Exbrainer

Comments:
Steve,

You wrote: "4.Social conditioning is not incompatible with Reformed theology. We believe that, as a matter of divine providence, God often places the elect in a situation favorable to Christian faith, while placing the reprobate in a situation unfavorable to Christian faith."

Wow, that statement has some pretty significant consequences!

I'm not saying that you are implying any of this, but I could see how this could easily justify imperialism, colonization, and even racism.

Again, I'm not accusing YOU of any of these, just pointing out a pretty scary "slippery slope."

If you share the beliefs that most of my past reformed friends had, then I think you probably do not agree with how religion stastics count "Christians." My friends did not believe that most Catholics were Christians, nor would they count Mormons in that number.

I mention that because your statement almost seems to imply that if God wants someone to be elect, he makes that person a white American or European.

Anyway, that statement just shook me. I'm not trying to address your argument, just kind of frightened by that one idea.

# posted by exbeliever : 2/17/2006 1:49 PM

Comments:
Chuck,

You wrote: "His father was a hairy quadruped, furnished with a tail and pointed ears, probably arboreal in its habits,” C. Darwin, The Descent of Man.

Wow, that statement has some pretty significant consequences!

I'm not saying that you are implying any of this, but I could see how this could easily justify imperialism, colonization, and even racism.

Again, I'm not accusing YOU of any of these, just pointing out a pretty scary "slippery slope."

If you share the beliefs that most of my past social Darwinian friends had, then I think you probably agree with how evolutionary stastics count "human beings." My friends did not believe that most Blacks were human, nor would they count Asians in that number.

I mention that because your statement almost seems to imply that if Natural Selection wants someone to take up the white man’s burden, it makes that person a white Victorian atheist.

Anyway, that statement just shook me. I'm not trying to address your argument, just kind of frightened by that one idea.

# posted by exdarwinist: 2/17/2006 1:50 PM

Comments:
Phil,

You wrote: "Christianity is rapidly expanding south into Africa, Asia, and Latin America. By the year 2050, only one in five of the world's three billion Christians will be white,” P. Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity."

Wow, that statement has some pretty significant consequences!

I'm not saying that you are implying any of this, but I could see how this could easily justify imperialism, colonization, and even racism.

Again, I'm not accusing YOU of any of these, just pointing out a pretty scary "slippery slope."

If you share the beliefs that most of my past Christian friends in the Southern Hemisphere had, then I think you probably do not agree with how religion stastics count "Christians." My friends did not believe that most Democrats were Christians, nor would they count skinheads in that number.

I mention that because your statement almost seems to imply that if God wants someone to be elect, he makes that person a Black African, Asian, or Latino.

Anyway, that statement just shook me. I'm not trying to address your argument, just kind of frightened by that one idea.

# posted by davidduke: 2/17/2006 1:51 PM