Let me thank Daja for bringing up some questionable issues regarding the article I referred to on courtship. Let me then say, that I embarrassingly admit that I did not read the entire piece as thoroughly as I should have before posting.
I won’t go into all the details of every point I agree and disagree with, but mainly, I strongly disagree with the author labeling “Armenians” as heretics. I have many close friends and family who are Armenian in their doctrine, and I do not question their salvation. With that said, I would agree that doctrinal differences within a marriage can definitely create problems, and it is probably wise to court a suitor with whom you agree in doctrine and theology.
And I strongly disagree with his interpretation of “biblical worship”. While there are differing opinions of what worship looks like, I do not at all agree that the use of instruments and such, are unbiblical, as apparently this author implies.
When I read the article, I recognized that it offered a good overview of the practice of courtship, explaining the dangers of dating in a biblical light, and so I offered it as a guideline mostly for those who are new to the process and needed to grasp some of the nuts and bolts of it.
I have stated emphatically before, that there is no one formula for courtship; only some general guidelines that can serve to assist a family walking through it. Every family and every circumstance is different.
As you read the article, chew up the meat and spit out the bones. There are some wonderful things to be gleaned from it, but I do not uphold, nor do I suspect most of you, every word the author says.
Just wanted to clarify! In the future, I will be more discerning and at least provide sufficient warning about the writings I post.
Thanks for your understanding!
3 comments
Thanks, Kelly! It’s good to know you don’t think I’m a heretic! LOL
Thanks for posting the article, though. Even when I don’t agree with something if it causes good meditation and critical thinking, then it’s not a loss.
Meat chewed, Bones spit out,
Daja
When I think about the Arminian thing, it seems so silly. Either a) I had no way to refuse Christ, and now I am saved or b) I could have refused Christ, but I accepted Him, and now I am saved.
How does one apply the distinction? Does it really matter in how we treat other Christians?
A caution to Christian parents: if you are only concerned about the effect of an unchaste boy on the purity of your daughter(s), you do your son(s) a disservice. The courtship model seems designed to protect your daughters, which is good; but how do you protect the purity of your sons?
This comment from someone having difficulty posting her comment…thanks so much for this clarification!!!
Dear Ms. Kelly (ma’am!),
Ah, maybe someone else has responded to this already, but there seems to be some confusion about the terms “Arminian” versus “Armenian”. Arminians are those Christians who believe that they choose God (intellectually basically claiming their own salvation), as following the teachings of Jacobus Arminius, who was (I believe) a Dutchman. Armenians, on the other hand, are a people who pre-date Christ’s walk on Earth by a couple thousand years (and are still around, not to give the wrong impression). Coincedentally, they too are usually Christian, often of the Armenian Orthodox church. (As a matter of interest, theirs was the first offically Christian nation, before our Christ-“cult” was even legal in good ‘ol Rome. But I digress.) I am not familiar with the Armenian Orthodox stance on Grace, but the point is that one is a belief system and the other a race reference. Regarding the reference to papists and Arminians, the author concedes “it is possible for a papist or Arminian to be inconsistent with his or her own church’s teaching and still be a genuine Christian”. But the main purpose of biblical courtship is the passing on of one’s own faith for the next, and all, generations. “Parents must only consider like-minded Christians as potential mates for a son or a daughter.” One has to admit that one’s claim to salvation is a major tenet of religion. And regarding the use of the term “heresy”, it is important to remember that while a strong and even polemic word, “heresy” technically only means “opinion or doctrine at variance with the orthodox or accepted doctrine, esp. of a church or religious system” at least according to dictionary.com
As a decendent of both Armenian Orthodox and (more recently) Calvanist Armenians, this is a mistake I’ve run into on a few occasions, which is why I wished to address it. I myself am Reformed (if that gets a capital “R” 😉 ) Thank you for your time and for your helpful articles. thank you for posting the article in question regarding courtship. I found it very helpful!
Sincerely,
Lori (or “got another on the way” as I tried to moniker myself!)