At first, you might consider this line of thought to be a theological rabbit trail, but the influence of Calvinism explains everything; not only the massive hypocrisy evident in American history, but also how a large portion of the American electorate could, in 2016, elect an anti-christ figure – an incompetent, vicious, criminal-minded, racist reprobate as president - and justify it as a religious obligation.
Although you may not recognize that Calvinism has impacted the way you think, Calvinist philosophy was incorporated into the American mindset from the very beginning. The so-called protestant work ethic, where people seek fulfillment in making and hording money, even at the expense of others, i.e., capitalism, is American Calvinism. Indian removal, native genocide, chattel slavery, oligarchy, revolution, manifest destiny, and exceptionalism, all of which stem from pride and the love of money, were justified by the anti-biblical Calvinist doctrines of the English settlers.
Although you may not recognize that Calvinism has impacted the way you think, Calvinist philosophy was incorporated into the American mindset from the very beginning. The so-called protestant work ethic, where people seek fulfillment in making and hording money, even at the expense of others, i.e., capitalism, is American Calvinism. Indian removal, native genocide, chattel slavery, oligarchy, revolution, manifest destiny, and exceptionalism, all of which stem from pride and the love of money, were justified by the anti-biblical Calvinist doctrines of the English settlers.
Calvinists were slave holders who murdered the natives to steal their land
The early colonists in America, including the Pilgrims and Puritans, were Calvinists and although they claimed christianity, they were slave holders who murdered the natives to steal their land - a simple historical fact that cannot be denied by any sane person. Today, many of the worst tendencies of the modern American political right-wing protestant church are directly attributable to the influence of Calvinism. The Modern right-wing political church’s dominionist movement, that many Atheists fear as a budding form of theocratic fascism, is a specifically Calvinistic doctrine.
To understand Calvinism, we need to recognize that it is derived from Catholicism and that Catholicism itself is not Biblical Christianity. That’s right, the most visible christian denomination in the world is not Christianity as taught by JESUS in the BIBLE.
Catholicism was created by the Romans in the 4th century. They hoped that by creating a universal religion acceptable to both pagans and christians they could strengthen their declining empire.
Over time, the Catholics distorted the basic teachings of the BIBLE in order to assert control over the christian religion as a vehicle for political and economic domination. From the 4th century onward, the Romans incorporated unbiblical pagan doctrines into their catholic version of christianity, including things like the deification of Mary, idol worship, purgatory, fatalism, pagan holidays, and so on. They even removed the commandment against creating graven images (idols) from their Catechism (statement of faith) because the Catholics had incorporated pagan statuary into their rituals.
By the 1500’s the European Catholic church had become so corrupt, perverse, and un-biblical that a Catholic priest named Martin Luther (1483-1546) risked his life to protest the outrageous apostasy of the church. By this time, the Catholic church was actually selling licenses to sin, called indulgences. The inquisition (a religious court that killed and tortured people who did not obey the church) had been in effect for hundreds of years and eventually murdered more real Christians than even the pagan emperors of (pre-christian) imperial Rome. Luther’s protest against the murderous outrages of the catholic church was taken up by others and eventually led to a widespread European religious movement known as the protestant reformation.
In the middle 1500’s, John Calvin (1509-1564) created a false un-biblical church doctrine (teaching) meant to philosophically combat the errors of Catholicism. Calvin had been an employee of the Catholic church until he and his family were reprimanded by the church.
As a Catholic, Calvin had been dedicated to the occult teachings of an early Catholic priest, Augustine of Hippo, so-called called Saint Augustine (354-430 AD). Augustine had been an occult philosopher before becoming a Catholic and his former occult beliefs greatly impacted his political/philosophical version of Christianity. Augustine created much of the doctrine that the Catholics eventually used to justify their unbiblical worldly political control of Europe. He was the first to encourage the use of deadly force to make individuals and nations comply with the political and religious dictates of the church. Augustine’s heretical doctrines were derived from ancient philosophy, not the words of JESUS in the New Testament.
