Posted on 11/13/2006 9:41:43 AM PST by Alex Murphy
A seminary student tells this story about the first day of a class. The professor was the well known Reformed theologian and Presbyterian pastor R.C. Sproul. Sproul stormed into class on the first day, slammed his Bible on the desk and said, "You are all very very bad and God is very very mad!"
I plan on telling that to my children before they go to sleep every night.
There's a movement growing in young protestants in America over the past decade or so. It's called Calvinism and there are pastors around who would kill all the babies of this generation to keep it from spreading. I've seen how ugly people get over this issue.
I've seen men who are supposed to be representing a benevolent God do and say some of the most twisted, manipulative and hate filled things to anyone guilty of the sin of thinking God is too big and powerful in the past two years. I've seen pastors silenced for teaching that people are called to Jesus. I've seen families ran out of churches that they wanted to worship in because they happen to think that God lead them to Him. I remember even hearing some guy somewhere say something about how if you don't love your neighbor you don't love God.
This is a broilingly divisive issue, in my experience usually made divisive by the opposition to Calvinism, and I'm a little surprised it's not being reported on. If Calvinism continues to grow our great-grandchildren may see the hatred in the church go away because of the necessary inbreeding and natural selection that will go on with isolationist Arminian pastors. You'll see weird little Arminian communities with big walls and signs on the gate that say "Entrance permitted only on your own free will."
But first a little background. Most of the major American Protestant churches are Arminian in their view of how they obtain salvation. Arminianism is the highly emotionally charged, reactionary, theological opposition to Calvinism. Joseph Arminius believed that John Calvin's theology made God into a tyrant and humans into automatons (although they didn't really have a word for that back then. He may have said words like puppets instead) because he seems to have given the matter about five minutes of thought. Actually, as is often the case with fired up intellectuals, all Arminius really did was make famous the prejudices of one of his favorite professors. And it's pretty much just a theology where they take everything that John Calvin said and say they believe the contrary (kind of the James Dean school of critical thinking.)
Of course America is the land where Free Will often stands in for God Himself. But Calvinism doesn't preclude free will at all and in fact makes the non-believer completely responsible for their damnation. It just says, as Charles Spurgeon said, "My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will." Which is to say that nobody was ever saved by free will but a lot of people have been damned by it. And, of course, it makes a lot of sense that the American church would go for an intellectual dwarf like Joseph Arminius.
Just in case I haven't alienated every reader yet, let's take a look at the specifics of the Calvinist system of theology. The first point of Calvinism says we are all wicked scum to the core. Our nature is bald, stinking evil. We are walking sacks of sin and it seeps out of our pores. Your cookie baking, charity supporting grandmother is just as danged evil as any old Hitler any day.
That's because the standard isn't what one does. Reconnection with God is not through "works." One must repair the relationship with God, and one can only do that by faith which is a gracious and undeserved gift from God. A system of salvation by works leads to situations where, for example, the church decides that you plebes can buy hundreds of years out of Purgatory. Then they use their salvation-mafia to fund Crusades and other bloody church-related activities. It's a steaming load of papal bull.
Salvation by faith alone in Christ alone is Biblical, and the Bible's, the book we have to work with in this system. That's all we have to work with really. If we're dealing with a system where the Bible is the standard and considered the inspired word of God, it's a lot easier to respect the people who aren't trying add things too it or twisting meanings to their own pet doctrines. If they start making exceptions there's really no point in stopping. Once one twists the first time, one may as well throw their standard away and just start making things up. You may as well have 15 beaten wives and shoot people who disagree with your politics on sight or on suspicion or on direct revelation from God.
Of course Calvinists are no angels either. One of the stereotypes of Calvinists is a condescending attitude that really is only matched by atheists. This is because Calvinists have a strong Biblical basis and boy golly do a lot of them know it. It seems like some young Calvinists may just get into the ideology because it's a good way to win pissing contests against Arminians. The old "who's more hardcore" game.
You see it around college aged Calvinists who decide everyone else is wrong and heretical. But one really should bear in mind that their passion stems from a drive to uphold truth with no compromise. Which is really sexy. All of them aren't smug. Some of them also try to follow other biblical passages like the loving and the not being divisive bits you hear so much about. In fact most of the Calvinists I've met have been some of the most loving Christians I've ever encountered.
