Calvinism and Arminianism:
Myths & Realities
Calvinist: It’s interesting to note that the choice of words adds to the effect of this NOT being the subject. That child IS a sinner! Full stop.
Arminian: And who predestined the child to be born as a sinner and rendered it certain? I mean, don’t stop there. Follow through on the logic, brother.
Calvinist: There is NONE righteous, NO NOT ONE. That’s all the logic needed.
Arminian: And who predestined that? So what you’re really saying is that the child is guilty of God’s immutable decree of predestination?
Calvinism should trouble the conscience, which otherwise is dehumanizing, and treats people as mere objects.
Calvinist, James White: “Man appears in the golden chain of redemption solely as the object of gracious redemption.” (Debating Calvinism, p.151, emphasis mine)
While some are the fortunate “object” of Unconditional Election, others are the unfortunate “object” of Unconditional Reprobation, immutably decreed from eternity-past.
John Calvin: “All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death.” (Institutes of Christian Religion: Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 5, emphasis mine)
John Calvin: “Hence Augustine, having treated of the elect, and taught that their salvation reposes in the faithful custody of God so that none perishes, continues: The rest of mortal men who are not of this number, but rather taken out of the common mass and made vessels of wrath, are born for the use of the elect.” (Concerning the Eternal Predestination of God, p.107, emphasis mine)
John Calvin: “They deny that it is ever said in distinct terms, God decreed that Adam should perish by his revolt. As if the same God, who is declared in Scripture to do whatsoever he pleases, could have made the noblest of his creatures without any special purpose. They say that, in accordance with free-will, he was to be the architect of his own fortune, that God had decreed nothing but to treat him according to his desert. If this frigid fiction is received, where will be the omnipotence of God, by which, according to his secret counsel on which every thing depends, he rules over all? But whether they will allow it or not, predestination is manifest in Adam’s posterity. It was not owing to nature that they all lost salvation by the fault of one parent. Why should they refuse to admit with regard to one man that which against their will they admit with regard to the whole human race? Why should they in caviling lose their labour? Scripture proclaims that all were, in the person of one, made liable to eternal death. As this cannot be ascribed to nature, it is plain that it is owing to the wonderful counsel of God. It is very absurd in these worthy defenders of the justice of God to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. I again ask how it is that the fall of Adam involves so many nations with their infant children in eternal death without remedy unless that it so seemed meet to God? Here the most loquacious tongues must be dumb. The decree, I admit, is, dreadful; and yet it is impossible to deny that God foreknew what the end of man was to be before he made him, and foreknew, because he had so ordained by his decree.” (Institutes of Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 23, Section 7, emphasis mine)
Calvinist, Vincent Cheung: “One who thinks that God’s glory is not worth the death and suffering of billions of people has too high an opinion of himself and humanity.” (The Problem of Evil, p.10, emphasis mine)
One Calvinist explains: “You have quoted Adrian Rogers as saying: ‘If you go to hell, a broken-hearted God will watch you drop into hell.’ Of course, the bible doesn’t teach this sappy nonsense at all. God hates the wicked, not just their sin but them specifically. (Psa 5:5; 11:5)” (“Giant Sale! All merchandise half price”, emphasis mine)
The problem with Calvinism is that its adherents can eventually grow to become dark and twisted, proportional to the theology itself, and Dave Hunt helps to explain why:
Dave Hunt: “Theology inevitably affects behavior.” (Debating Calvinism, p.227)
Dave Hunt: “Life reflects doctrine (2 Timothy 3:10).” (Debating Calvinism, p.248)
A. Brent Cobb: “We become more and more like our concept of God. If I see him as harsh, that’s the way I’ll become, but if I see God as compassionate, that’s the kind of person I’ll become.” (The Great Scandal, emphasis mine)
Arminian Charge: Calvinism is a Depraved Theology.
Myth or Reality: The allegation is basically that Calvinism is dark and twisted.
