Kevin, It is possible that some could take - throwing off the yoke of Rome (which the Reformation did) as also representing a throwing off of male only leadership in the church. This obviously was not an objective of the Reformation but is a 20th/21st Century imposition upon the Reformation. In the PCUSA (the Liberal mainline church) many in the liberal camp take up the call of the Reformation (Semper Reformanda - i.e always reforming) as their banner in moving the church further and further away from the Gospel. They have no interest in what that call meant and how it worked out - but they seek to take it over and use it for their own perverse purposes. Peace, Steve Kevin Sigafoos wrote: > Now this is interesting. Last week, Frank Beckwith resigned as > president of the Evangelical Theological Society after he returned to > the Roman Catholic Church. In a reply to Dr. Beckwith's announcement > (posted here: > http://rightreason.ektopos.com/archives/2007/05/my_return_to_th.html), > Dr. Douglas Groothius of Denver Seminary posted this response: > // > /Dear Frank:/ > > // > > /This is a sad day for all true sons and daughters of the Protestant > Reformation, for all who lived and died for its truths. / > > // > > /Having abandoned the distinctives of the Reformation (which are > deeply rooted in Holy Scripture), you are embracing serious > theological error. I wish I could say otherwise, but conscience-bound, > I cannot. / > > /By joining Rome, you are putting an institution above God; you are > putting men (and I mean males) ahead of the pure gospel of Jesus > Christ (See Galatians 1:6-11)./ > > /However, you are doing the right thing to resign from your position > at ETS./ > > /I have appreciated much of your writing over the years, but I lament > what you have now done./ > > /Sincerely,/ > > /Doug Groothuis/ > > Notice that little jab about male headship in third paragraph. Dr. > Groothuis regards Rome's assumed illegitimate advocation of male > priesthood as contrary to the gospel heritage of the Reformation. He > seems to indicate that egalitarianism is part of what sets orthodoxy > apart from Rome. > > In a reply on the Touchstone website (link: > http://merecomments.typepad.com/merecomments/2007/05/backfire.html), > Dr. Hutchens states that the view of egalitarianism as the natural > fruit of the Reformation may be behind a spate of recent prominent > defections from Protestantism. > > So what do you say? Is modern feminism a natural part of the > Reformation and, therefore, something to be welcomed in our churches? > Could the decline and trappings of modern Evangelicalism (of which > egalitarianism is a part) be driving our "best and brightest" (Dr. > Hutchens' words) to become something other than Protestant? > > In an earlier thread on this forum, it was predicted that "Calvinism > will cause conflict in the SBC in 2008." I see a relationship between > Dr. Hutchens' comments on egalitarianism driving the serious seeker of > truth out of Evangelicalism and the rise of Calvinism in the SBC. > Many of the up-and-coming Calvinists in the SBC (such as those at > SBTS, like myself, and the young men and women attracted to the > ministry of John Piper) were first attracted to the Doctrines of Grace > because of what we perceive as Calvinism's serious reguard for > Scripture. This high view of Scripture entails a rejection of > egalitarianism. Thus I don't perceive Calvinism as the source of > conflict, but the slide into compromise by the "old-timers" in the > convention. > > -- > > Grace and peace, > Kevin Sigafoos > --------------------- > For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be > glory forever. Amen. (Rom 11:36) -- ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pastor Steven G. Rockhill Lisbon Reformed Presbyterian Church PO Box 88 Lisbon, NY 13658 315-393-9041 revrock@... http://lisbonrpc.port5.com +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++