It is very difficult to discern which Bill is hitting below the belt by the letter penned by Bill Curtis to all Southern Baptists. I’ve been following the bantering and bellowing regarding Bill Harrell’s initial statements, which Mr. Curtis is addressing. I thought Harrell’s intended meaning was finally buried in the sea of “Oh, I see you meant it another way than what we’ve been interpreting you to have said.” Several people, Calvinist and non-Calvinist, called Brother Harrell and got clarification of what he meant. And everyone had a field day posting what a nice guy he was and how amiable their discourses were. Now this from Mr. Curtis.
I sit in the pews every Sunday. I am just beginning to wade into the waters of what Calvinism is and how the theology relates to my understanding of God. Somehow, Brother Curtis’ open letter boggles my mind. It’s like an SBC blog to the SBC on how we all need to get along and love each other. And I agree with so much of what he says that it’s hard to bring up the fact that he makes all his points by picking apart a fellow brother – namely Bill Harrell. It doesn’t sound like Curtis even talked to the man that all the other folks have been blogging about and chattering about over coffee in the local Starbucks. This is sad.
And while I don’t know either Harrell or Curtis, I do know Jesus. And it really bothers me when our leaders who profess to love our Lord can’t refrain from making points about mudslinging without dipping their hands in the hog pens themselves.
On the final point, evangelistic Calvinism: What is that? I’ve been studying the TULIP thing, and am not in agreement with a bunch of it. But would “evangelistic Calvinism” be going forth into all the world to evangelize, “making disciples of, teaching them to observe all things, and baptizing them” in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and Calvin? I just want to know what is going on and what Brother Curtis means by that term. And do Calvinists have that term in their vocabulary of words? I hadn’t heard it used till I read it here. Just wondering how I’m suppose to cooperate with that.
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