Words: 542
Calvinism Calvinism, as stated by the document, outlines that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. It also states that Man is predestined to salvation (heaven) and Man can never lose their salvation. T. U. L. I. P explains further into what Calvinism is. T stands for Total Depravity. Total Depravity means that men are sinners, to the core. It states that we were even born sinners. Now that begs the question “Why would a God want his subjects to be, basically, pure evil? . “The Calvinist asks the question, ‘In light of the scriptures that declare man’s true nature as being utterly lost and incapable, how is it possible for anyone to choose or desire God? ‘ The answer is, ‘He cannot. Therefore God must predestine. ” That is a direct quote from the document and it makes me wonder, “Did God make his subjects to, for lack of a better term, stupid to decide for themselves about faith and God? ” U is for Unconditional Election.
Unconditional Election says that God doesn’t choose you to be saved based on merit, he chooses you, or doesn’t choose you, based on his kindness. So whether the Calvinist goes to Heaven or Hell is based on chance. God now resembles the Batman villain Two-Face. L stands for Limited Atonement. Limited Atonement means that Jesus died only for those destined for salvation. I thought this statement didn’t need to be said. If God predestines you to Hell, it doesn’t matter how many people die for you, you’re still not going to Heaven.
I is for Irresistible Grace. Irresistible Grace says that when God calls for the people who have been given salvation, they cannot resist. This is said as if the people would decide Hell is better than Heaven. Irresistible Grace also states that faith is declared to be the work of God and God appoints people to believe. I found this interesting. If that is true, that faith and belief is God’s work, why isn’t everyone a Calvinist? P stands for Perseverance of the Saints. Perseverance of the Saints states you can never lose your salvation.
That means if you were lucky enough to win the coin toss you never had to worry about going to Hell. Arminianism is the closest thing Calvinism has to a brother. And just like brothers they look alike but have key differences. Arminianism, as stated by the document, states that “God looked into the future to see who would pick him and then He chose them. ” It also said that men chose, through their actions, whether they wanted to be saved or not and the Arminianism said that it is possible to lose your salvation.
Arminianism is, without a doubt, more lenient than Calvinism. However it is not without it’s contradictions. This question interested me: Why would a god choose a subject for salvation if they were just going to screw up and lose their salvation? After reading this document, I realized how powerful faith is. I could read this document and pick things out and make fun of them, but no matter what I say people are still going to have their faith. I think that is what interested me the most.