Haeralis
Puritan Board Freshman
Something that I've never understood is why almost all of the historic bastions of the Biblical Reformed faith, whether it is New England, the Netherlands, Geneva or Scotland, are now some of the least religious places on the face of the Earth. Geneva, a place that was once called "the Protestant Rome" now has more Catholics in it than Protestants. The same holds true for all of these other places, last I checked. Granted, the Catholic Church isn't very strong either, with atheism or agnosticism having the plurality of support.
Did the Puritan work ethic lead to material prosperity that made people forget God? That's honestly the only thing I can really connect it to. Materialism innately rejects God, so if you produce so much wealth for your family to glorify God I guess somewhere along the line your posterity may just try to have the material rewards without embracing the cause of them (the spiritual and Christian fervor of their forefathers).
Please don't misunderstand; I am not saying that Calvinism encourages secularism. Sin does. It just seems like there has to be some reason that the great flagship countries of the Reformed faith are now wallowing in secularism and heinous sin.
Did the Puritan work ethic lead to material prosperity that made people forget God? That's honestly the only thing I can really connect it to. Materialism innately rejects God, so if you produce so much wealth for your family to glorify God I guess somewhere along the line your posterity may just try to have the material rewards without embracing the cause of them (the spiritual and Christian fervor of their forefathers).
Please don't misunderstand; I am not saying that Calvinism encourages secularism. Sin does. It just seems like there has to be some reason that the great flagship countries of the Reformed faith are now wallowing in secularism and heinous sin.