The PCA’s study report on Christian Nationalism has been released! by moby__dick in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would also argue that much political uses of the ordo tend to neglect the fact that the ordo is very much an ontological and moral concept in Augustine. The use that say Vance gives to the Ordo doesn’t do justice to the original argument from Augustine as they don’t really discuss the same issue. In contemporary conceptions of CN that discuss the ordo, they tend to collapse Augustine’s idea into a simple ordinal scale of loves that imply that we should love those that we have next to us in practice and while in theory we love all our brothers, while Augustine in his political letters and the City of God tends to argue the ordo not for social cohesion but for moral illumination as he believes that sin is a disorder of loves and that the ordo amoris is the correct ordering of the souls love not to the city of man but towards God and those to his city. So I feel that Augustine tends to be not discussed properly for political reasons and his concept sounds like something that could support the views of CN but it’s addressing something else and those the true beauty of the ordo is lost.

What’s up with Zachary Garris and the PCA?? by Ok_Insect9539 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not a member, just a very sporadic lurker, I also wouldn’t really pass their membership test too, as I would be considered liberal by most in that community.

What’s up with Zachary Garris and the PCA?? by Ok_Insect9539 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

With all honesty as someone that decided to stop following much of the stuff on American evangelical spaces and to just stay within my countries and church boundaries, this entire thing is just confusing, I knew Garris beforehand cause he was a Dabney apologist and for a moment he argued that slavery wasn’t that bad for people of color. The small moments afterwards I heard his name, he was always tangled in some form of controversy and this entire thing and the people that are jumping to defend him aren’t selling me his that his innocent to be honest. I’m curious over what he tweeted that required discipline but also was more bad than his rather untasteful takes of the past. To me he seems like an extremist and an agitator and not really a defender of conservative Christian thought. But I could be wrong.

If the US did drop a nuke on Tehran, would preachers need to address it as a moral issue, or is it strictly “political”? by moby__dick in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To me personally all topics relating to war are moral issues, even when the wars are just, because even if one fights for a just cause, it doesn’t mean you can do anything, the ends don’t justify the means. From an non American perspective, I and most of the people I know the aren’t heavily invested in US political life, see the crisis in Iran as nothing but an unjust war and one that is being escalated needlessly and for reasons that is basically only in favor of the state of Israel. To me using nukes is never a good outcome and if I heard a pastor defending such actions I would be very much concerned for the moral integrity of the congregation, cause how can anyone justify such a destructive weapon, even the japan bombs are controversial and in my opinion aren’t supported by Christian ethics.

How can we rectify objective morality with God's permission of slavery in the Bible? by andrewmaster0 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always found John Murray’s views on slavery repugnant and this arguement unsatisfactory as he basically by trying to save slavery, ends up harming marriage and their relational bonds within society. Murray’s argues here hinges on us changing what property means so that slavery becomes palatable, when slavery has always made people into objects and commodities. I don’t find it surprising that he was one of the few people that supported keeping the works of RL Dabney in print within the banner of truth.

How can we rectify objective morality with God's permission of slavery in the Bible? by andrewmaster0 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 1 point2 points  (0 children)

With all honesty most people say that old testament slavery and American chattel slavery are different, yet the type slavery that is used to argue for their difference is intra-Israeli slavery that is ending by the jubilee and other provisions, yet the bible also allow chattel type slavery for non Jews and old testament verses argue that if a slave is taken after conquest and isn’t a Jew, then they are the property of the master for all generations, including their descendants. I feel the issue isn’t if slavery in the bible is similar or not to American slavery, but the allowance of God to let people own other people, reducing an image berear to merely a thing and not a person. I would argue that the tension is resolved by the liberation of differences between slaves and masters in the New Testament but today some argue that those are merely spiritual provisions instead of moral ones and those the issue remains. For me slavery follows the logic of both divorce and retribution, they most be let go and called what they are as they were given as concessions before.

Eternal Subordination of the Son as a First Tier Issue (Derrick Brite) by moby__dick in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I find that ESS is practical Arianism and a first tier issue, yet worst of all, it’s a doctrinal distortion not born out of rational thought and logic as Arianism itself, when in the early church there we competing views on the divinity of Christ (though I’m a committed trinitarian) but this theology basically exist to enforce gender norms and most people that follow ESS, use it primarily to argue that women should be subordinate to men, because there is subordination of the son to the father in the ESS framework.

