OK – I am getting a little tired of this. Most “non Calvinists” have two things in common. They don’t know what Calvinism is – and they think it’s wrong. Some think it’s terribly wrong – evil even. Chuck Smith (yes, THAT Chuck Smith) called it “almost demonic” – Brian Broderson called it “Christianity without Jesus".” This isn't hearsay – I heard them say it. Here is a link where you can here some of it also: http://www.sounddoctrine.net/Feedback/calvinism_almost_demonic_chuck_smith.mp3
Raul Reese called it a cult. Not to long ago there was a conference called “The John 3:16 Conference” whose main purpose seemed to be figuring out what to “do about” Calvinists. Most recently, Gerald Harris wrote an article called “The Calvinists Are Coming” (found here.) According to these people – we Calvinists are pretty close to evil incarnate – a “problem to be solved,” an “issue to be dealt with.” At the very least we are seen as an attack to be repelled.
The terrible treatment you will get at pretty much any Calvary Chapel if they find out (or even suspect) you are a Calvinist is legendary. My Pastor recently told me of a phone call he received a few years ago. It seems Greg Laurie (yes that Greg Laurie) had gone through the bookstore and ordered all the books he felt were “Calvinist” books taken off the shelves and thrown away. I guess burning them would have been too cliché’ Luckily, the bookstore employee simply bagged them up and called my pastor and asked him to come get them. Some great books found there way into the hands of some very hungry and grateful Christians (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.)
If you doubt ANY of this, I dare you to do this experiment. Resolve that for 90 days, you are going to mention that you are looking into Calvinism and that you think it makes sense. In 90 days, you will (most likely) have basically been shown the door. They wont be friendly or even remotely Christian about it either. Don’t believe me ? I double dog dare ya to try it!
But why? These people will think nothing of quoting Luther, Augustine, Whitfield…. most notably they loooove to quote Charles Spurgeon. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan is very popular with these people. The John MacArthur Study Bible is a best seller in most Calvary Chapel bookstores. I purchased several R.C. Sproul books, John Piper books and even “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges in the Harvest Christian Fellowship Bookstore – after Greg Laurie “cleansed” it. All these authors I mentioned are DIE HARD CALVINISTS! So according to the behavior I have pointed out, these authors espouse a view that is coming dangerously close to being labeled heresy. I have said before – if you remove all Calvinists from church history – you are pretty much left with Wesley and Finney (and Finney was a heretic ).
Like I said before, most – maybe all – non Calvinists make two errors. They have very little idea of what Calvinism is – and they think it’s wrong. Its very similar to the atheists who say, basically, that there is no God and they hate him. If you don’t know what Calvinism is – how can you possibly say it’s wrong. Most non Calvinists I know don’t even want to discuss it to find out what it is – they just want to go on thinking it’s wrong – all the while having no clue what it is, and unwilling to let someone who actually believes it explain it to them.
I guess my point is – is Calvinism a sin? Are Calvinists Christians? If they think we are Christians – then maybe we can end all this horrendous behavior. Maybe we don’t need more conferences trying to solve the “Calvinist problem.” If they think Calvinism is a sin – then maybe they should stop quoting them and be consistent in their shunning. Maybe they should condemn Spurgeon as a heretic and burn and ban all copies of “The Pilgrims Progress."
As for us - the Calvinists – us on the other side of this. We think Greg Laurie is a Christian. I fully expect Chuck Smith to be in heaven. I think they do good work for the Kingdom of God and I have benefited from some of their preaching. We would like non-Calvinists to at least be willing to discuss the issue – or at the very least, we would like them to accurately represent what we believe (without the slightest hint of hyperbole I say that not one single non-Calvinist in the history of the world, as far as I know, seems to understand what Calvinism is – I mean that as a literal and true statement). Non Calvinists are not a problem to be solved, they are not heretics – if you are a non Calvinist who would like to attend the same church I go to – you would be welcomed. This near hatred is definitely a one-way street. NON-Calvinism is not a sin. There I said it. Simply. Plainly. I have non Calvinist books in my library – and I use them. Knowingly. I sure wish the other side could say the same.
Raul Reese called it a cult. Not to long ago there was a conference called “The John 3:16 Conference” whose main purpose seemed to be figuring out what to “do about” Calvinists. Most recently, Gerald Harris wrote an article called “The Calvinists Are Coming” (found here.) According to these people – we Calvinists are pretty close to evil incarnate – a “problem to be solved,” an “issue to be dealt with.” At the very least we are seen as an attack to be repelled.
The terrible treatment you will get at pretty much any Calvary Chapel if they find out (or even suspect) you are a Calvinist is legendary. My Pastor recently told me of a phone call he received a few years ago. It seems Greg Laurie (yes that Greg Laurie) had gone through the bookstore and ordered all the books he felt were “Calvinist” books taken off the shelves and thrown away. I guess burning them would have been too cliché’ Luckily, the bookstore employee simply bagged them up and called my pastor and asked him to come get them. Some great books found there way into the hands of some very hungry and grateful Christians (And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.)
If you doubt ANY of this, I dare you to do this experiment. Resolve that for 90 days, you are going to mention that you are looking into Calvinism and that you think it makes sense. In 90 days, you will (most likely) have basically been shown the door. They wont be friendly or even remotely Christian about it either. Don’t believe me ? I double dog dare ya to try it!
But why? These people will think nothing of quoting Luther, Augustine, Whitfield…. most notably they loooove to quote Charles Spurgeon. Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan is very popular with these people. The John MacArthur Study Bible is a best seller in most Calvary Chapel bookstores. I purchased several R.C. Sproul books, John Piper books and even “The Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry Bridges in the Harvest Christian Fellowship Bookstore – after Greg Laurie “cleansed” it. All these authors I mentioned are DIE HARD CALVINISTS! So according to the behavior I have pointed out, these authors espouse a view that is coming dangerously close to being labeled heresy. I have said before – if you remove all Calvinists from church history – you are pretty much left with Wesley and Finney (and Finney was a heretic ).
Like I said before, most – maybe all – non Calvinists make two errors. They have very little idea of what Calvinism is – and they think it’s wrong. Its very similar to the atheists who say, basically, that there is no God and they hate him. If you don’t know what Calvinism is – how can you possibly say it’s wrong. Most non Calvinists I know don’t even want to discuss it to find out what it is – they just want to go on thinking it’s wrong – all the while having no clue what it is, and unwilling to let someone who actually believes it explain it to them.
I guess my point is – is Calvinism a sin? Are Calvinists Christians? If they think we are Christians – then maybe we can end all this horrendous behavior. Maybe we don’t need more conferences trying to solve the “Calvinist problem.” If they think Calvinism is a sin – then maybe they should stop quoting them and be consistent in their shunning. Maybe they should condemn Spurgeon as a heretic and burn and ban all copies of “The Pilgrims Progress."
As for us - the Calvinists – us on the other side of this. We think Greg Laurie is a Christian. I fully expect Chuck Smith to be in heaven. I think they do good work for the Kingdom of God and I have benefited from some of their preaching. We would like non-Calvinists to at least be willing to discuss the issue – or at the very least, we would like them to accurately represent what we believe (without the slightest hint of hyperbole I say that not one single non-Calvinist in the history of the world, as far as I know, seems to understand what Calvinism is – I mean that as a literal and true statement). Non Calvinists are not a problem to be solved, they are not heretics – if you are a non Calvinist who would like to attend the same church I go to – you would be welcomed. This near hatred is definitely a one-way street. NON-Calvinism is not a sin. There I said it. Simply. Plainly. I have non Calvinist books in my library – and I use them. Knowingly. I sure wish the other side could say the same.
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