Calvinist Flyswatter

"Gone off the deep end"

"JOHNNY-COME-LATELIES"
AND THEIR "BREAKING NEWS"

The 22-year old novice (aka "C. I. Scofield") who recently posted on the Flyswatter has a blog of his own on which he recently proclaimed that "Bob L. Ross has gone off the deep end."

That does not exactly qualify as "breaking news." The young man is a "Johnny-come-lately." I have been categorized as "off the deep end" (or words to that effect) by such folks as Campbellites, Hardshells, King James Onlies, Arminians, Hypers, Hybrids, Pedos, Pretheads, Landmarkers, Texas "Mainstreamers," MacArthurites, Flounders, Appallingists, Riplingerites, Ruckman Knights, and other assorted "defenders of the faith."

The young man evidently does not know that he is simply repeating "old news," but the "attention" is appreciated. Items such as his have been attached to my name for over 50 years. Despite my peaceable disposition and gentility, I have somehow managed to "split my britches" with many of the brethren who for some strange reason tend to identify with some of my critiques of certain views and/or practices.

Back in the 1960s, a Campbellite I debated pronounced me "worse than the devil," yet he still wanted to baptize me! I told him to try his hand on the devil first, and if he got the devil into the water, he could then try to get me.

Sam Gipp of the world of "King James Onlyism" said he "considered" that Bob Ross is "mentally ill." Dr. Gipp is famous for contending that Jesus and the Apostles used the King James Bible.

Peter Ruckman commented on Gipp's remark and said -- "We do more than consider it, Dr. Gipp. We take it to be an ESTABLISHED FACT." And Ruckman also proclaimed that B. H. Carroll was "Satan in the raw," and John Broadus was a "Madman," and that God "killed Spurgeon for correcting the King James Bible."

Of course, across the years I've not only been labeled "mentally ill," but also "Hyper Calvinist," "Hardshell," "Arminian," "Antinomian," "Apostate," "Unsaved," and similar choice designations. Despite my efforts, I have not been able to establish and sustain all of those reputed attributes. I just can't seem to cover the entire field of categories to which I have been assigned.

The "deep end" mentioned by Aaron the Novice, seems to refer to my rejection of Hybrid Calvinism. If rejecting Hybrid Calvinism is going "off the deep end," this young man should be informed that I never was on the "shallow end" of that one.

I have ALWAYS rejected Hybrid Calvinism, and wrote a booklet against it back in the early 1960s entitled, "The Killing Effects of Calvinism." The use of "Calvinism" in the title was not referring to creedal Calvinism, but to the professed "Calvinism" of those who abused and misused creedal Calvinism -- like so many of our moderns who profess to be "Calvinists" but are in conflict with creedal Calvinism.

So if fellows like young Aaron want to castigate and denigrate Bob L. Ross, they might first of all do a little research and see if they can't come up with something "original" to use to describe me. I won't mind -- just be sure you spell my name right (As Dr. Norris used to say).

posted by Bob L. Ross @ 12:02 PM