Calvinism’s Misrepresentation of God.

A long overdue enlightenment has come to me from a book written by Dave Hunt. It is entitled “What love is this?” The book takes the teachings of the much beloved John Calvin and its miss representation of the love of God among a whole plethora of absolute unchristian theology.

Calvin has been acclaimed as a godly example who based his theology and actions upon Scripture alone. But much that he did was unbiblical in the extreme, though consistent with his theology. Is not that fact sufficient reason to examine Calvinism carefully from Scripture? Dave Hunt’s book just does that.

French theologian John Calvin attempted over a period of eight years to orchestrate the marriage of Church and State in Geneva, Switzerland. With fiendish determination he set his plan to transform the city into a model of God’s kingdom on earth, Calvin established numerous detailed “reforms” as well as devising a system to police citizens through regular home inspections—questioning the residents on all aspects of their beliefs and practice.

Quotes from historian Will Durant point out some of these un-Christ like “reforms,” for example, “The allowable color and quantity of clothing, and the number of dishes permissible at a meal… Jewelry and lace were frowned upon. A woman was jailed for arranging her hair to an immoral height (whatever that was) …To speak disrespectfully of Calvin or the clergy was a crime. A first violation of these ordinances was punished with a reprimand, further violation with fines, persistent violation with imprisonment or banishment. Fornication was to be punished with exile or drowning, adultery, blasphemy or idolatry (Oh my, (American idol) with death…a child was beheaded for striking its parents.”

I will skip over for now the burning at the stake of Miguel Servetus: The Arch Heretic. You may find this despicable event on a name search on Google. Again, referring to the “reforms” of Calvin beheading was the penalty for civil crimes burning at the stake was for theological heresy.

Gee, why haven’t we seen any burning at the stake of Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, Wiccans or Witches?

Does any of what has been noted here speak of a Christ like character? Did Jesus teach revenge against one’s enemies or the use of violence in the cause of Christ—much less the death sentence for heresy that was enforced in Calvin’s Geneva. Still today the multitude of Calvinists supporters have swept under the rug Calvin’s un-Christ like conduct.

Is not Christ alone the standard for His disciples? And is He not always the same, unchanged by time or culture (Hebrews 13:8). Can the popes be condemned (and rightly so) for the evil they have done and are doing under the banner of the Cross, while skinny Calvin is excused for doing much the same, though on a smaller scale?

Dave Hunt points out two Scriptures among many that condemn Calvin: But wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy (James 3:17). He that saith he abideth in him (Christ) ought himself also so to walk, even as he (Christ) walked (1 john 2:6).

It is a mystery to me how so many of today’s Christian leaders can continue to praise a man whose behavior was often so far removed from the life of Jesus and the examples of Scripture quoted.

In closing, the book covers the tyrannical kingdom of John Calvin and his experiment in “Christian” Dominionism.