Those outside of monotheism seem to have a really hard time with the word "sin." Actually they seem to have a hard time with all of this. But remember, 44% of Americans attend church regularly. That means 144,000,000 of the people around you get up early and worship mostSunday mornings. That means when you're out in public, if you don't go to church, chances are the person closest to you does. This doesn't speak at all to personal conviction or earnestness (Kierkegaard's earth shattering revelation in his day that just because you live in a Christian nation, go to a Christian church, and all of your friends are Christians does not make you a Christian.) I'm fully convinced Sturgeon's Revelation—"90% of everything is crap," and if you come away from this column with nothing else, remember that truth—applies to the church just as much as it applies to the rest of our lives.
Personally I think that the church is mainly just a social club and a place for the petty to go to wield a modicum of power over their peers if they have a family or are just too much of a wuss to go start a bar fight. I guess I don't have to point out that all but one president has claimed to be a Protestant. And the one who wasn't got his head shot off! I probably shouldn't have to point out why understanding these trends is important even for the most unregenerate sinner. Oh yeah, I was talking about sin. Sin is really just saying humans have a rift in their relationship with God. If sin were the color blue, everything we do would be some shade of blue. We are flawed, wicked, evil, wretched beings to our core. That was the first piece of any theology that ever made sense to me, because I observe it in myself and everyone around me every waking moment I'm on this -the rectum of the Universe. It's the theology of how much we suck. I know of no more honest a point.
A Calvinist follows up sucking with the concept that God draws his followers by making His grace overtake His elect. This is one of the points that Arminians like to twist into something it's not. They like to twist it into we are God's will-less marionettes. That's really just setting up straw men to knock them down. No reputable Calvinist would say that. The Bible teaches that no one comes to God on their own and that the only ones who come to Christ are the ones the God the Father gives to Him.
An Arminian would say that the Holy Spirit sort of woos the believer. They say God can attract believers but he can't actually do anything to get them to believe. God sits on His cloud wringing His Hands saying "Oooo, I hope they like Me." Which begs the question, when an Arminian prays for the salvation of an unbeliever, what exactly are they praying to God for? What do they expect Him to do? According to them He doesn't have that power.
The Calvinist prays and knows that God is all powerful and sovereign over all things. Also that God's will is what will happen and not humankind's. Now, the individual retains responsibility while God is sovereign. This is called compatibilism. The two concepts don't contradict one another and anyone can tell you that all free acts have causes. People who have a problem with this are probably thinking of Christ in too small of terms.
As for the moment of salvation: the person about to find it has probably been working things out in their head, thinking on these things, deciding, and probably being preached to and taught because of the draw of the Holy Spirit. I know a lot of believers had a time where they were immersed in study and interest in Christianity but something was holding them back from accepting Christ. Their depravity was holding them back.
The next point is Limited Attonement which we probably don't need to get into here. Suffice it to say a Calvinist would say that Jesus Christ's death attoned for the sins of the elect. Some say it also attoned for all sins but only effectively for the elect. Some say it attoned just for the elect.
Now, as for this elect thing, this is the buzz word most people think of when they think of Calvinism. It says that before time began God knew everything being all powerful, sovereign and all knowing. So, before creation or anything He elected His people, set the circumstances, nothing can change it and that's the way it goes. There are those He didn't elect (which seems to a lot of us like the bulk of humanity.) Being God and entirely sovereign over all things He works all things out to His glory, which means those who are elected to be His people and to have a repaired relationship with Him are made so to glorify Him and those who are for all eternity will be separate from Him also will glorify Him in spite of what they may mean by it.
And the last point of Calvinism is that those who are elect will persevere in their walk with God. It does not mean that someone who raises their hand at a Harvest Crusade and then lives the rest of their life as a the rottenest villain what ever growed is still going to go to Heaven just because they accepted Christ once. One who you see as Elect is going to spend the rest of their lives seeking God (and stumbling and failing and so forth but honestly seeking.) They may fall off the wagon but they will quickly get back on. This doesn't mean salvation by works either. It means that they're hellbent for election. Being saved and surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses they run with perseverance the race that is set before them. An Arminian would say that one can lose their salvation which is completely unbiblical. A Calvinist would say that if someone falls away from the faith it's clear that theirs was not a true faith of the elect to begin with.
