Founders Chief Repents of Calvinist Militancy, Pride

EW&F -
I did say that you didn't know him. I probably should have used the quotes from the others on here that have publically judged him.

And i agree that Presbyterians would have a question for him... They have questions for all baptists no matter what their view of soteriology.

What questions would Calvinist Baptists have for him?

 

Thanks, Dr. Bob. I agree. btw, I'd have Tom preach for me too. I would have before this statement too.

 

Let me correct on statement, that Tom Ascol "represents the SBC." Tom represents the Founders Organization. He is a Southern Baptist.

For those who don't know him and want to get a feel for his outlook, go to Founders.org and read his columns. Most of his writings are gracious in tone. Tom Ascol is not softening his Calvinism. He is softening his attitude.

 

"Founders Chief Repents of Calvinist Militancy, Pride"

Tom, one would think he represented Prideful Calvinistic Militancy in said group!

 

I suppose one could think that. But I think he's talking about himself more than Calvinists' being prideful and militant by nature.

I can understand about the militancy part. When I first discovered the Doctrines of Grace, I thought it was the greatest thing since pockets on a shirt. I wanted to tell everybody what I had found. When I approached my pastor (non-Cal) about it, he got this deer-in-the-headlights look. When I brought it up to the Youth Pastor, he said "well, you can believe like a Calvinist, but you better preach like a Fundamentalist." (He is now a Calvinist, BTW).

Several years ago, the president of the Baptist college where I serve on the board complained about the students who had discovered Calvinism and were making nuisances of themselves on campus.

So I suppose that my zeal is good, your militancy is not.

And I guess that there is a danger that a stray Calvinist here and there could become prideful. After all, it's hard not to be when you right.:smilewinkgrin:

 

Tom has never struck me as overly militant, being much more in the cut of a Tim Challies.

I fear he is allowing his opponents to control the conversation by accepting their oft-repeated et baseless accusations.

Calvinism is a minority position in the SBC, and is continually misrepresented in spite of Calvinism's recent surge in popularity. Men like Johnny Hunt have always controlled the conversation and there is no reason to believe that is about to change.

Contra Tom's opinion, his biggest error is not in boldly proclaiming the truth, but in promoting a type of stealth Calvinism, which leads to the type of church splits mentioned in a prior post in this thread. If Calvinism is to ever regain its historical place as the predominant theology of Baptists, its supporters will have to stand up and declare its truth without apology, and demand that God's people stop playing hot potato with theology.

But I know Tom and other Calvinists within the SBC have a tough row to hoe. I am glad that I'm still independent (no, not IFB, but Independent Reformed Baptist), and don’t' have to deal with the myriad entanglements of the SBC or their regional associations.

 

JD....another good post and on the money. He might have good motives, as he might sense that he has held wrong heart attitudes against other professed believers. He might be openly confessing what he might have done privately.
I have seen some try to be calvinism "lite" or "keep it under wraps" but this is not correct, confusing , and deceitful.
I would like to think that is not the case with Him.

 

Right. While he has never struck me as militant, maybe he has struck himself as being militant. I'm sure he'll work those things in his heart out with his Lord. But in the mean time, he shouldn't put himself and the rest of us on the moral low-ground that non-C's are always pushing us toward.

Calvinists are not in any way whatsoever more offensive, rude, and arrogant than the militant anti-calvinists amongst us. We are constantly misrepresented, and labeled as heretics, hyper-calvinists, baby haters, fatalists, hardshellers, allegorists, and any other convenient epithet available.

 

Talk about zeal....my little bro used to run around the family trying to save us via "If you died today....blah, blah, blah" & he got quite a rep as a pain in the arse. Big IFB Boy & his head pastor a Svengali with the warning "Dont talk to & dont look at a Calvinists, or you will not be blessed" & he was deadly serious.

But when my bro needed a Christian Counselor, the best qualified ones were Calvinists. When dear brother moved back to NJ, the best fundi pastor he found is a Calvinist Missionary (with his own training in mission field & family all missionaries)......thus the ground work was laid & this Easter he announced to me his embracing Calvinistic theology. :laugh: And I'm real proud of him :thumbs:

 

Hear Hear & WELL SAID! :thumbs: