Some brief reflections from a long-standing believer:
It is always risky to make rather general and personal observations about important matters. Even if you offer a dozen prefatory remarks and qualifications, you will still get some folks chewing you out for what you said, given that they usually have not really carefully listened to, or read, what you actually said.
So I pen this piece knowing that the knives might be drawn! But given that it was penned with care and in prayer, it is hoped that it will be received that way. So here I offer two brief sets of remarks about things I have noticed and experienced over the years. And for me that is a long time, having been a Christian now for 54 years.
Christianity and grumpy old men – and women
This is a qualified observation that I have been musing over for a while now:
If I am pressed as to my theological stance, I will usually just say that I am a ‘biblical Christian’. But of course some believers will object to that and demand more. So then I will go on to say that I am more or less Reformed. I am not a card-carrying Calvinist, but I find much affinity in the Puritan and Reformed camp. My personal library and my website should make this clear.
Given that, I must say that often I will find that some of the most ungracious, unloving, un-Christlike, and argumentative believers I have come across over the years are in the Reformed camp. Not all of course: there are plenty of gracious, loving, Christlike, and non-argumentative folks who hold to Reformed teaching.
And there are plenty of grumpy and cantankerous believers in all the other Christian camps. All groups have their problematic supporters. But since I tend to be mainly in this camp, I can speak to it just a bit. And this happens to be something I have noticed over the years, and perhaps some others might have noticed similar sorts of things.
And it is not just about being argumentative but being willing to go to war at the drop of a hat over some pet doctrine or belief. This in part explains the historical set of schisms and divisions that have often plagued this group of believers. But see more on this below.
Christians, Jews and Israel
A friend recently posted a comment on something I had said on the social media about Israel, the Jews, and antisemitism. I forget exactly who it was and when it happened (it was perhaps a week or two ago). And trying to trawl through kazillions of my social media posts to find it is not an appetising option. So I will have to rely on memory here.
What he said was something like this: ‘In my many years of dealing with these matters, I have found two groups that are most guilty of this: Catholics and those in the Reformed camp.’ I instantly gave a mental nod to this, as it has also been my experience.
And again, most Catholics and Calvinists are not like this. And of course there are folks like this in all the other camps. But too often I find that those I wrangle the most with on these topics come from these two groups. And I could offer various examples here.
Indeed, just in the past day I had to let one guy go from my social media page. He is a Catholic fellow, and I never seem to hear from him except when he comes to argue about this issue. I have tried to politely interact with him, but he keeps coming back wanting to pick more fights with me. I am not impressed with such folks.
So I ended up sharing the following online:
I have to keep saying this: when social media “friends” ONLY come to my page to pick a fight and attack me and seek to waste my time arguing with me, I do NOT consider them to be friends or Christian allies at all. As such, I have zero problems in giving them the flick.
And then of course these folks will post on their page, smugly telling everyone: ‘Bill banned me – see, he does not want to debate or discuss things!’ Yeah right. Let’s get real bud: You were unfriended you because you are little more than an annoying troll and a fake friend, and I have no reason whatsoever to waste my time with you. You can hate on me all you like on your own page, but not here.
Those in the Reformed camp can have various reasons – mostly legit – as to why they might seem all rather hostile to Israel, and maybe even to the Jews. Some of their replacement or fulfillment theology can account for this. But as I have said elsewhere, and will repeat below, such views can and should not entail any ugly antisemitism. Sometimes, sadly, they do however.
Final words
I of course need to keep explaining things and qualifying what I just said, because too many folks might already be eager to tar and feather me. And given that both of the topics I discuss above featured the Reformed faith, some of these guys might be busily forming a lynch mob to deal with me! So hear me out once again.
As I keep saying, these are general observations. And with all general observations, there are countless exceptions to the rule. In fact, I am not saying these are ‘rules’ at all. I am just observing what I and others have experienced over the decades. So let me once again state things as plainly as I can:
-Most Reformed folks are not antisemites, and while many may have differing views on the Jews and ethnic Israel, hopefully for the most part it is for them a result of their intellectual, theological and eschatology points of view.
-But for SOME of these folks, this Israelphobia and Jew-hatred is simply covered up and excused by these various theological arguments they put forward. Deep down, some of them ARE Jew-haters, and they cloak this with their various arguments – arguments that can at times cover a multitude of sins.
-As to the idea of grumpy old men and women, well, I suppose I am one of them (man that is). But I do not want to be, and I regularly seek God’s help to be much more loving and gracious and Christlike. But many of us have likely come across some of these folks.
Sometimes they have a head full of knowledge and doctrine, but it has not trickled down into their hearts and souls. They like to argue and are quick to condemn those who do not see things exactly like they do. And even folks within their camp can be willing to admit this at times.
For example, one old joke goes like this about Dutch Reformed Christians and divisions and schisms: “If you have one German, you have a philosopher; a Dutchman, a theologian; two Germans, an army; two Dutchmen, a church; three Germans, a war; three Dutchmen, a divided church.”
There are various other takes on this. One shorter version goes like this: “One Dutchman, a Christian; two Dutchmen, a church; three Dutchmen, heresy.” So don’t just chew me out here – I personally know many Reformed believers who are quite happy to share such jokes about themselves.
In sum, there is no perfect church or denomination or type of Christian fellowship. They ALL have issues. Whether my two broad observations are accurate or not can be debated. But I suspect that some believers at least will also say similar things.
The truth is, we can all do better. We can all improve. We can all become much more like our Lord: strong on truth and holiness but also strong on grace and love. None of us have it all together. I know I certainly need to keep growing and maturing.
Afterword
Just as I was about to post this article, I came upon this fitting meme on the social media:
“All your reformed theology and good doctrine will be annulled if you do not out-love those who oppose you.” (Paul Washer)
