Thursday, July 09, 2009

Rick Frueh and the issue of Phil R. Johnson

The Arminian Rick Frueh has decided to attack Calvinism through my anti-Amyraldian post, on the anti-Christian watchdog CRN.(mis)info in a comment there. While I can understand that he as an Arminian does not like the Doctrines of Grace, the ad-hominem and straw-men that he threw at me was astonishing. As I have suspected for very long, in that anti-Christian environment, Rick feels free to join in and attack other Christians, an action he generally will not do in other settings like my blog and that of my friend Mike Ratliff. Here is Rick's comment in all its glory:

OK, here is a post which is…well…absurd to the point of risible. Besides taking something simple and constructing a theological labrynth [sic], I could not help but notice this swipe at Phil Johnson.

“…the Amyraldian-symphatizing Phil. R. Johnson…”

Of course the post title, “The Pernicious Error of Theological Academic Intellectualism”, becomes ironic when the post itself drills caverns of doctrinal intellectualism that we Arminians find inane and without gospel purpose. How is it that men have taken the glorious simplicity that is the gospel of Jesus Christ and created a doctrinal monstrosity?

Calvinism now has more flavors than Baskin Robbins. It’s like explaining how to place a plug into a wall socket using a one thousand page manual. We Arminians have three basic “clubs”.

The shallow club.
The Biblical club.
The works club.

Calvinism is way too complicated and necessitates far too much intellectual energy than I am willing to give, which reveals its unscriptural essence. These are not unconverted ministers; many are now doctrinal professors that strain at gnats and swallow camels. Five point, four point, 3.5 point, and 6 point Calvinists are consumed with over sifting the nano-parts of doctrinal truth.

However, I think I would have become a Calvinist had it not been for Calvinists.

Firstly for Rick: Attacking me on mis.info while not doing so on my site is called gossip and backbiting. I think you as an ordained Baptist minister should understand the Bible enough to know whether gossip and backbiting are considered sins.

With regards to the issue of complicated theology, please do not be sanctimonious, as if Arminians DO NOT write theological books promoting their position. The issue rather is that it seems complicated to you because you reject Calvinist thought fiat, even though for us who read the Scriptures, it seems so clear to us in the passages of Scripture. So what does this prove with regards to the truth or falsity of Calvinism or Arminianism? Nothing! Feelings do not prove truth at all.

Lastly, with regards to Phil R. Johnson, I find it simply amazing that this one statement would be seen as an attack on Phil. That is a factual statement since Phil sympathizes with the Amyraldian position at the very least. That does not mean that I am "taking a swipe" at him, anymore than calling Pastor John MacArthur a Dispensationalist is "taking a swipe" at him. [I respect both men although I disagree with them on various issues]

I do not normally glance through that tabloid cesspool, and only did so because of traffic directed from there to my site. It is very regrettable that Rick would do such an action. Unlike him, I would be [openly] posting this and notifying him through email to desist from such un-Christlike actions.

7 comments:

  1. Anonymous10/7/09 20:49

    Well said Daniel. Your reasoning is flawless and I rejoice that God has given us to each other as friends. Thank you for being a solid voice of reason in all of this chaos.

    In Christ

    Mike Ratliff

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  2. Mike:

    thanks, bro. May God continue to use you also in your ministry for Him.

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  3. That was the stupidest refutation of Calvinism that I have seen.

    Rick Frueh should be made to write out all his premises and conclusions of his argument presented here and show how they refute calvinism. ;P

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  4. Joel:

    =). Well, Rick Frueh is not willing to do so, unfortunately. In fact, I haven't received anything from him yet, much less an apology for his post on mis.info .

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  6. Daniel,

    My heart has taken flight as God has led me to find others who yet adhere to the Doctrines of Grace!

    May God bless as you seek to serve Him, and edify the Body.

    In His Service,
    Carrie

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  7. Carrie,

    thanks a lot sister.

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This is my blog, and in order to facilitate an edifying exchange, I have came up with various blog rules. Please do read them before commenting, as failure to abide by them would make your post liable to being unapproved for publication. Violation of any of the rules three or more times, or at the blog owner's judgment, would make one liable to be banned from posting unless the blog owner (me) is satisfied that such behavior would not occur again.