David: (Genuinely) Thanks for the response on Judy's & your behalf. Though a
rather gross charicature of JC it is yet a widely held understanding of his
views. No, I wouldn't wish to engage in a protracted discussion at this
time. I await replies on earlier matters from you. Thereafter, perhaps.
Blessings, Lance
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: April 19, 2004 12:40
Subject: [TruthTalk] Calvinism


> Lance wrote:
> > ... I appreciate Calvin. He is, I believe, one of
> > Christianity's important men of God. Have you read
> > him? Do you "know" the content of his work? If you
> > do please substantiate your apparent dislike of
> > him/his work. If you don't then please refrain from
> > the "shots".
>
> Hi Lance.  I like your attitude here of, "substantiate your dislike" or
> "stop taking shots at him."
>
> I believe, like Arminius did, that Calvin's view of predestination makes
> God out to be an evil monster, personally responsible for every wicked
> act of man on the face of the planet.  He views every rape, every
> murder, every vile act of man as being done by God Himself, who created
> his creatures to act this way.  Calvin's view of predestination attacks
> God's virtue.  Calvin basically said that we simply can't understand why
> God does what he does, but we should just accept that if he does it,
> then it is right.  He refers to God's judgment on the wicked as
> incomprehensible (see Institutes, Book III, Chapter XXI, Paragraph 7
> [toward end of paragraph]).
>
> Besides attacking God, Calvin's view removes all sense of vice or virtue
> from the actions of man.  If man acts wickedly, God made him that way
> and decreed that he should operate that way.  If man acts righteously,
> God decreed that he should operate that way.  In effect then, man is but
> a robot, a computer, that is acting as God has programmed him to act.
> How can man be responsible for his actions, or how can he be judged for
> his decisions, if everything he does has been predetermined by God?
> Calvin does not have an answer.  From Calvin's perspective, it is
> incomprehensible, but that is the way it is, so it must be good because
> we know God is good.
>
> Sorry, but I reject Calvin's theology.  It makes no sense and it
> justifies wickedness in the lives of the wicked because it is God who
> created them to act that way.  Christians under his system join the club
> of the elect, and the sin they continue to do has been preordained of
> God before they were even born.  Of course, they are predestined to be
> without sin, but that must come later, because Calvin himself did not
> experience this grace of Christ.
>
> Under Calvinism, man has no power to do what is right or to do what is
> wrong.  Under Calvinism, man is what God has made him.  It is a form of
> fatalism that has no place in the life of a believer who would seek to
> please God and grow further in holiness.
>
> I meant to give you some actual quotes that bother me, but the phone is
> ringing a lot and I am not going to be able to get to it right now.  I
> think you can understand the gist of what I perceive to be wrong with
> Calvinism from what I have just said.  I think Jacobus Arminius does a
> much better job of pointing out the problems with Calvinism, so read his
> works to understand the problems with it.  If I get some time later, and
> you seem interested, I will try to post some quotes from Calvin for you.
>
> Peace be with you.
> David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida.
>
> ----------
> "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may
know how you ought to answer every man."  (Colossians 4:6)
http://www.InnGlory.org
>
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ought to answer every man."  (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org

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