Round the Sphere Again
Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:29PM 
Has it really been a whole week since I did one of these?
Complementary
Kevin DeYoung tackles a question about the “new Calvinist” associations and their inssistance on complementarianism.
Not-So-Complimentary
In one of the most bizarre tributes I’ve every heard, Tony Campolo celebrates John Calvin’s 500th birthday by telling us that the Calvinist doctrine of total depravity is one of the factors behind the Nazi genocide. (As if Calvinism doesn’t also include the doctrine that all human beings are made in the image of God.) And did you know (so says Campolo) that homosexuals who come out of a Calvinist background feel free to behave licentiously because they know they’re not one of the elect? But anyone who knows Calvinism enough to comment on it on the radio should know that Calvinists believe that no one can know that they’re not one of the elect, because God chooses to save all kinds of sinners.
And there’s more: Calvinists think Christians should save their sacrificial giving for causes that help only fellow Christians. No helping world orphans and poor people for Calvinists! Oh, and Calvinism kills missions.
Calvin? He was just a big old meany and anyone who opposed Calvin was in serious trouble. The way it was in Geneva, according to TC, was “Don’t buck Calvin, or they’ll burn you at the stake.” Hey-ho. I wonder how all those Genevan Libertines survived, let alone were elected to town council.
I’m thinking maybe Mr. Campolo doesn’t know there’s a difference between a tribute and a roast. (HT to James White.)
Cutting Edge
Perhaps I was overprotective with my kiddos. HT for this vintage ad: Retro Comedy
Counting Numbers
Catching up with Sherry’s hymn project.
- Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (66)
- Jesus Loves Me (67)
- Children of the Heavenly Father (68). (This was one of my ten favorite hymns. I didn’t expect it to be on the top 100 hymn list, but I’m glad it is. The only other of my favorites on the top 100 list so far has been God Moves in a Mysterious Way.)
- All My Hope on God Is Founded (69)
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing (70)
- Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken (71)
- O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go (72)
- Shout to the Lord (73)
Reader Comments (2)
Poor Corrie ten Boom and her family; here they were thinking that Calvinism required doing good to people and respecting Jews, when really they were on the side of the Nazis the whole time!
This isn't the only time that Campolo has said things that seemed utterly weird to me; but this has to be one of the weirdest rants I've ever heard.
I too was disheartened by Campola's comments because he has such a wide voice in the evangelical world. I listened to the audio clip and was surprised at his ignorance of Calvinism. Yes, he does know what TULIP stands for and seems not to agree with any of these doctrines including eternal security and total depravity. His take on all these doctrines is so twisted and misinformed it seemed to me. It reminded me of the take of many liberals today who react to the notion that people can go to hell. What a mean spirited illogical doctrine that is!!
Also, in regard to only helping church members and not reaching out to others, does he not know that the founder of the Red Cross was a Calvinist from Geneva (Dumont). Of course the story of Servetus is referred to as it always is. In truth, Calvin was not directly involved with this killing. He did try to reason with Servetus from scripture concerning his wrong thinking about the trinity and when Servetus refused to listen, he still begged the city council to go more leniently with him. Of course killings for heresy do sound terrible in our day but not so at that time as church and state were still closely joined and it was the state councils which enacted them. The council actually went against Calvin (he may have had to sign some agreement with it in the end however), rather than following his request.
It is too bad that people who admire TC are given all this misinformation.