Opinion of Calvinism

[DINGO Joe]

In the Lutheran tradition we tend to see Calvinism as a harsher, more intolerant and joyless version of protestantism and my view of it is influenced by this tradition since my actual knowledge of the topic is rather limited.

In a nutshell this.  TJ wrote good stuff too.

[H. Ross Peron]

My own theological views. BTW DC Al Fine, what denomination are you? I'm Presbyterian myself (although my church apparently decided to affiliate with the CRC).

[DC Al Fine]

Presbyterian Church in America, which is odd given my nationality.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Came in various different varieties so difficult to judge... the ones transplanted to America though... but really that in only survives in scattered intellectual ruins and the occasional prejudice.

As I said before, I consider myself a prebysterian atheist, so yeah... can't hate it too much.

[Torie]

My rather uneducated impression is that Calvinism was a mixed bag. Predestination motivated folks to be productive, and pillars of the community, as the Yin, but also as the Yang fueled a perception that those of low station were out of God's favor, which tended to lead to something of a Social Darwinist attitude. Failure = sin.

[anvi]

I was destined not to like Calvinism.

[DC Al Fine]

In the Lutheran tradition we tend to see Calvinism as a harsher, more intolerant and joyless version of protestantism and my view of it is influenced by this tradition since my actual knowledge of the topic is rather limited.

Since Calvinism has an "image problem" in many countries it would be more interesting to hear from you what you like about it.

It's definitely a good bastion for fundamentalists.  I don't think John Calvin himself had a problem with science or felt particularly strong about the issues fundamentalists rally about today, but they certainly like his conservative teachings.

I'd dispute that we are fundamentalists in the modern sense of the term. As evidence, I point to the fact that we piss off fundamentalists all the time, largely for rejecting dispensationalism and endorsing alcohol use.

We are certainly quite conservative. For whatever reason, our traditions have tended to be abandoned by liberals instead of changed by them a la Anglicanism or Lutheranism.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I need to update this; the Bible does teach predestination in Ephesians, but it says that people are only predestined to be saved, not lost.  Regardless, people still have to choose to accept that salvation.