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Again, I'm not a theologian, but this sounds like some mixture of predestination and prosperity gospel, not merely predestination. Most of Jesus's most influen
by KMag 4y ago
Again, I'm not a theologian, but this sounds like some mixture of predestination and prosperity gospel, not merely predestination. Most of Jesus's most influential early followers were hunted down and tortured by the Roman authorities, which wouldn't seem to jive with the proposed criteria.
- plorg 4y agoThis reads like you are suggesting that Calvinism is the same as early Christianity. There was no single organized Christian belief to speak of, and very likely what organization there was looked nothing like the church of 16th century Geneva let alone that of 18th to 21st century America.
- KMag 4y agoI'm saying if the way to know that you're predestined to be saved is that bad things aren't happening to you, that doesn't square with Jesus, Peter, and Paul, and many other early leaders having been tortured and killed by the Romans. Presumably, the Calvinists believed that Peter, Paul, and others were predestined to be saved, and that Jesus was on the right side of history. This is the first I've heard that John Calvin preached that bad things don't happen to people who are predestined for salvation.