After defecting from the catholic church, Calvin recycled many of Augustine’s heresies into his own doctrine, which became known as Calvinism. In short, Calvin’s theology was/is based in Augustine’s occult philosophical speculations instead of what the BIBLE actually says. Thus, Calvin’s religion was/is just an extension of Augustine’s warlike political Catholicism – and is a heresy, i.e., anti-christ.
In 1541, Calvin was invited to become the protestant religious leader of Geneva, an independent city-state in Switzerland. Through a long series of political maneuvers, Calvin managed to transform Geneva into a protestant police state. It became illegal to disobey or to even disagree with Calvin in any respect. Like the Catholics before him, Calvin used imprisonment, torture, murder, excommunication (being banned from the church and consequently considered to be damned) and banishment (commanded to leave the territory - leave your extended family, your means of making a living and your property - or be executed) to force people to practice his new false version of Christianity. He presided over the executions of at least 58 people charged with various religious offenses (many others committed suicide in prison rather than submit to torture; the imprisoned were tortured even if they were not guilty). See “Erasmus And The Right To Heresy” (published in 1934) for a recount of Calvin’s actions in Geneva.
Nevertheless, Calvin’s publications were so popular that Calvinism became the accepted form of Protestantism in many European countries. The church of England became Calvinist. A faction in the English church called the Puritans made it their mission to completely “purify” the Church of England of any ritual reminders of Catholicism. When the Church of England didn’t agree to their demands, the Puritans set out for America to create a Calvinistic theocracy. (1620)
The Puritans saw themselves as chosen people - white English people - going into a dark wilderness to create a society that would be a beacon of Christianity to the world. Christians are supposed to be a GODLY example that will make other people want to follow JESUS. Mat 5:14 However, the puritans in utter disobedience to the BIBLE, created a slave state, stole the land from the non-white people who lived there and murdered them instead of being that example that would make them want to convert to Christianity.
So, what is Calvinism - exactly?
To understand Calvinism, we need to recognize that it is derived from Catholicism and that Catholicism itself is not Biblical Christianity. That’s right, the most visible christian denomination in the world is not Christianity as taught by JESUS in the BIBLE.
Catholicism was created by the Romans in the 4th century. They hoped that by creating a universal religion acceptable to both pagans and christians they could strengthen their declining empire.
Catholicism is not Biblical Christianity
Over time, the Catholics distorted the basic teachings of the BIBLE in order to assert control over the christian religion as a vehicle for political and economic domination. From the 4th century onward, the Romans incorporated unbiblical pagan doctrines into their catholic version of christianity, including things like the deification of Mary, idol worship, purgatory, fatalism, pagan holidays, and so on. They even removed the commandment against creating graven images (idols) from their Catechism (statement of faith) because the Catholics had incorporated pagan statuary into their rituals.
By the 1500’s the European Catholic church had become so corrupt, perverse, and un-biblical that a Catholic priest named Martin Luther (1483-1546) risked his life to protest the outrageous apostasy of the church. By this time, the Catholic church was actually selling licenses to sin, called indulgences. The inquisition (a religious court that killed and tortured people who did not obey the church) had been in effect for hundreds of years and eventually murdered more real Christians than even the pagan emperors of (pre-christian) imperial Rome. Luther’s protest against the murderous outrages of the catholic church was taken up by others and eventually led to a widespread European religious movement known as the protestant reformation.
In the middle 1500’s, John Calvin (1509-1564) created a false un-biblical church doctrine (teaching) meant to philosophically combat the errors of Catholicism. Calvin had been an employee of the Catholic church until he and his family were reprimanded by the church.
As a Catholic, Calvin had been dedicated to the occult teachings of an early Catholic priest, Augustine of Hippo, so-called called Saint Augustine (354-430 AD). Augustine had been an occult philosopher before becoming a Catholic and his former occult beliefs greatly impacted his political/philosophical version of Christianity. Augustine created much of the doctrine that the Catholics eventually used to justify their unbiblical worldly political control of Europe. He was the first to encourage the use of deadly force to make individuals and nations comply with the political and religious dictates of the church. Augustine’s heretical doctrines were derived from ancient philosophy, not the words of JESUS in the New Testament.
