned that you continue to read these threads, and yet continue to intentionally misunderstand what is written on them by the Calvinists, (who remain the object of your evident scorn).
Please note that:
1. Calvinists are not self appointed to anything.
2. The term is not ‘select,’ but ‘elect.’
3. The term ‘elite’ has nothing to do with ‘elect.’
4. The conclusion that God is beholden to anyone is ludicrous.
Mischaracterization is a lie, is it not?
Reformed theology appeals to people who at some point in their lives were "not very nice." Perhaps they were ostracized by others, constantly in trouble, and on the wrong side of the law, literally lost in their misfortune, and someone came to them and said "Jesus loves you."
It is possible that this is the first time anyone has ever told those words, that even they can be loved. So, it is no wonder they were drawn to it.
I have known many a Protestant who told me "You wouldn't have liked me before I was saved," or "I was nasty, I liked to cut people down with words, etc." and similar stories.
Such people found a new and better self in Christianity and a lifeline that sustains them, so I can't really blame them. To them, the humility of catholic and orthodox Christianity is too reminiscent of them being a fringe, rejected, laughed at, and worse. Nothing is more repulsive to them than being humble; they needed a crutch and an ego-building compliment, strength, not weakness, even something as unChristian as pride, something they never had but always wanted. And they found it in the Reformed theology.
They are saved, they can do now wrong in God;s eyes, no matter what they do, what they say, how much they fail. They have been given the ultimate assurance that, contrary to human realization that we are all ignorant, nasty and selfish creatures by nature, they will be rescued in an easy way with magic words. Anyone can do that, even the worst of us. Hecne the appeal. Reformed "worship" is all about "God loves me, halleluyah", a pagan-like spectacle one would expect to see in a pagan temple, all swaying their hands in the air like something from "Indiana Jones" movie.
Catholic and Orthodox worship and theology is like that tax collector in the Gospels who feels so undeserving he can't even look up, but can only beg God for mercy. How could you expect people who seek low self-image therapy and food for their narcissistic nature to subscribe to that?!
Consequently, I think people end up in a camp that suits their personality and world view, as well as self image. You see the same segragation among Muslims (for exmaple Sufis and more ilitatnt groups) and Jews (Orthodox, reofrmed, Liberal, etc).