Featured The Sharp Divide: How to deal with it

That isn't cute.........

I had a very serious drinking problem.

God has graciously been delivering me from it. I am praising God for what he is doing for me.

How DARE you........

Your post, may have been designed to be "cutesy".....but, it was sick.....

That is sick.

I have been working through JUST THAT problem:

Do you think it constructive to talk like that??

No, Herald, I think you made a mis-step here. That is personal to the 'n'th to me...........and it isn't a joke.

I hold to what I hold to...........and my thoughts are thought-through and relatively erudite.....

What you just said, was sheer trash. Trash. that was Nasty, it hurt, and it is all the more proof that Arminians should want NOTHING to do with Calvinists....Please take all our institutions, Our Seminaries, and please, just walk away, and take Calvinist talk like that with you, and never speak like you have just spoken again.......That has been my position from post #1.

 

Somehow......Herald, I think you are slightly ticked with how quickly it seems that Arminians are willing to peaceably part-ways with Calvinists.....

What did you think???

Did you think we were desperate to INCLUDE YOU in our Churches????

No......
You may go away at your own pleasure.......Arminians will simply NOT stop you............And again....You may take the Seminiaries with you, if you promise not to infiltrate an Arminian Church again.


Now, THAT!!!! is a fair deal if ever I heard one...But, I know you don't want it...........You want Arminian support more than anything don't you???

Calvinists didn't even start your "Church"..........Arminians did.....and Calvinists simply "Assimmilated" it, like the "Borg" do...........

I refuse to be "Assimmilated"...........
Yeah......I know this game, and it's why I ain't a Calvinist.

 

A very mature attitude Herald & a wise move on your part!

Cheers:thumbs:

 

Good.......... Then Please take all of our Seminaries, and all our property and go away..........and never pollute the doors of an Arminian Church or Institution again.

 

you are a little muddled he arent you HOS. Herald & his church are already an independent reformed baptist church....thus your commentary is incredibly misplaced.

If your that angry at Calvinists, why are you not railing at people who are in SBC Churches who are already Calvinistic in theology? So your efforts to insult & embarrass Herald really falls on deaf ears. Aim in a different direction next time. Maybe you will hit something besides your foot.

 

I for one am a proponent of separation but I dont treat another's beliefs disrespectfully.....I just believe its better to have separate beliefs & different churches...you go to your church & I will go to mine.

 

I want to repeat my contention that non-Cal Southern Baptists are not Arminians.

The church I serve is not Arminian. My pastor is not Arminian. I know of no one in my church who believes in salvation by grace through faith plus works.

I know of no one in my church who believes one may lose his salvation.

We can't really have a good productive discussion if we can't agree on definitions.

 

Brother, I feel sorry that that suggestion still brings back painful memories out of the past and want to express my concern and give hope and share some understanding about the struggles you face that could be compared to what is referred to as “PTSD” and which obviously truly continue to haunt and to hurt you. But you know what, I’m going to pray for you about this that these former things become so far and completely removed that it seems as if a another life that no way belongs to you today other than you having an ability to locate a few old scars you might be stuck with that you can find and only if you are inclined to do so because of looking for them to help another see that you have been there and can relate to what he is feeling. That is what I’m doing here and now.

I hope that someday that suggestions like what you experienced here today will no longer seem as a threat or even a cruel reminder of the pain because you will be completely confident that the new life you are living is sure and the former involving the detriments of alcohol is dead and gone. You are now protected and much stronger because of having experienced such a dreadful fight. I want and pray you to someday personally be absolutely confident that you have won that war and the enemy has no possibility of reviving it or using those tricks to ever harm you again. The old is dead and will never come back because you remain alive and will continue so through Christ in your new life. Nothing will pluck this this new life of yours out of His hand and you are aware of the former mistakes you have made which allowed your shields to come down and you to be vulnerable. But now Christ who steps on the neck of Satan can and will remind you and help you to hold that shield up high and as sure as you know that you will never let go of your faith you know that shield will never come down. I'm saying this because I want you know and have hope that Christ can fully assure you that you could go never go back to the former because you are strengthened and you are far too wise today to ever make that mistake of ever allowing alcohol to cause injury to you again in your new life.

With this thought, I want to address this issue in case it also applies, because if so, I hope that someday soon you will allow yourself be released from the chains where one feels the need to refer or even think of himself as an “alcoholic” but only have to know that you “were” an alcoholic in a completely former life that will stay in the past being dead. I know that some will tell you that this chain (calling and thinking of oneself as an alcoholic forever, holding on to such a title, and/or being hurt and scared of that threat of letting go of it) can never be removed and that is a painful thing to have to live with, therefore I am here to tell you, having been in similar situation, that God has blessed me with the strength to put these things in my former life so far behind me that if someone unconscionably makes such an accusation against me it actually makes me smile rather than hurts because it reminds how grateful I am to no longer be that person who could ever again make the same mistakes or be vulnerable to the same weapons that the Devil has used against me in the past.

In case you've never heard one quite like it, this is my testimony to you that these chains and pain can be removed because I want to be sure that you have "hope" that you too can be freed of these feelings. I pray that God shows you too how and why I would bring this up to you and that you will someday share in my joy because of seeing these things in this light as I have described above.

Blessings to you.

 

I was raised in a home with drunk and abusive parents. I became a drunk and have been homeless 4 times. The Lord delivered me from it as well.

Your reaction is quite the drama. Get over it.

 

Actually, I was referring to Heir of Salvation's post #53. I just want to make sure that we're talking about the same thing.

HOS may very well be Arminian according to my definition. I'm sure he will clarify that for us.

There are Arminian Baptists. We call them Free-Will Baptists. Or General Baptists

We have to understand that most Baptists, particularly SBCs and IfBs, are sort of a hybrid. Most are not Calvinist and they're not Arminian, so we have to use a different term to identify them. That's why I came up with DoG or non-DoG. Non-Cal seemed to bulky, but it'll work as well.

We've even had some Calvinists here called Hardshell. They're not.

So, agreeing on terms is important.

 

General Baptists are not Arminian Baptists.

 

So even haven been in such a situation you can express no better understanding and sympathy for the feelings that may cause one to be a bit emotional and dramatic about senseless and unconscionable "jokes" such as was presented? You might consider showing that you have more tact than to call it "drama" and tell him to "get over it" if you truly would like to helpful by relating that you too have experienced the detriments of alcohol, tough guy. This may "be the internet" and a debate board but...get real!

 

"Get Real"...exactly. There is nothing real about over-emotional hype over nothing.

 

I really think you are missing some important points in this debate, Heir, so for what's it worth, here's my take:

 

I would argue that by most standard definitions...those given by both Cals & Arminians, most Non-cal Baptists ARE arminians...because

1. Salvation by grace through faith plus works is not a fair description of arminianism.

2. Classical Arminian theologians will tell you that it is not necessary to believe one can lose their salvation in order to be Arminian. Jacobus himself was undecided on the issue.