Calvinist goes Deist/Unitarian

Neogillist · #1 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 03:56 PM

About a year ago, I started attending a more concervative reformed church (URCNA) and became member in September I think. Two months after I started attending I joined the group of young adults and met a young man who told me he was also new to the church. He had a B.A. in philosophy and was very well versed theologically. He had previously been excommunicated from the RPNA, probably the most radical and exclusivistic reformed denomination still existing in North America. He had been a member of their church for about five years, and after getting sick of internal tensions and conflicts he left, and they excommunicated him.

The first two months I knew him he was still very radical. He was a strong sabbatharian/covenanter, he still subscribed to WCF and seemed like a solid believer. I would enjoy having theological discussions with him, as he had read tons of reformed material, including Calvin, Hodge, Gill, Owen, Rutherford and others. Over last summer he became more moderate, more to the level of my church. He became a member of the URCNA and made a profession of faith. In September, he started attending a pre-profession class with me and other people at church. As we discussed our views, he seemed like he had changed his convictions a lot, he also showed me some liberal theological books that he had rented at the library, which he said that young Christians should not read because it could shatter their faith, but that he himself would not be moved by it. Afterward he started reading "higher liberal critiques" of Christianity as well as physical theories like string theory, etc. I could notice that he was becoming increasingly dissillusioned, and he admitted having started to become more "liberal."

Last Sunday I noticed that he was not at church, which was unusual for him. Then some of the elders talked to me saying that he had left us after adopting a whole new set of beliefs. So I wrote to him two days ago, and he basically told me he has rejected Christianity and become a Deist/Unitarian, the strong Calvinist/Presbyterian he was. He will not allow others to reason him out, and my church is in the process of excommunicating him.

It really grieves me to see such a thing happening, especially as it is the first time I see someone looking like a genuine believer and good friend of mine go apostate. He said that after all the research he has done, Christianity cannot stand and is a subservient system like any other religion. Close scrutiny shows that the Bible cannot be inspired, and that Christian orthodoxy is merely a historical development, according to him. I guess this is what happens to those who try to rationalize faith and do away with it. He had read a lot of Christian appologetics, including Van Till, he knew more doctrine than any of my elders, and even had a credible conversion experience about eight years ago, his life showed external piety, but once the poison reached his faith, it was too late.

You guys tell me what you think.

Blueridge Believer · #2 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 04:02 PM

That is the scariest thing in the world. To show signs of grace and then end up Hebrews 6 & 10 matierial. He sounds a little like "talkative" in Pilgrms Progress.
1Jo 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

tdowns · #3 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 04:14 PM

I think you said, young man, not that it happens to all of us, but, flying all over the map in search of truth, as a young man, is pretty normal, and pray, that if he is a child of the Living God, his sinful mind will be renewed, and he will return to the church....sad. I lifted up a prayer for him.

Zenas · #4 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 04:50 PM

Had something similar to this happen to me. I had a friend who now has a Master's degree in Philosophy. He seemed like a young believer but a believer nonetheless. I enjoyed discussing theology and philosophy with him and I began to notice a shift in his thinking.

I have reason to believe that he was leading a double life all of the time, as if we all aren't in some way. He didn't revile his other life though, but rather embraced it and, in doing so, came to hate Christianity and any semblance of orthodoxy. His rejection led him into depths of lust and depravity that, I think, he had held the entire time. He was merely able to cover it up, but only for so long, until it became uncontrollable again. He eventually parted ways with me and my group in a large fall-out due to his confessing something extremely dangerous to us and we informed out youth-minister about it. To this day I feel somewhat guilty about revealing what we did, but I saw no other alternative as he was not turning from his sin and was trying to involve other people in it, friends of mine, and drag them down with him. *shrug*

I mention this because your guy and my guy seem to share a similar characteristic; they both love devisiveness. My guy would always argue, and hold to any stance he could in order to argue with someone else or divide them. He would hold to extremes out of mere enoyment and then, I think when it wasn't appealing anymore to hold to an orthodox Christian extreme, he flopped over to liberalism to fulfill his desire for controversy. Your guy sounds a bit like this.

Poimen · #5 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 04:56 PM

Jean-David:

I am as grieved as you are and I pray for him often. May the Lord use this to warn us all in the midst of our complacency.

Presbyterian Deacon · #6 (**permalink**) 02-20-2008, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neogillist

About a year ago, I started attending a more concervative reformed church (URCNA) and became member in September I think. Two months after I started attending I joined the group of young adults and met a young man who told me he was also new to the church. He had a B.A. in philosophy and was very well versed theologically. He had previously been excommunicated from the RPNA, probably the most radical and exclusivistic reformed denomination still existing in North America. He had been a member of their church for about five years, and after getting sick of internal tensions and conflicts he left, and they excommunicated him.

The first two months I knew him he was still very radical. He was a strong sabbatharian/covenanter, he still subscribed to WCF and seemed like a solid believer. I would enjoy having theological discussions with him, as he had read tons of reformed material, including Calvin, Hodge, Gill, Owen, Rutherford and others. Over last summer he became more moderate, more to the level of my church. He became a member of the URCNA and made a profession of faith. In September, he started attending a pre-profession class with me and other people at church. As we discussed our views, he seemed like he had changed his convictions a lot, he also showed me some liberal theological books that he had rented at the library, which he said that young Christians should not read because it could shatter their faith, but that he himself would not be moved by it. Afterward he started reading "higher liberal critiques" of Christianity as well as physical theories like string theory, etc. I could notice that he was becoming increasingly dissillusioned, and he admitted having started to become more "liberal."

Last Sunday I noticed that he was not at church, which was unusual for him. Then some of the elders talked to me saying that he had left us after adopting a whole new set of beliefs. So I wrote to him two days ago, and he basically told me he has rejected Christianity and become a Deist/Unitarian, the strong Calvinist/Presbyterian he was. He will not allow others to reason him out, and my church is in the process of excommunicating him.

It really grieves me to see such a thing happening, especially as it is the first time I see someone looking like a genuine believer and good friend of mine go apostate. He said that after all the research he has done, Christianity cannot stand and is a subservient system like any other religion. Close scrutiny shows that the Bible cannot be inspired, and that Christian orthodoxy is merely a historical development, according to him. I guess this is what happens to those who try to rationalize faith and do away with it. He had read a lot of Christian appologetics, including Van Till, he knew more doctrine than any of my elders, and even had a credible conversion experience about eight years ago, his life showed external piety, but once the poison reached his faith, it was too late.

You guys tell me what you think.

Very sad tale. I will pray that God has mercy on him, and that he repents.