Calvin just recycled Augustine’s heresies
After defecting from the catholic church, Calvin recycled many of Augustine’s heresies into his own doctrine, which became known as Calvinism. In short, Calvin’s theology was/is based in Augustine’s occult philosophical speculations instead of what the BIBLE actually says. Thus, Calvin’s religion was/is just an extension of Augustine’s warlike political Catholicism – and is a heresy, i.e., anti-christ.
Geneva 1541 AD
In 1541, Calvin was invited to become the protestant religious leader of Geneva, an independent city-state in Switzerland. Through a long series of political maneuvers, Calvin managed to transform Geneva into a protestant police state. It became illegal to disobey or to even disagree with Calvin in any respect. Like the Catholics before him, Calvin used imprisonment, torture, murder, excommunication (being banned from the church and consequently considered to be damned) and banishment (commanded to leave the territory - leave your extended family, your means of making a living and your property - or be executed) to force people to practice his new false version of Christianity. He presided over the executions of at least 58 people charged with various religious offenses (many others committed suicide in prison rather than submit to torture; the imprisoned were tortured even if they were not guilty). See “Erasmus And The Right To Heresy” (published in 1934) for a recount of Calvin’s actions in Geneva.
Nevertheless, Calvin’s publications were so popular that Calvinism became the accepted form of Protestantism in many European countries. The church of England became Calvinist. A faction in the English church called the Puritans made it their mission to completely “purify” the Church of England of any ritual reminders of Catholicism. When the Church of England didn’t agree to their demands, the Puritans set out for America to create a Calvinistic theocracy. (1620)
The Puritans saw themselves as chosen people - white English people - going into a dark wilderness to create a society that would be a beacon of Christianity to the world. Christians are supposed to be a GODLY example that will make other people want to follow JESUS. Mat 5:14 However, the puritans in utter disobedience to the BIBLE, created a slave state, stole the land from the non-white people who lived there and murdered them instead of being that example that would make them want to convert to Christianity.
Calvin’s false Augustinian religious philosophy – which called for the use of force to make people comply with the demands of the church leaders - allowed the Puritans to rationalize their use of deadly force (genocide and slavery) to get what they wanted (money) in the new world and still pretend among themselves that they were all saved Christians.
Calvin’s 5 Point Religious System
Calvin created what is known as a systematic theology; an attempt to arrange Christianity into a simple one-sided system of basic beliefs – done from a worldly academic perspective and not from a GODLY spiritual one. Calvin’s system was/is tainted by Augustine’s pagan philosophy, and is therefore based on a heresy. Calvin’s system can only be accepted if one ignores all the BIBLE verses that oppose his 5 main points. As such, like other heretics and cultists, Calvinists reject GOD’s WORD when it does not agree with what they want to believe. The 5 points are commonly summarized under the acrostic: T-U-L-I-P.
(T)otal Depravity
(U)nconditional Election
(L)imited Atonement
(I)rresistible Grace
(P)erseverance of The Saints
Total Depravity – also called Total Inability (to seek salvation)
Calvinists, through Augustine’s occultism, believe that all mankind inherited Adam and Eve’s original sin at birth and therefore are depraved, i.e., evil in every aspect of their being. For some reason, they also believe that mankind lost the free-will ability to choose to do good or to obey GOD – neither of which are stated in the BIBLE.
Total depravity reflects the influence of gnostic philosophy on Calvin by way of his occultic hero, Augustine. The ancient gnostics were an occult religious sect that believed everything in the material world was impure and evil. According to this belief, man’s physical being is evil and unable to choose to do good or obey GOD.
No one in the early church, including the original apostles, believed in total depravity. They actually believed that the gospel only made sense if people were able to choose to obey GOD out of their own free will. If GOD forced people to obey like slaves, they would not be obeying GOD out of love - they wouldn’t even be responsible for their own actions; invalidating the test for separating out those who will choose to obey GOD out of love.
The English Calvinists used the doctrine of total depravity to label anyone who refused to obey them as being depraved, evil, and under demonic influence; and therefore, worthy of death. Calvinists used Total depravity as a justification for using violence and murder to rule other human beings and steal their stuff.
