[George]

Aloha brother Gord,

This is just a short follow up to my comments in my Post #121 (in response to your Post #120). In order to know where you are coming from – would you answer a few questions? These questions are not meant to “trip you up” or to be used against you:

1. Have you ever been a Calvinist? YES? Or NO?

2. Were you a Calvinist BEFORE I posted my Series on Calvinism? YES? Or NO?

3. Are you NOW a Calvinist? YES? Or NO?

Did you notice that Dr. Keith Sherlin used about 20 verses (all from corrupt bibles) presenting his case for the doctrine of “Unconditional Election”, whereas I used approximately 85 verses of Holy Scripture in presenting my case against “Unconditional Election” in my Post #9 on Calvinism (not counting any verses that I may have quoted in the subsequent Posts {Posts #13; #16; #25; & #37} that were all related to the issue of “Unconditional Election”)?

Granted – I could have twisted, wrested, and taken many of those verses out of their context to make them “mean” something other than what they “SAY” in order to “PROVE” MY POINT; but if I did, it would be up to you to “POINT OUT” where I “misused” (or “abused”) the Scriptures –and, “point by point”, demonstrate WHERE I WAS WRONG.

Just to say: “Brother George, as lot of the scripture references you provided especially on election, just didn't make any sense to me.” doesn’t tell me anything.

Dr. Keith Sherlin’s essay on “Unconditional Election” did NOT deal with all of the points that I made in my essay against “Unconditional Election”, instead, his essay was just another (amongst hundreds) in support of the doctrine of “Unconditional Election”.

You said that: “I have spent the past 3 months reading and studying as much as I can on this topic.” Since you spent that much time studying the “topic” - did you examine the “topic” from BOTH SIDES {Pro and Con}?

Since you referred to Dr. Keith Sherlin (an obvious Calvinist),and used his essay in support of your belief; and since you spent three months “reading and studying as much as I can on this topic”; you surely must have read BOTH SIDES of the “topic” - didn’t you? And IF you did read BOTH SIDES of the “topic”, perhaps you could cite some the books, essays, articles, etc. that presented “The Other Side of Calvinism”? By now you know that I normally don’t go around recommending men, however, IF you haven’t read BOTH SIDES of the “topic” then before you commit yourself to Calvinism, you should check out “The Other Side Of Calvinism” by Laurence M. Vance (788 Pages <> Copyright 1991 – Revised 1999).

It is a given that there are at least two sides to every issue; and IF (over the last three months) you have only checked out ONE SIDE of this “topic”, you haven’t thoroughly examined the issue (from BOTH SIDES).

That is why I asked the questions at the beginning of this Post. IF you were a “committed” Calvinist BEFORE I posted my essays, then there’s not much chance that my articles are going to change your mind or, especially, your heart. A peculiar thing about the heart of a man is – ONCE he truly BELIEVES in “something” (anything), it is extremely difficult for him to CHANGE. It’s as if, in “believing”, a “commitment” is made (by the heart) to the “BELIEF”, and very seldom will a person “reverse” themselves and embrace another “BELIEF”.

If you have NOT examined the other side of Calvinism, I urge you to do so – before you commit yourself to a doctrine, that I believe to be not only false, but also pernicious, in that it CHANGES the Holy word of God and takes away from the precious “promises” of God.