Why people hate Calvinism so much?

[J0SHUA]

 

[gord44]

from my experience, it's not the 'free will' idea that non-Calvinists cling on to, it's that it seems to make God out to be a jerk in their eyes. Though no longer a Calvinist, I do think Calvinists are Biblically correct if one is taking scripture in a literal sense. I do know many Calvinists like to say that arminians love their 'free will'. Most arminians I know don't really care about free will at all.

Either way, the main answer to your question is a combination of misunderstanding the theological position of Calvinists (i did that many moons ago) and not liking the idea of God creating people just to destroy them in his glorification.

 

[JM]

Ah, but the idea of God being a jerk is really just the sinner judging God unrighteously. Besides, people will hate you, judge you, look down upon you, think you simple minded, primitive, unenlightened, backward, argumentative, etc. for clinging to the Bible and loving Jesus Christ. It just can't be helped.

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."

 

[Willie T]

This can easily be answered by the simple question: "Is anyone claiming Calvinism, NOT one of the chosen elect?"

Gosh, what a surprise. I wonder why?

 

[gord44]

Ah, but the idea of God being a jerk is really just the sinner judging God unrighteously. Besides, people will hate you, judge you, look down upon you, think you simple minded, primitive, unenlightened, backward, argumentative, etc. for clinging to the Bible and loving Jesus Christ. It just can't be helped.

"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."

I was just was pointing out from my experiences why people I know have had a problem with Calvinism in response to the first post. Not saying that is my opinion.

 

[J0SHUA]

Yeah that's a huge problem. They forget the miraculous fact that anyone goes to heaven at all.

 

[AMR]

Should come as no surprise as the "gnashing of teeth" at the truth is well attested to within Scripture.

Having said that, the situation is not helped by "cage-stage" Calvinists with access to the internet. We have all been through that and should know what havoc can be wreaked during that phase.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I personally do not agree with Calvinists but that is just hate.

 

[gord44]

Yeah that's a huge problem. They forget the miraculous fact that anyone goes to heaven at all.

Which doesn't help anyone's understanding of it if they are already against Calvinism. I heard an analogy that that makes God like a guy building a ship he knows will sink and choosing some of the passengers as his 'elect' which he will rescue from the boat when it starts to sink while the rest of the passengers go down to their watery grave. While the boat builder will be glorified by those saved as he didn't really have to save anyone, the question remains, why did he even build the ship in the first place knowing all along it was going to sink?

 

[J0SHUA]

Which doesn't help anyone's understanding of it if they are already against Calvinism. I heard an analogy that that makes God like a guy building a ship he knows will sink and choosing some of the passengers as his 'elect' which he will rescue from the boat when it starts to sink while the rest of the passengers go down to their watery grave. While the boat builder will be glorified by those saved as he didn't really have to save anyone, the question remains, why did he even build the ship in the first place knowing all along it was going to sink?

Yeah and that's the hard to swallow part. It's for His glory so that He can show all of His attributes. The way I see it is God has to do this. Imagine if the fall never happened and God never showed mercy nor judgement. How would He really be God in this case? It wouldn't be right. He would be a God that never showed mercy nor judgement. He would have never truly shown Himself to us and would be a God lacking certain qualities. God wanted to express who He truly is and the way I see it is it had to be done. It's not easy to accept but we have to focus on what He has done for us and rest in the fact that He has forgiven us even though we were an enemy of Him.

 

[gord44]

Yeah and that's the hard to swallow part. It's for His glory so that He can show all of His attributes. The way I see it is God has to do this. Imagine if the fall never happened and God never showed mercy nor judgement. How would He really be God in this case? It wouldn't be right. He would be a God that never showed mercy nor judgement. He would have never truly shown Himself to us and would be a God lacking certain qualities. God wanted to express who He truly is and the way I see it is it had to be done. It's not easy to accept but we have to focus on what He has done for us and rest in the fact that He has forgiven us even though we were an enemy of Him.

A sound explanation I would say. I don't 100% agree with it but it makes a point. As I said, if one reads the Bible as a literal, 100% inerrant, Word of God, then I see Calvinism as the only logical conclusion. Maybe it's that fact that would make other literalists who are not Calvinists angry?

To a non-Christian, Calvinism is an incredibly vile theology, so that's easy to understand the dislike there. But JM covered that above with his quote from a Calvinist standpoint.

The game changes completely when one is not a literalist though.

Either way a interesting topic.

 

[twin1954]

Well I am not even close to a "cage stage" Calvinist but I am as zealous for the truth of God against the lies of "Arminian free-will works religion" as I have ever been.

The simple fact is that folks hate Calvinism because they hate the truth of God. They refuse to bow to Him as God so must devise a system that suits them. It ain't about free-will nor about God being a monster but about submission to the truth and faith. It ain't Calvinism that they hate it is God that they hate.

 

[JustAsIam77]

joshua, I'm in agreement with you, I don't understand how a person can read through Romans and not believe in Calvinism.

 

[dogs4thewin]

joshua, I'm in agreement with you, I don't understand how a person can read through Romans and not believe in Calvinism.

I cannot seem to understand how we cannot choose our own ways. I have made many decisions that are outside of God's will and have considered plenty of other actions that would be that way.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I cannot seem to understand how we cannot choose our own ways. I have made many decisions that ere outside of God's will and have considered plenty of other actions that would be that way.

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes. Rom 11:28

We think we follow our own path because of pride but God has predestined all things from before the foundation of the world.

 

[JustAsIam77]

I cannot seem to understand how we cannot choose our own ways. I have made many decisions that ere outside of God's will and have considered plenty of other actions that would be that way.

Perhaps I can explain this further, In the Divine plan which is infinite in variety and complexity, which reaches from everlasting to everlasting and includes millions of free agents who act upon each other, God has ordained that human beings shall keep their liberty under His sovereignty..He has made no attempt to give us a formal explanation of these things and our limited human knowledge is not fully able to solve the problem.

 

[dogs4thewin]

Perhaps I can explain this further, In the Divine plan which is infinite in variety and complexity, which reaches from everlasting to everlasting and includes millions of free agents who act upon each other, God has ordained that human beings shall keep their liberty under His sovereignty..He has made no attempt to give us a formal explanation of these things and our limited human knowledge is not fully able to solve the problem.

So if I break the law that was my choice and whatever the sentence for that act is I can only blame myself not God not Satan Not the police officer not the judge no one but Emily (my first name) for that action. As God hates sin how can it be in His will for me to break the law?

 

[J0SHUA]

To a non-Christian, Calvinism is an incredibly vile theology, so that's easy to understand the dislike there.

Indeed.

 

[Metal Minister]

So if I break the law that was my choice and whatever the sentence for that act is I can only blame myself not God not Satan Not the police officer not the judge no one but Emily (my first name) for that action. As God hates sin how can it be in His will for me to break the law?

If I may, and I admit a blind post, but God's will was to allow you to break that law, not that He willed you to break that law. Is that helpful?

 

[graciesings]

It's because of the first point of Calvinism -- Total Depravity. People never want to admit that they are bad...