Classic mob justice

Over and over again critics of FV selectively ignore FV defenses and vindications from scholars and in preferences, point to incredibly biased groups, and then mock “FVers” for claiming “no one understands us.”

So a guy points out on one of the no-“FVers”-allowed “Reformed” sites that,

A group of ten ministers has written a “pastoral letter” concerning the Federal Vision study committee report releasedto be considered in June at the PCA’s General Assembly in Memphis, TN. More details at  http://www.reformednews.com/.

And immediately comes the reprimand,

Shouldn’t you state that a group of ten ministers, sympathetic to the Federal Vision, have written a letter?

Well, there you go.  Van Til had it right, except that he applied his metaphor to unbelieving scientists rather than sectarians:  The FV critics say our net catches all the fish in the ocean–all the Reformed people analyzing FV.  The question: But what about that one that got through your net?  The answer: Whatever our net does not catch is not a fish.

So, even while they refuse to acknowledge how much support FV gets (not agreement, since it is not a “position” anyway, but defense against misrepresentation and against narrow impositions of party positions that pretend to speak for the whole of the Reformed heritage), they continue to expand their picture of the vast FV conspiracy which now seems to have spread everywhere.  I doubt they will be able to stop at a mere eighty-five churches.

It is a presupposition that interprets reality: there can be no Reformed FV defenders, only “sympathizers” that are themselves part of the problem.

Thus the membership of the PCA’s study committee.

15 thoughts on “Classic mob justice

  1. Gabe Martini

    Be encouraged, though, Mark. There’s only a handful of people on the Puritanboard, anyway (at least that are active posters). We need not worry about their condemnation. Truth always prevails. It will become clear someday. We especially don’t need to worry about the RPCGA’s condemnation, either. I am in walking distance from my home to more churches than is in their entire denomination. The anti-FV movement is amplified — much like the FV — by internet presence. In reality, the opposition to the FV is a rather modestly sized group of people. Especially in the PCA. The TR’s are only a handful of the PCA. The rest are the BE’s, FV’s, emergent, etc. And I can tell you this for sure: None of those people want to see Strict Subscription-ism in the PCA. The bottom line is this, though: The rest of the Christian Church is much, much larger (and likely cares very little about our denominational squabble).

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  2. Steven W

    Actually Mark, the number of FV sleeper cells is larger than either you or the Puritanboard have heretofore been made privy.

    I was working at the FV HQ this morning (you know, the underwater ice-fortress), and I was startled by my findings in our super-database. The modest estimate of eighty-five churches is low, WAY LOW. In fact, I am informed that there are AT LEAST 12,000 active FV’rs.

    Now I know, this number seems unbelievable at first, but that’s only because you’re not thinking globally. It helps to breaks things down by continent.

    Canada has long-been overrun by the Dutch Liberated Churches. Their mono-covenantalism is legendary. The Presbyterians in Mexico are, of course, practicing paedocommunionists. And now this reformednews articles shows that FV has key outposts in many of the major urban centers in the US. The entire North American campaign is running full-steam.

    In South America it is not at all unusual for Reformed pastors to wear clerical collars, establish parish churches, and go by the title “Reformed Catholics.” If this isn’t FV, then I don’t know what is!

    As you also know, Jim is meeting with the Eastern European cohorts as we speak. With Blake in Russia and Ralph in Japan, Asia is approaching “phase two.”

    Rushdoony has already made deep inroads in Africa, and so the Reformed Churches there have been digesting Murray, Schilder, and Shepherd for some time. They have little desire to recreate the golden age of the 19th cent. American South. Combine this with the strong presence of Conservative Protestant Anglicanism, and I’d say the hardest soil has been plowed.

    Western Europe will be a little more difficult. But look on the bright side, the only known living Presbyeterians in the UK are Robert Letham, Andrew McGowan, and David Field!

    And so the e-TRs are right to see an FV man behind every bush. Based on their standards, IT’S TRUE!

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  3. David Gray

    What I find interesting about Puritanboard is it doesn’t require subscription to the WCF. You can be a Baptist and be a member. I suspect if you scratch the surface of some of its Presbyterian members you might well find more Baptists. This is reminiscent of Guy Waters’ appearance on a Baptist call in show to decry the FV.

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  4. pduggie

    I like this question by a PBoard member

    “Why would a minister of the Gospel, that calls himself Reformed, presume that an unregenerate man would look to the resurrection and death of Christ for strength?”

    The answer is simple: because if the unregenerate man DID so, it would mean he was in fact regenerate.

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  5. David Gray

    >“Why would a minister of the Gospel, that calls himself Reformed, presume that an unregenerate man would look to the resurrection and death of Christ for strength?”

    What Reformed minister would presume that an unregenerate man would do that? Perhaps the better question is how do you presume to know with 100% certainty who is regenerate and who is unregenerate?

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  6. John P

    I figured a mother ship must somehow be involved in this conspiracy, too, since TRs seem to hate the whole church = mother theme so much…

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  7. Christopher Witmer

    “FV sleeper cells?” I suppose they are just waiting for Osama bin Wilkins to give them the appropriate code so they can move into action and turn the Reformed world into a Federal Vision caliphate . . .

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  8. Austin Bob

    Not to worry … Remember the closing scene from 24? Wasn’t that taken from the campys of Westminster West?? When Jack Bauer comes out of retierment next time, he and Scott Clark’s CTU will clean up any sleeper cells.

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  9. Gabe Martini

    Why would a Reformed minister **presume** that a baptized covenant member in his Church on the Lord’s Day is unregenerate? That’s like presuming a banana is, in fact, a pickle.

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  10. al

    They also allow (some) Lutherans on their board (can anyone say IRONY). It may only be Gene Veith or it may be limited to Lutherans who deny baptismal efficacy. I think there are a few of the later who are currently teaching at some Bible Baptist college somewhere.

    odd

    al sends

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  11. mark Post author

    Hey Richard, when I link your full post you have no business acting like I’ve not fully quoted or attributed. And I might add that you have an odd sense of fair play spreading filthy lies about “another gospel” on a bulletin board that bars Reformed pastors.

    Reply

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