Really? "Navel gazing"? I have a copy at home and am interested in the portion you consider "Navel gazing". No question Calvin drilled on the damage sin has wreaked, the broken natures of man at war with God and the desparate need for God to reach to man, but I would hardly consider this navel gazing. Perhaps more such "navel gazing" needs to be done by Rome and then they might abandon their Semi-Pelagian heresies.
And, speaking of Semi-Pelagianism, when you get an opportunity, check Luther's "Bondage of the Will". Here is the "hingepin" of the Reformation, one of his watershed works wherein he set out robust Augustinianism from the weak Semi-Pelagianism of Erasmus (as he was asked to speak for the RCC in his "Diatribe").
Hopefully, Luther never repented from this position, although his consubstantiation moved dangerously close to the transubstantiation he was originally taught to embrace. Old habits die hard.
As I've mentioned, that's why we don't venerate men and have no heroes. None. That God used men to produce His Word, the Scriptures, does not mean that the men themselves warrant reverence any more than the sun does, even though God made both.
But, this whole line of discussion came from a post that implied there was something remarkable about Holland now descending into moral obliviion and simultaneiously returning to Catholicism. I was struggling to understand anything positive the writer intended to prove with this statistic. He/she claimed that the country was tiring of Reformed theology and was going home. Such argument is not only laughable, but if it represents the general use of logic from within the RCC, may tip us off why Holland is concurrently descending. Reality is not on the radar screen. I ping him/her here only out of courtesy.
Consubstantiation is not Lutheran.
The concept of the elect being a diminutive subset of humanity, with not only Calvin, but all the Calvinists then and now. The very self absorption that generated the theories that he came up with, with the disdainful dismissal of the wider view of the teachings of Jesus is almost textbook navel gazing. The very concept was generated by Calvin, for the benefit of Calvin (in several ways - both egotistical (I can form my own religion and spurn what Christianity is), and theological (I can form my own religion in the manner which most suits me), as well as temporal (becoming theocratic dictator over Geneva). Unlike Luther, Calvin was more interested in power than in luxury. And he got it in spades.
And, speaking of Semi-Pelagianism, when you get an opportunity, check Luther's "Bondage of the Will". Here is the "hingepin" of the Reformation, one of his watershed works wherein he set out robust Augustinianism from the weak Semi-Pelagianism of Erasmus (as he was asked to speak for the RCC in his "Diatribe").
I haven't read it in a long time; I'll have to look it up again. Isn't that where Luther actually lays out a weaker form of the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
Hopefully, Luther never repented from this position, although his consubstantiation moved dangerously close to the transubstantiation he was originally taught to embrace. Old habits die hard.
Reportedly, Luther repented of many things he had done; unlike Augustine, he never returned to the Faith. But if I recall, didn't Luther actually lay out the argument that sin incapacitates one from coming to God but if God redeems a man, he is then free to choose to come to God?
It does sound, now that I think of it, like a weaker version of the Sacrament of Confession and repentence of sin.
As I've mentioned, that's why we don't venerate men and have no heroes. None. That God used men to produce His Word, the Scriptures, does not mean that the men themselves warrant reverence any more than the sun does, even though God made both.
So Matthew 25 means nothing to you? The Acts of the Apostles? Ephesians 5:33?
Hebrews 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected [us], and we gave [them] reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
Joshua 4:14 That day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they revered him all the days of his life, just as they had revered Moses.
Joshua 5:13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? 14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? 15 And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
note that this worship was done to one of the angels of God
But, this whole line of discussion came from a post that implied there was something remarkable about Holland now descending into moral obliviion and simultaneiously returning to Catholicism. I was struggling to understand anything positive the writer intended to prove with this statistic. He/she claimed that the country was tiring of Reformed theology and was going home. Such argument is not only laughable, but if it represents the general use of logic from within the RCC, may tip us off why Holland is concurrently descending. Reality is not on the radar screen. I ping him/her here only out of courtesy.
I fear that Holland will sink yet further into the mire before any return to God will happen.