Why is this important except in the heads of the Calvinists and Arminians? Well, doctrine dictates lifestyle and Calvinists go about their spiritual walk a little differently than Arminians. An Arminian goes out to shake the unregenerate sinner by the collar saying they must decide to believe or will be damned to Hell for all eternity. In fact with the Arminian point you'd have to be a pretty hateful rat bastard not to. I mean if you don't bully, badger, hound and by any means necessary convey a person you are in effect damning them to Hell by withholding information.
A Calvinist would lay out the foundations for anyone to hear or read, make sure the information is out there, and trust whoever is supposed to profit from it will be lead to profit from it. A Calvinist is assured that God is sovereign over everything and if he wants to convert one lone child in the jungle somewhere where the people have never seen anyone outside of their tribe, He'll make it happen. A Calvinist believes every bit of grain pecked by a chicken was ordained by God from the beginning of time. So while a Calvinist is called to teach their theology, they are not responsible for convincing anyone.
Rather changes the tone of the whole process of evangelism you see. If their was a significant swing back to Calvinism in the American church, the whole process and focus of the protestant church would change. And speaking of which, I should probably say that this column isn't always going to be heavy theology every week. I did this as an introduction and because we're kind of in between religious news.
For example if I'd written this a week ago it would be on the Pope quoting anti-Muslim texts from the middle ages. Which I had a touch of schadenfreude over when I heard it at seven in the morning on NPR and then found around ten that same morning I was reading out loud to a small group a piece of someone else's writing that I thought was terrible. I realized if someone had a tape recorder a similar "look what Paul Mathers said" kind of thing could happen.
If I'd been writing this two weeks ago I'd be writing about how Calvary Chapel Capo Beach has been muscled out of the Calvary Chapel movement like a dog that peed the carpet which is most interesting because the pastor there is Chuck Smith Jr. and the founder of the Calvary Chapel movement is Chuck Smith Sr.
And next time I'm planning on writing about the Reformation unless The Ancient Ones rise from the ocean between now and then. In the future I'll have interviews, personal reactions, news, and a whole lot of opinion. Mainly what I expect this to be about is truth and lies both in abundance. And I expect to rant a lot about things I hate or like which is probably what will keep you coming back. We are hate-filled critters at heart.
An Arminian would say that the Holy Spirit sort of woos the believer. They say God can attract believers but he can't actually do anything to get them to believe. God sits on His cloud wringing His Hands saying "Oooo, I hope they like Me." Which begs the question, when an Arminian prays for the salvation of an unbeliever, what exactly are they praying to God for? What do they expect Him to do? According to them He doesn't have that power.
I have been following this some. I used to be a Southern Baptist. When I was growing up "Calvanism" was sort of a murkey concept lol. I think as a kid we thought that whats the Presbytarians did and it had something todo with Predestination. That was about it for our knowledge. If you asked the average Southern Baptist 15 years ago what TULIP was they would say a flower(really a herb I guess) but you get the point.
I picked up a issue of Christianity today a couple months back and was shocked what a issue it was in the SOuthern Baptist Church. I dont know how it so quickly spread. SOme of my friends that went into the ministry attended the New Orleans Theological Seminary. They are not Calvinist? So I am not sure if this seminary based, depending where you go, or a huge grass roots movement.
That bastardized arminian psuedo-sacrament, the "altar call," is tailor-made for catalyzing false conversions, responses to skillfully applied humanistic techniques, rather thanto the Spirit and WOrd of God. Something in me wants to scream whenever I see those hypnotic manipulations in use -- "Every eye closed, every head bowed," etc.
No kidding.
If Calvinism continues to grow our great-grandchildren may see the hatred in the church go away because of the necessary inbreeding and natural selection that will go on with isolationist Arminian pastors.
LOL. That's hilarious.
The only point where I'd disagree with him is when he says he'll put his kids to bed telling them they're very very bad.
Mathers obviously doesn't have children.
During the day, parents need to school their children in God's commandments and remind them that everyone is a sinner. Even them.
But at bedtime, Mathers will doubtlessly assure the children God gives him that Jesus Christ loves them in spite of their mistakes, with a love God created from before the foundation of the world.
Isn't that the truth!
Compare and contrast the Catholic vs the Arminian sacraments:
-One sacrament fills up your tank with Grace and keeps you out of purgatory. Heaven forbid you die before you can go to Confession or have the Last Rites.
And
-The other fills your tank up with Grace after a particularly bad Saturday night and keeps you out of Hell, at least until you go and sin again, which should cover you for a maximum of 10 minutes. Heaven forbid Jesus comes back before you can walk the aisle again.
Let's not forget 5 rounds of "Just As I Am."
And by way of assuring us that Calvinism will bring peace, he says, "there are pastors around who would kill all the babies of this generation to keep it from spreading. I've seen how ugly people get over this issue."
Ugly, indeed. With a beard and turban, the author really wouldn't be out of place at a Mullah convention.
Agreed.
Your quote in post #1 is self-defeating. The mean and arrogant teacher soon has no students.
Instant Karma's going to get you...
Instant Karma's going to get you...
By the way I learned not too long ago that the purgatorial process has been revamped yet again. Now I could be wrong here, but the person who conveyed the info seems to know his stuff. It's my understanding that now the burning off of the 'dross' left behind happens in an instant. Wonder if checks are in the mail?
It's my understanding that indulgences were biggest in northern Europe where the plague had devastated the population and indulgences became a way for people to cope with the horrific loss. I also understand that they never really took off in Italy. I can just see my maternal grandfather, who I never knew, but lives large in my memory NOT falling for that one. A powder-monkey, who died at the age of 54 just a couple years after WW II. Prisoner of War in WWI. I guess he had a few issues with the clergy. Always thought of myself as more my father's daughter than my mother's, but perhaps I'm wrong. He stopped going to Mass long before he passed away. He did receive final unction and was granted a most beautiful death. Had a good voice I understand. Used to sing in the choir, my nonno Tomasso. Bought his own home in '39. Unheard of at the time. Property was passed on to eldest son, value of home was divided up among siblings, and said siblings rented. When he was asked how he did it, he said we lived on bread and saliva. Anyway, rambling, I know.
What I really wanted to get at is that you couldn't talk anyone in my family into buying an indulgence. My peasant ancestors, and my peasant self just couldn't be talked into anything quite so iffy. And a good thing too, now that the 'dross' is consumed in an instant.
An ex-boss of mine (half Italian, half Austrian) who is Catholic started an organization called CAFL, i.e. Catholics for Luther. Sort of like Arminians for Calvin. :) We came up with some pretty good ideas: Tetzel's Pretzels -Indulge! That was his. My contribution has been to come up with a premium ice-cream line, called Whose Tradition?. I thought of a series like theme. You know, like The Donatist's Revenge: "Lemon" Law, Alexander "Jack the Lad" VI, Leo "when I was 13, it was a very good year" X, etc. We laughed up a storm. In case you didn't know, and IIRC Leo was made a cardinal at the age of 13. Ah, the vagaries and wide berth of 'apostolic succession.' We also thought of having t-shirts made with real-elegant printing, declaring 'I am the Tradition', and Nietzsche: God is dead, God: Nietzsche's dead!
Spengler gets it, and he's pretty smart. The Evangelical congregation is Christianity's best hope. And, the brains and the vigor is with the Calvinist part of that Evangelical congregation, hands down. Not even arguable.
Your "ramblings" are more interesting than most people's posts, AG. Write a book. 8~)
"Unforgiven" is a great Calvinist movie -- "Deserve's got nothing to do with it."
Amen.
LOL. If you are RC, I can understand your empathy with Wesley. You both deny salvation by God's grace alone because you both believe men can do something to earn God's favor, even if that "something" is simply making a decision to "accept" God's mercy.
"So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." -- Romans 9:16
That is LOL.
He may have been a swell fellow and all, don't want to impugn the man's character, but he's not even close to Calvin in intellect or vigor. Not even close. Not to mention his take on one's possibility of achieving perfection in a 'moment of crisis.' Christ is the only Perfection. Surely he should have known that and not tired to concoct some theory that doesn't pass the straight face test in order to try to support his own doctrine of resistable grace. Christ in his perfection has to shed copious blood to Atone, but mortal man can achieve perfection in a moment of crisis?
That seems a bit of nitwittery to me.
LOLOL. Great description.
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