Today, on the defunct French Republican Calendar, is New Year's Eve, Year 221. It is the complimentary year-end festival day "La Fete des Recompenses" (Celebration of Honors). Based on classic liberalism, I would assume that would be like "Christmas," with a giving of presents to everyone (though, in capitalism, these would be "rewards"!)
According to the French Republican calendar, I would have been born on 20 Nivose CDXI (161). If the 10-day week had been maintained, that would have been on Decadi (10th day - the day of rest). That day on the calendar is named "Van" (Winnowing basket). I guess I could have been named "Henri Van Martin" in honor of the day.
So, to all those First Republic fans out there: Bonne année!!!
Thanks to Steve Morse for his handy converter at stevemorse.com.
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1 comment:
Steve, your comment as nothing to do with my post, so I must come to the conclusion that your post is "spam" to get my attention. You have misrepresented a small point of contention with the Calvinist position, building a "straw man" at which you throw a barrage of scripture verses, ignoring those that might contradict your position.
Your argument is not with John Calvin, but with Paul the Apostle:
Rom. 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. (KJV).
In context, this has to do with mankind's total inability to come to God on their own. It takes the leading of the Holy Spirit to cause someone to seek after true righteousness.
The first verse quoted presents the context of who will seek God: those of the nations that "who are called by his name." This is God's doing, not the will of man. That is what Jesus meant when he said:
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44 (KJV).
Again, you call upon the doctrine of predestination to seemingly support your claim. It is God who determines before time the historical circumstances that make it possible for the Gentiles to come to God.
Oddly, you quote the "fool's psalm" for your side. God looks down to see mankind in rebellion. Out of that anarchy he draws those he loves unconditionally, and those he definitively saves from the wages of sin.
The sermon on the mount, from which Matt. 6:33 was taken, and the letter to the Hebrews were both addressed to believers -- that is, those who have faith and by nature are able to "seek" God. All others don't know what they are looking for, building idols after their own images instead.
There is nothing arbitrary about God's choices and no one is "forced" into the kingdom. But God always "gets his way." That is the very nature of God. It is only by changing a sinner into a saint (set apart for God) that one who was once lost will want to seek after God.
I suggest that you actually study some of what Calvin has written, not to mention Luther and, to some extent even St. Augustine, before you try to defend your point of view. These were not heretics, Steve, but were men steeped in the Scriptures.
Read John, Romans and Ephesians, and then get back to me. Thank you for the invitation to follow your blog, but I don't believe I will take you up on that right now.
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