Effective Discussions on Theology

[Defcon]

Just curious..... Has anyone here ever had a discussion with an Arminian who, at the end of the conversation, was at least inclined toward the Reformed theology? The reason I ask is that a friend of mine and I had a brief discussion about this topic and we agreed to continue to the discussion via email (I don't see him very often). He is more to the free-will side but it doesn't seem like he has a firm grasp of the Reformed position - which he readily admits. Anyway - chime in with your experiences... I'm hoping for a fruitful discussion with him at the very least since we have been friends for while.

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

One night, one of my Arminian friends IM'ed me with something like, "If you ever mention this again I will deny it, but I think you might actually be right about all that predestination stuff."

I've had some success in helping to change my friends' attitudes about Reformed theology. I'm not sure if I've produced any Reformers yet, but I have helped convince people to do some study and inquiry.

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

I was an Arminian who became Reformed and I've seen a number of Arminians become Calvinists and also Reformed.

In christ,
Kenith

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

I was an Arminian who became Reformed and I've seen a number of Arminians become Calvinists and also Reformed.

In christ,
Kenith

I am also one of these. There is hope.

 

[strengthinweakness]

I was an Arminian for the first two and a half years of my Christian life. I came to Reformed Christianity due to a number of factors. First, I was becoming uncomfortable with the contradictory arguments that I was having to make in order to continue believing in man's "free will" to choose God. So, in that sense, God did use conversations with other Christians to bring me to a more Biblical (i.e. Reformed) understanding of the Scriptures. Also, I read an incredible book on suffering in the Christian life, When God Weeps, by Joni Eareckson Tada (sic?) and Steve Estes, and I found its Scriptural teaching on God's absolute sovereignty very, very hard to refute. Finally, I studied Romans and Ephesians, largely just going back and reading passages that I had read many times before, but deciding this time that I was simply going to read them for what they actually said, without trying to force my bias towards the concept of "free will" on them. After I read the formerly troubling (to me) passages in this new spirit of openness to whatever they actually said, I realized that I had been wrong about man's morally "free" will. I slowly began to see that Reformed Christianity is much more faithful than Arminianism to the true teachings of the Bible on God and man.

 

[inchristalone221]

I am tempted to say that man's natural state (or more his natural state in sin) is arminianism. Man seeks to be in control, and he would have God to be his friend, companion, and perhaps even his father, but not his master.

So in one sense we are all Calvinists that came from being arminian at first, so I suppose there must be some hope

 

[JJB]

I think Arminian hackles raise up easily when we use terms that they recognize as belonging to Calvin (presdestination, election, even tho they are biblical words). I would suggest to continue to point your friend to the Bible verses. You know him better than anyone here, pray for God's wisdom and guidance in your discussions and start memorizing the verses you think will be most helpful to him.

That's my one cent.

 

[McWilliams]

I was arminian for 70 yrs and for the last wonderful 5 years I've been calvinist! Why now? I dont even care why now but just thank our sweet Lord that He brought me to the doctrines of grace! What a wonder! Soli deo gloria!

 

[Proeliator]

I am tempted to say that man's natural state (or more his natural state in sin) is arminianism. Man seeks to be in control, and he would have God to be his friend, companion, and perhaps even his father, but not his master.

I quite agree with you on this, but I think much of it has to do with the secular culture that we live in. Back in the "olden" days, praying as a family to start the day would have been the norm, and today my family gets stares for saying a prayer before a meal.

 

[Erinwilcox]

I was arminian for 70 yrs and for the last wonderful 5 years I've been calvinist! Why now? I dont even care why now but just thank our sweet Lord that He brought me to the doctrines of grace! What a wonder! Soli deo gloria!

Amen! What a blessing to hear of this? My grandparents were Roman Catholic for the first at least 60 years of their life, I believe. Then they. . .came out of that (I'm trying to to get reported here ). . .and were Arminians for several more years. I was blessed to see them baptized. Now, my grandparents are around 76, at least, and are Calvinists!!!!!! I praise God for this! I have had so many wonderful, encouraging discussions with them! It is such a blessing to have grandparents who spur you onto greater faith and godliness!

