There are many different kinds of Calvinistic belief... many from what I understand of it, you guys have breaks in your own ranks...
MonkeeSage Registered User
Posts: 208
(4/17/02 9:45 am) Reply
Re: For a real understanding...
Yeah, breaks about ordaining women, homosexuality, etc, not about soteriology. If you want to know what Calvinists believe, read the Canons of Dordrecht...many people won't read documents though, or don't have time, so those expositions are helpful. They represent what all historical Calvinists believe about salvation. Now if you means a few whackos who call themselves "Calvinists" and deny anything that has been historically called "Calvinism" then of course they won't be represented. But as for creedal Churches (Presbyterian, Reformed Baptist, Reformed Episcopalian, Primative Baptist, etc. etc.) they will all be represented.
Re: For a real understanding...
yes and they make up like 8% of the Christian ranks... let me guess they are the ones God chose to show the truth to and the rest are under darkness?
MonkeeSage Registered User
Posts: 210
(4/17/02 10:20 am) Reply
Re: For a real understanding...
You got it. The ones who hold to the Historical Christian Orthodox position are the ones who have the blessing of holding onto the true doctrine; not some post-Enlightenment, human-centered, feel-good, "burnin' in the bossom", "little gods," word-of-faith, TBN watching, non-denominational group that just started within in the last year and really hopes you will use your free will to imporve on God's grace so that it becomes good enough to actually save you instead of leaving you hanging... exactly right on the nose. :)
-J
S.D.G
MonkeeSage Registered User
Posts: 214
(4/17/02 11:42 am) Reply
Re: For a real understanding...
"Presbyterian and Reformed - 676,000" (Research Note 27 1997-98. Census 96: Religion. Gerard Newman Statistics Group, 3 March 1998, Parliament of Australia).
"In 1910 the Dutch Reformed Church numbered 728 ministers, 684 churches, and 116,815 communicants..." (Carroll; "Christian Advocate", New York, 26 Jan., 1911).
"...the Christian Reformed Church was also transplanted to America...It numbers today 138 ministers, 189 churches, 29,006 communicants...
The Hungarian Reformed Church...numbers at present 5253 communicants...
"Reformed Methodist Union Episcopal Church, USA - 3,800" (Bedell, Kenneth (ed.). Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches 1993. Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn (1993); pg. 248-255).
"Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, USA - 6,105" (World Almanac and Book of Facts 2000. Mahwah, NJ: PRIMEDIA Reference Inc. (1999). [Orig. sources: 1999 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches; World Almanac research]; pg. 692).
"Reformed Zion Union Apostolic Church, world - 16,000" (Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1990); pg. 163).
"Reformiert- Apostolischer Gemeindebund / Apostolische Gemeinschaft, Germany - 12,000" ("Religionswissenschaftlicher Medien- und Informationsdienst e.V. " [REMID: Religious Studies Media and Information Service, Marburg, Germany]; web page: "Informationen und Standpunkte " (viewed 2 Aug. 1999)).
I have only listed a few Reformed denominations, not even counting Reformed Baptist Church, Reformed Episcopal, etc. and not counting most of the European Reformed Churches...
I think your 8% is an inaccurate percentage.
-J
S.D.G
Edited by: MonkeeSage at: 4/17/02 11:49:31 am
Re: For a real understanding...
You got it. The ones who hold to the Historical Christian Orthodox position are the ones who have the blessing of holding onto the true doctrine; not some post-Enlightenment, human-centered, feel-good, "burnin' in the bossom", "little gods," word-of-faith, TBN watching, non-denominational group that just started within in the last year and really hopes you will use your free will to imporve on God's grace so that it becomes good enough to actually save you instead of leaving you hanging... exactly right on the nose.
(Yes MonkeeSage you have it all right. We're all in the dark... and God has given you the right message alone... and ummmm the greek orthodox doesn't hold your views... and they even read greek i bet? Atleast the Greek Orthodox Greeks do... )
MonkeeSage Registered User
Posts: 218
(4/17/02 1:50 pm) Reply
Re: For a real understanding...
I have it all right? If you knew this why didn't you tell me earlier??!? And why didn't you quite arguing with me? In any case, thank you for the information, I wasn't aware.
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