Christian Reformed Church schools
Please help me understand the beliefs of the Christian Reformed Church or CRC denomination. They affirm three creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed—as ecumenical expressions of the Christian faith. OK. They also affirm three confessions—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. Please help! Their churches often support well regarded Christian day schools, and while WELS is not in fellowship with CRC, I'm wondering if CRC schools are an appropriate alternative to public schools.
As the three creeds—the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed—are called ecumenical creeds, one would expect a church like the Christian Reformed Church to subscribe to them. But because those creeds speak of the Christian faith in general terms, it is necessary and worthwhile that Christian churches have other confessions that spell out their beliefs and practices. That is the purpose of the three confessions you listed.
The three confessions—the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort—state classic Calvinistic doctrine with which we would disagree. The confessions speak of double predestination, limited atonement, irresistible grace, the perseverance of the saints, and the denial of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as means of grace, among other things. Enrollment of our children in schools that teach false doctrine would be confusing, at least, and harmful, at most, to their faith and spiritual lives. I would encourage the exploration of other options.