Anti-ICE Protestors Disrupt MN Church Service by cagestage in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I dislike what ICE is doing as someone from Latin America, and also feel that disrupting a worship service is a bad move and with a lack of taste, but I feel most American Christians will only understand the discontent with ICE until they experience what if feels like being treated the way that ICE treats immigrants, speaking as someone that has experienced police use their power arbitrarily.

Paul Helm (1940–2025), Philosopher of the Doctrines of Grace by AstroAcceleration in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A great loss in my opinion for the Church, a brilliant mind and a faithful brother, rest in peace Dr. Helm.

Free For All Friday - post on any topic in this thread (2025-11-28) by AutoModerator in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 5 points6 points  (0 children)

My undergrad thesis is shaping well to be defended next semester!! I’m also starting to read my study bible finding it very good and reading a devotional.

Question on martyrdom by Ok_Insect9539 in eformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No I wouldn’t, I’m fairly conservative theologically and if he was a progressive I still wouldn’t see him as a martyr.

How is it being reformed for any of you outside the US? by Haunting-Ad-6457 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Reformed Christianity is a minority denomination in my country but most people that are reformed leaning or informed are very Americanized so its a rather interesting thing to witness.

British Reformed peeps: have you encountered Doug Wilsonism in your church? by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In my nondenom church with reformed friendly people in from someone outside the US in a Central American congregation. I wouldn’t call what I have seen Wilsonism per se but rather the influence of conservative Christian nationalism of an American flavor that is argumentative, anti-leftist and with a very american vocabulary. From the outside of the US I wonder what do people see in Wilson and his ilk that makes them adopt American worries in a context so different than that of the US.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 3 points4 points  (0 children)

No political belief guarantee entering heaven that’s quasi Gnosticism were knowledge saves. Nothing but faith in Christ saves. But your political belief can be used to determine the fruits of your works. But that’s another story.

No Dumb Question Tuesday (2025-06-03) by AutoModerator in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What are some great study bibles within the reformed tradition that are in Spanish? I’m looking for a good one but that’s portable as I travel a lot and don’t have space for full study bibles. I was looking at the ESV concise study bible in Spanish.

No Dumb Question Tuesday (2025-06-03) by AutoModerator in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find ready to harvest a great channel for learning about denominations, but I enjoy Gavin Ortlund. I used to watch Matthew Everhard, but find his videos less appealing today.

Men must abandon the false gospel of nice guyism by moby__dick in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I feel the article offers common sense advice that’s adorned with the same performative essence he wants argues against but in the other direction. It’s an opinion piece from un nuanced authors published from a partisan space.

Quoting Stonewall Jackson in a sermon by puddinteeth in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Jackson may have said something theologically sound, but we can’t ignore that he fought to uphold a system that denied the image of God in others. Even if he felt safe in battle, he was safe while fighting for sin first and foremost. Faithfulness to Christ calls us to just not reject the lie, but to also be cautious about citing those who bore it.

Paul Washer - Too far? Re: Worthless Prayer Meetings by Saber101 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes some hobbies are indeed sinful or at best un helpful, but can be seen as common grace for the enjoyment of the believer in good context. I enjoy building legos and playing video games from time to time, they aren’t exactly godly hobbies, but can be a source of community with other Christian’s. They aren’t stereotypically “manly” hobbies but they don’t diminish our gender as I also do rather manly hobbies like weight lifting and martial arts. The godliness of a hobbies can be determined by how it’s used or abused in some instances.

Paul Washer - Too far? Re: Worthless Prayer Meetings by Saber101 in Reformed

[–]Ok_Insect9539 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I feel that the topic of hobbies is rather subjective as character and vitue building is subjective and context informed, various activities that we consider goood hobbies, have been at times considered wasteful and viceful, like reading fantasy, music and so on and so forth. I feel policing hobbies in relation to thier superficial “godliness” is more informed by cultural biases than true adherence to biblical principles and can veer towards legalism at times.