John Calvin

sola_gratia · #1 (**permalink**) 07-01-2006, 02:07 AM

Don't you just love reading stuff like this:

Quote:

I've got a new found respect for Tommy Jefferson. I liked him before, particularly for his quotes "... it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" and so on, but I found his views on Calvinism, and I smile.

For those that don't know, I disagree heavily with Calvinism. I disagree with a belief in a mean god that forces us through fate into heaven or hell, not allowing us any choices that could allow us to accept this god's supposed grace, but yet it is still our fault. My belief is for a loving being that is omnipotent, and thus capable of giving us the ability to choose to love Him or not while still being all powerful. I don't believe that God hammered out some fate that only a few will be saved that Calvin's god supposedly chose to save before even offering the choice to accept or reject that god, and without offering the choice to be saved to anyone else, and that only those that agree with that hateful man's views and do good works in Calvin's name and worship will be saved, instead of those that accept the sacrifice and love of Christ.

But, Jefferson, in a letter to John Adams, said this:

"I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an Atheist, which I can never be; or rather his religion was Daemonism. If ever man worshipped a false god, he did."

I post this in church history, because it frustrates me to see how little of church history Christians actually know. You see people slandering Calvin, and you can tell
just by the way they are talking that they've never even read Calvin, or anything that explains how the term "Calvinism" came around.

His perspective of Calvin, and "Calvinism" is usually the first thing I hear people say when they find out I believe the doctrines of grace to be true.

It's sad, really.

VirginiaHuguenot · #2 (**permalink**) 07-01-2006, 02:09 AM

See this thread for that and other similar quotes by Thomas Jefferson.

sola_gratia · #3 (**permalink**) 07-01-2006, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
See this thread for that and other similar quotes by Thomas Jefferson.

What section is that in?I get a "Sorry, you are not permitted to view this forum" when I click that link.

VirginiaHuguenot · #4 (**permalink**) 07-01-2006, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sola_gratia

Quote:

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
See this thread for that and other similar quotes by Thomas Jefferson.

What section is that in?I get a "Sorry, you are not permitted to view this forum" when I click that link.

That's in the politics forum. It's one of several that is accessible only if you ask the admins for permission. See this thread for more info.

bigheavyq · #5 (**permalink**) 07-01-2006, 07:47 AM

[quote]Originally posted by sola_gratia
Don't you just love reading stuff like this:

Quote:

I've got a new found respect for Tommy Jefferson. I liked him before, particularly for his quotes "... it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg" and so on, but I found his views on Calvinism, and I smile.

For those that don't know, I disagree heavily with Calvinism. I disagree with a belief in a mean god that forces us through fate into heaven or hell, not allowing us any choices that could allow us to accept this god's supposed grace, but yet it is still our fault. My belief is for a loving being that is omnipotent, and thus capable of giving us the ability to choose to love Him or not while still being all powerful. I don't believe that God hammered out some fate that only a few will be saved that Calvin's god supposedly chose to save before even offering the choice to accept or reject that god, and without offering the choice to be saved to anyone else, and that only those that agree with that hateful man's views and do good works in Calvin's name and worship will be saved, instead of those that accept the sacrifice and love of Christ.

But, Jefferson, in a letter to John Adams, said this:

"I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an Atheist, which I can never be; or rather his religion was Daemonism. If ever man worshipped a false god, he did."

hey who said this?