BTW, as an aside, I am very impressed that you not only have a computer, know how to use it, but also have the internet and post on CF! My grandparents, though they think they are in the 21st century because they have EZ-pass and a Tracfone scratch: ), still won't get a computer! We tease them about it all the time.

. .I think that it's a lost cause, though!

As for me, though some have poked fun at me for saying this, I was an Arminian for twelve years. . .then, through James White's ministry, God made a Calvinist out of me! So, there is always hope for others, cause if God could make me a Calvinist, He can make anyone else one too!

 

[inchristalone221]

As for me, though some have poked fun at me for saying this, I was an Arminian for twelve years.

I was worse. I was arminian as a young child even though I was raised in a Calvinist home! But my actual interest in theology was only sparked in the last few years and I couldn't ignore my mom's calvinist ranting anymore, and she convinced me in short order

 

[Paleoconservatarian]

Amen! What a blessing to hear of this? My grandparents were Roman Catholic for the first at least 60 years of their life, I believe. Then they. . .came out of that (I'm trying to to get reported here ). . .and were Arminians for several more years. I was blessed to see them baptized. Now, my grandparents are around 76, at least, and are Calvinists!!!!!! I praise God for this! I have had so many wonderful, encouraging discussions with them! It is such a blessing to have grandparents who spur you onto greater faith and godliness!

My grandparents were and still are Roman Catholic. Both of my parents were raised Catholic. In fact, I'd say the family is still mostly RC. But some of the children rebelled. Some became Arminian evangelicals, and at the moment it seems that my uncle, aunt, their kids, and I are the only Calvinists. Talk about diversity!

I was worse. I was arminian as a young child even though I was raised in a Calvinist home! But my actual interest in theology was only sparked in the last few years and I couldn't ignore my mom's calvinist ranting anymore, and she convinced me in short order

You were blessed indeed, to have been raised in a Calvinist home. It's not so easy to switch when your parents are fighting you the whole way.

...actually, my folks have been very supportive, even if a little worried that I'm "one of those guys now." I was always the one who wanted to argue with the heretics. Now I'm one of them.

 

[CCWoody]

Just curious..... Has anyone here ever had a discussion with an Arminian who, at the end of the conversation, was at least inclined toward the Reformed theology?

That sounds vaguely familiar to me like it has happened a time or two in my past.

 

[ksen]

I finally embraced Calvinism because of the twists and turns I, and my Arminian "friends", had to continue to make.

And it is amazing that a number of my online Arminian friends reacted pretty badly when I came out of the Calvinist closet.

 

[ksen]

I find that the best recruiter for Calvinism is the Arminian mouth.

 

[frumanchu]

Just curious..... Has anyone here ever had a discussion with an Arminian who, at the end of the conversation, was at least inclined toward the Reformed theology?

Yeah, I was one of those Arminians Rather than post it all again, I'll just link you to the post where I told the story of [post=13812308]how I became a Calvinist[/post]. That thread has several similar stories. I have witnessed the "epiphany" of many Arminians who are now Calvinists, and it came as a direct result of online forums such as this one. So don't let anyone tell you that all these threads and debates don't make a difference

 

[Bob Moore]

I think the easiest argument to lean on is the matter of God's soverignty. Either He is or He isn't. The Arminian position makes God a mere partner, and that is remarkably easy to demonstrate. There are numerous passages of Scripture that insist that God is the absolute, unquestionable, soverign and sole master of the universe. Point these passages out and then inquire if the Arminian thinks that what is created can have salvific influence with the Creator seeing as how all men are born spiritually dead. A necessary consequence of which is complete inability to self resurrect.

 

[Defcon]

Thanks to everyone who has posted so far - and please continue to post in response to the OP. It has been very encouraging and instructive thus far.