(U)nconditional Election (Predestination)
Predestination is essentially the same as fatalism, the belief that everyone is born with an unchangeable fate, as taught by the gnostics and other ancient pagan religions. Calvin brought the gnostic heresy, fought for so long by the ancient church fathers, back into the mediaeval church.
Calvinism claims that your destiny was determined by GOD – at random – before you were ever born. Either you were created to be saved (predestined to be Elect) or you were predestined to be damned (un-elect). According to their false doctrine, because you have no free-will, and GOD has already chosen, there is nothing you can do about it. This un-Biblical concept is a main talking point that atheists use to criticize what they think is Christianity.
The puritan Calvinists hypocritically used the doctrines of election and total depravity to justify killing and enslaving the natives. They eventually claimed (1650’s) that the natives were satanic, depraved and not part of the elect, so the Calvinists could kill and enslave them and still consider themselves to be good because their victims were already predestined to their fate – like the Africans who they also enslaved.
Limited Atonement
Calvinist doctrine says that CHRIST didn’t sacrifice HIMSELF (atone) for everyone’s sins, only for the Calvinist “elect”. This heretical statement is so outrageous that even many Calvinists don’t buy it.
Determined Calvinists appear to use the doctrine of limited atonement to justify ignoring the great commandment spoken by JESUS:
“Love GOD and love your neighbor as yourself” Mark 12:30-31
If, as they say, JESUS only died for the “elect”, then the Calvinist is not required to treat those who he considers to be non-elect as his brothers. A virtual “get out of jail free” card that allowed them to murder and enslave other human beings and call it christianity. The native people who would not submit to the arrogant hypocritical Puritan Calvinists, who invaded their land and then demanded their obedience, were simply categorized as “not elect” and killed.
Irresistible Grace
Calvinism claims that since mankind can’t seek GOD or obey because of inherited sin, GOD forces the ones HE has chosen to be saved – even without their knowledge or consent. In other words, because GOD has already chosen them, the elect person can’t resist Calvinist salvation.
This is a logical flaw in the system because some people do reject Calvinism and some former Calvinists even reject Christianity altogether. How can people who openly deny GOD be accounted for in light of Irresistible Grace? Calvinists simply claim that these people must not have ever been saved in the first place.
Logically then, if Calvinists can’t tell whether another Calvinist is saved, how could they have ever had any basis for determining whether their historical victims weren't destined to be saved; and then use that determination as a pretext to slaughter them?
Believing that you can’t lose your salvation (if, in fact, you are one of the elect) was another religious “get out of jail free card” used by people who took part in the commission of one of the greatest sins in history. Taking the Americas cost tens of millions of lives - as many as any war or political regime in history. Even Calvin himself admitted that his doctrine of perseverance was being used as an excuse by people who were determined to sin.
Perseverance of The Saints is closely related to the “Once saved always saved” false teaching that is so common in modern American right-wing political churches; particularly the Southern Baptist church. “Accept JESUS as your personal savior and you cannot be lost” - no matter what you do after that. Go out and live however you want and you still get to go to heaven.
This is not the BIBLE. Practically every promise in the BIBLE is conditional - a part of the contract between GOD and man. The word “testament” means contract. If you obey HIS WORD, then GOD will bless you according to the promises HE has made. GOD did not bless anyone for disobedience. Insanely, people seem to think that they can dictate conditions to GOD. “Once saved always saved” is a highly debatable doctrine, I would never encourage anyone to base their salvation on it. Why would JESUS give us the teaching on the Great White Throne Judgement if multitudes of christians are not deceived as to their eternal fate? Rev 20:11-15, Mat 25:31-46 If Paul said he could be lost – so can you. 1 Co 9:24-27
This is a logical flaw in the system because some people do reject Calvinism and some former Calvinists even reject Christianity altogether. How can people who openly deny GOD be accounted for in light of Irresistible Grace? Calvinists simply claim that these people must not have ever been saved in the first place.
Logically then, if Calvinists can’t tell whether another Calvinist is saved, how could they have ever had any basis for determining whether their historical victims weren't destined to be saved; and then use that determination as a pretext to slaughter them?
