Split of 1924--Interesting Random Facts

Is the Christian Reformed Church in the process of splitting?  That's certainly the impression I get from reading recent Facebook posts from my friends who are still in Grand Rapids.  But I don't know, I'm out of the loop.  (If anybody out there know what's really happening, feel free to let me know in the comments.)

In one sense, cantankerous protestant churches splitting over church doctrine is a classic "dog bites man" story.

But in another sense, this is kind of a big deal, isn't it?  I mean, if a major split does occur, it would be the first time the CRC split in living memory.  The last big split was all the way back in 1924.

I remember my 11th grade religion teacher taught us about that split.  He used it as an example to illustrate how fiercely our great-grandfathers had argued over minor doctrinal points.  The way he described it, the whole town of Grand Rapids was worked into a fervor over the issue.  Passionate speeches were made on both sides.  People were putting up signs in their yard denouncing rival theologians.   Everyone was choosing a side.

After describing this ridiculous scene, my religion teacher lamented, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that we had lost that passion for debating theology.

I've never been entirely sure how much of the picture he painted was accurate.  (He was one of those teachers who loved to tell a good story, and was sometimes prone to exaggeration.)  But the split itself did indeed happen.  You can read all about it on Wikipedia.

The issue that split the church at the time was the issue of Common Grace--something that it's very hard to imagine people getting worked up about nowadays, but, like my religion teacher said, our great-grandfathers took their theology a lot more seriously.  

(Or...perhaps people just always need something to argue about.   If there are no major theological disagreements to hash out, like woman in office or LGBTQ rights, then people will settle for getting worked up about common grace.)

[Common Grace, as my 11th grade religion teacher described it, is basically the idea that there are some aspects of God's grace which are available to all--Christians and non-Christians alike.  So a non-Christian might not be saved, but they might still be inspired by God to do something good.  Non-Christians may also be inspired by God to create great works of art.--See more info in the Wikipedia article on Common Grace]

The Wikipedia article alludes to three doctrinal points on common grace that caused the split, but doesn't actually say what they are.  But that information can be found easily enough elsewhere on the Internet.  See this article from the Protestant Reformed Website: The Three Points of Common Grace (CRC - 1924).  I'll quote the main idea from each of the three points below:

1. Apart from the saving grace of God shown only to those that are elect unto eternal life, there is also a certain favor or grace of God which He shows to His creatures in general.

2. God by the general operations of His Spirit, without renewing the heart of man, restrains the unimpeded breaking out of sin, by which human life in society remains possible

3. The unregenerate, though incapable of doing any saving good, can do civil good.

...and that's what caused the 1924 split.  Crazy, huh?