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You can easily look up the technical aspects of it online. The stated theology is rather complicated.
I was raised in The Reformed Church, a Calvinist church. Left it when I hit adulthood, still have some vestiges of the damage, probably always will.
In practice, it means that you are never ever to forget that you are nothing but dirt. No matter what, do not allow yourself to think anything positive about yourself, for that in and of itself is a sin. Always always always you must keep in mind that you are first and foremost a sinner and in danger of going to hell if you die with sins on your soul. God has Jesus watching every move you make, and he even knows what you are thinking, especially when you are thinking sinful thoughts, which are pretty much all of your thoughts. Satan is always around trying to make you do bad things and think bad things. If you think or do something bad, it's because YOU let Satan lead you astray.
You are trained from childhood to pray and beg God to forgive you every day for being such a low-life and for thinking all the bad things you thought all day, even if you didn't actually DO anything wrong. You thought them, and that's enough to send you to hell if you die without asking to be forgiven. And God can strike you dead at any moment if he feels like it. You could die while you're sleeping, and if you forgot to pray and ask God to forgive you before you went to sleep, well, you're in big trouble for all eternity.
This all just means that Jesus/God LOVES you, because you were lucky enough to be SAVED. Not everyone is. You see, the people who God decided to save are predestined to be saved and since you got to hear about God, chances are, you were one of those people. HOWEVER, this does not mean that you can take being saved for granted and just think like a normal person. No. You might not actually be one of those special predestined ones, or you can lose the predestination status by tripping up and thinking or doing bad things and listening to Satan. Then you go to hell when you die. Or maybe you were never really predestined and thought you were. That part I never quite got.
The Bible is literally the dictated Word of God. You are not to say anything bad about the Bible. Or think anything bad about the Bible.
Oh yeah, do not let yourself feel sad or angry or afraid, ever. Even if you actually feel that way, understand that those feelings are wrong. Jesus loves you and DIED on the cross for you, so you have no right to feel sad or fearful or angry.
One good thing that the Reformed Church does is provide lots of business for psychotherapists and psychiatrists.
You can easily look up the technical aspects of it online. The stated theology is rather complicated.
I was raised in The Reformed Church, a Calvinist church. Left it when I hit adulthood, still have some vestiges of the damage, probably always will.
In practice, it means that you are never ever to forget that you are nothing but dirt. No matter what, do not allow yourself to think anything positive about yourself, for that in and of itself is a sin. Always always always you must keep in mind that you are first and foremost a sinner and in danger of going to hell if you die with sins on your soul. God has Jesus watching every move you make, and he even knows what you are thinking, especially when you are thinking sinful thoughts, which are pretty much all of your thoughts. Satan is always around trying to make you do bad things and think bad things. If you think or do something bad, it's because YOU let Satan lead you astray.
You are trained from childhood to pray and beg God to forgive you every day for being such a low-life and for thinking all the bad things you thought all day, even if you didn't actually DO anything wrong. You thought them, and that's enough to send you to hell if you die without asking to be forgiven. And God can strike you dead at any moment if he feels like it. You could die while you're sleeping, and if you forgot to pray and ask God to forgive you before you went to sleep, well, you're in big trouble for all eternity.
This all just means that Jesus/God LOVES you, because you were lucky enough to be SAVED. Not everyone is. You see, the people who God decided to save are predestined to be saved and since you got to hear about God, chances are, you were one of those people. HOWEVER, this does not mean that you can take being saved for granted and just think like a normal person. No. You might not actually be one of those special predestined ones, or you can lose the predestination status by tripping up and thinking or doing bad things and listening to Satan. Then you go to hell when you die.
The Bible is literally the dictated Word of God. You are not to say anything bad about the Bible. Or think anything bad about the Bible.
Oh yeah, do not let yourself feel sad or angry or afraid, ever. Even if you actually feel that way, understand that those feelings are wrong. Jesus loves you and DIED on the cross for you, so you have no right to feel sad or fearful or angry.
One good thing that the Reformed Church does is provide lots of business for psychotherapists and psychiatrists.
I was one without really reaizing it at the time. Very much sin conscious. Most fundies on here may not be Calvinists, but hold to some form of Calvinism. If you are not all in being involved in Calvinism, this belief system will screw and mess you up like none other. I think Vizio or Baptistfundie are Calvinists, i could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure he is.
I was one without really reaizing it at the time. Very much sin conscious. Most fundies on here may not be Calvinists, but hold to some form of Calvinism. If you are not all in being involved in Calvinism, this belief system will screw and mess you up like none other. I think Vizio or Baptistfundie are Calvinists, i could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure he is.
As I said elsewhere:
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticPhD
Calvinism is the evil nightmare of human imagination. It is beyond preposterous.
I was one without really reaizing it at the time. Very much sin conscious. Most fundies on here may not be Calvinists, but hold to some form of Calvinism. If you are not all in being involved in Calvinism, this belief system will screw and mess you up like none other. I think Vizio or Baptistfundie are Calvinists, i could be wrong, but i'm pretty sure he is.
It did say in the Wikipedia article that modern-day "Evangelicals" are very Calvinistic in nature. That would fit most of the American fundamentalist-type Christian sects.
Like all things, there are various types of Calvinists. Not everyone is a five-point Calvinist. The five points are remembered as TULIP:
T - Total depravity
U - Unconditional election
L - Limited atonement
I - Irresistible grace
P - Perseverance of the saint
Here is a quote from noted Calvinist John Piper's website (link): "It starts with man in need of salvation (Total depravity) and then gives, in the order of their occurrence, the steps God takes to save his people. He elects (Unconditional election), then he sends Jesus to atone for the sins of the elect (Limited atonement), then he irresistibly draws his people to faith (Irresistible grace), and finally works to cause them to persevere to the end (Perseverance of the saints).
I have found, however, that people grasp these points more easily if we go in the order in which we ourselves often experience them when we become Christians.
We experience first our depravity and need of salvation.
Then we experience the irresistible grace of God leading us toward faith.
Then we trust the sufficiency of the atoning death of Christ for our sins.
Then we discover that behind the work of God to atone for our sins and bring us to faith was the unconditional election of God.
And finally we rest in his electing grace to give us the strength and will to persevere to the end in faith."
The free-will aspect is usually where it gets complicated -- it's intellectually challenging to reconcile our free will with God's power and grace.
I guess I would like to think that one can be a Calvinist, or not, and still believe many of the same clear scriptural truths, such as Ephesians 2:8-10:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
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