[Romestamo]

If you want to know Christ, forget manmade constructs such as Calvinism -- and forget organizations which claim they can save you -- and read the New Testament for yourself. Start with one of Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) and meet the Master for yourself.

<flame-retardant jumpsuit>
I treat the five points of Calvinism as an attempt to outline, as much as is possible, the mechanism behind salvation. Obviously it is a flawed understanding, because, as you said, it is a manmade construct, but in my mind it is the conception most consistent with God's omniscience and omnipotence. However, because no one but God knows who the elect are, the five points cannot be looked to as guidance for how to live our lives (as you said, only the Scripture can provide that), and anyone who justifies action on predestination or "I'm of the elect" is wrong. So, while I agree with your point that it is bad for Calvinism to be used as a crutch for man's designs, I don't think that it is a "vicious" ideology.

[winstonchurchill]

flame-retardant jumpsuit I treat the five points of Calvinism as an attempt to outline, as much as is possible, the mechanism behind salvation.

No jumpsuit needed. But neither do I need a trusty "outline" or an understanding of the "mechanism". If it were needful, Christ would have told us.

I don't need Calvin's "mechanism" or his "outline" any more than I need the 'perpetual virginity of Mary' or Mary as a "co-redemptrix" with Christ. I suspect few Calvinists would have any difficulty seeing the danger of that little 'addition' to the Gospel.

Why is it that they cannot see that saying "there are no non-Calvinists in Heaven" displaces the Gospel of Christ with the 'gospel of Calvin'?

I NEED Jesus Christ. That's all.