Matt Slick

Matt Slick, whose full name is Matthew J. Slick, is the creator and webmaster of the Christian website and ministry CARM, or "Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry." Slick is a Christian apologist and a leader in the counter-cult movement. He considers it his mission to "answer opposition to the Christian faith," which in his view includes all non-Christian worldviews and non-Protestant denominations of Christianity, including Catholicism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Biography

Matt Slick describes his upbringing as "nominally Christian," and asserts he was "mixed up in the occult" during that period. Slick graduated from Concordia University in Irvine, California with a Bachelors in Social Science in 1987 and from Westminster Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity in 1991, at approximately age 35. Slick's interest in apologetics and cults began after he was "outraged" by a quote from Joseph Smith. Slick has written a short autobiography on CARM. Slick is married with children, and has lived in Boise, Idaho since August 2004. [1]

Religious views

Slick is an Evangelical Christian. More specifically, Slick describes himself as "a five point Calvinist, amillennial, post-tribulation rapture, pseudobaptist (not for salvation), non-cessationist, and covenantal." More information on Slick's beliefs can be found onhis website. [2]

Works

Books and writings

Slick has written a book entitled "Right Answers for Wrong Beliefs," ISBN 1852402792 (2002 Sovereign World) as well as a 1,125 page notebook that contains much of the information from his website. He has also publishes the entire content of the CARM website on CD.

Webpages

Matt Slick is the founder and president of CARM. He is also an administrator on the discussion forums at CARM. He created CARM, a non-profit organization, to be a resource for information on groups he considers to be cults and on other issues relating to Christianity. He also operates the "Calvinist Corner," [3] which gives information relating to Calvinism and his personal beliefs.

Controversy

Critics of Matt Slick generally hold worldviews other than Evangelical conservative Protestant Christianity.

While there are a few personal websites which give detailed counterarguments to Slick's articles on the CARM site [4] or [5], there are also complaints voiced in connection with the moderated forums operated on CARM which is common occurance to any moderatated discussion forum.

Like most other operators of moderated private forums, Slick is confronted with accusations of censorship or misuse of moderation by forum users, many of who were suspended for rule violations. [6] As in most other such cases, the controversy expanded with an exchange of ad-hominem attacks. Some of the excluded users went off to other discussion boards as is common response to persons removed for violations to voice their views including those regarding Slick. [7]

An especially heated debate over alleged censorship originated, when Slick after prolonged flame wars closed down the Universalist board in his forums and in the sequence banning Universalist discussions from his other boards when the flame wars did not cease. [8] [9]

See also

• Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry
• Counter-cult movement

References

1. "Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry". CARM convention 2004. June 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
2. "The Calvinist Corner". Welcome... August 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
3. "Tent Maker". CARM, C.A.R.M., Christian Apology & Research Ministry and Matt Slick, aka, The Cult of CARM. June 12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
4. "Katholon". Slick's Sleight of Hand. August 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
5. "Thinking Freely". Let CARM Think For You!. August 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
6. "Biblical Studies". Matt Slick. August 18. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
7. "Bede's Library". Links to Christian sites. June 13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)

External links

• CARM - Matt Slick's Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry website.
• The Calvinist Corner - Slick's personal website.
• CARM Response to AARM - Response from Matt Slick to quotes on AARM website discussion boards.
• Too Slick to Be Saved - a site critical of Slick's religious philosophy.
• Slick Lies - Debates with CARM's Matt Slick about morality, ethics, Christianity, and Islam.
  • Response From Matt Slick to "Slick Lies"
• Pride of Preselectionism - Discussions about Calvinism with Slick.