More on Calvinism

In response to Mr. Cleveland’s letter in the Sept. 17 issue regarding Baptist motivation versus Presbyterian motivation, the doctrine of Calvinism has nothing to do with who is better motivated.

Calvinism paints an ugly picture of God. I’ve been a pastor of four Southern Baptist churches over the last 25 years. I tell every one I speak to that God loves them and has a plan for them. I could not stand in the pulpit and face people every Sunday and tell them that God created some of them to love and keep and some to toss into hell and there is nothing they can do about it. What a horrible message.

I honestly don’t understand how anyone who is unashamedly Calvinist can face a person and ask the key question knowing that person has no choice in the matter.

If I thought for a minute that there are people for whom the gospel of Jesus Christ is not meant, I’d go back to a secular job and just let God do what He’s going to do.

In my opinion, this heretical doctrine is the result of men who think they are so intelligent they can figure out what God knows, when He knows it and what He would do with that information. They then squeeze an amazing, loving, patient and caring God into their tiny human minds and spit out this abhorrent thing called Calvinism.

I am not a Calvinist and I am not an Armenian: I am Southern Baptist. My message from God’s Word will always be that God loves everyone He created and offers them a chance to come to Him through the blood of Christ. God bless Southern Baptist preachers and leaders who cling to that precious promise.

Tony Barber
Hoover, Ala.