Perseverance of The Saints - the “elect” cannot lose the salvation that has been irresistibly forced on them.
Believing that you can’t lose your salvation (if, in fact, you are one of the elect) was another religious “get out of jail free card” used by people who took part in the commission of one of the greatest sins in history. Taking the Americas cost tens of millions of lives - as many as any war or political regime in history. Even Calvin himself admitted that his doctrine of perseverance was being used as an excuse by people who were determined to sin.
Perseverance of The Saints is closely related to the “Once saved always saved” false teaching that is so common in modern American right-wing political churches; particularly the Southern Baptist church. “Accept JESUS as your personal savior and you cannot be lost” - no matter what you do after that. Go out and live however you want and you still get to go to heaven.
This is not the BIBLE. Practically every promise in the BIBLE is conditional - a part of the contract between GOD and man. The word “testament” means contract. If you obey HIS WORD, then GOD will bless you according to the promises HE has made. GOD did not bless anyone for disobedience. Insanely, people seem to think that they can dictate conditions to GOD. “Once saved always saved” is a highly debatable doctrine, I would never encourage anyone to base their salvation on it. Why would JESUS give us the teaching on the Great White Throne Judgement if multitudes of christians are not deceived as to their eternal fate? Rev 20:11-15, Mat 25:31-46 If Paul said he could be lost – so can you. 1 Co 9:24-27
THE AMERICAN CALVINIST FORMULA FOR SELF-JUSTIFICATION
This is the formula that American Calvinists used (and still use) to justify their sins:
- GOD pre-planned everything, including everyone’s actions and decisions.
- Certain people have been pre-selected (at random) to be saved and go to heaven when they die (specifically white Calvinists).
- When someone accepts Calvinist christianity (specifically white Calvinists), they cannot ever lose their salvation.
- As part of the elect, the Calvinist’s actions are pre-approved in GOD’s plan.
- So, whatever a Calvinist chooses to do, no matter how sinful, is considered to be GOD’s will.
THIS IS THE KEY!
If, as Calvinists believe, those already chosen for salvation (Calvinists) cannot lose their salvation, their sins do not count against them!
This false teaching from the pit of hell, freed the English protestants in America to ignore the words of JESUS in the New Testament and commit whatever sins required to get money and political power (including destroying the lives of multitudes of innocent people).
Calvinism is against the BIBLE – it is a human philosophy that can easily be refuted by opposing teachings in the New Testament. It does not accurately reflect the teachings of JESUS and the Apostles. The point of this entire presentation is to show that Christianity and the BIBLE do not and never did justify the actions of the European Calvinists or the sinful actions of “christian” America in general. The Calvinists, like the Catholics before them, used their own false interpretation of christianity to justify themselves in doing things that were plainly anti-christ.
Satan fights the church from within, using temptation and false doctrine to get people to destroy themselves and destroy others.
CONCLUSION
Calvinism is against the BIBLE – it is a human philosophy that can easily be refuted by opposing teachings in the New Testament. It does not accurately reflect the teachings of JESUS and the Apostles. The point of this entire presentation is to show that Christianity and the BIBLE do not and never did justify the actions of the European Calvinists or the sinful actions of “christian” America in general. The Calvinists, like the Catholics before them, used their own false interpretation of christianity to justify themselves in doing things that were plainly anti-christ.
Satan fights the church from within, using temptation and false doctrine to get people to destroy themselves and destroy others.
May I say, we become like the God we worship. If we believe God has segrigated humans we will follow Him. If we believe God appoints some to dead we will appoint some to death. We emulate what we believe God to be. The Calvinists simply practice what they have agreed to believe God practices. They have ignored the Gospel of Jesus Christ and embraced the gospel of John Calvin. They follow the wrong J.C. Thank you for your article. Well done.
ReplyDeleteCatholicism is the only Biblical Christianity, and it for this reason that the Catholic Church excommunicated Calvin for perverting doctrine.
ReplyDeleteThis is false. Study the history of Catholicism to see it's long history of apostacy. Calvin was actually a life long devotee of the Catholic philosopher Augustine - one of his biggest problems.
ReplyDelete