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Dan Sides's avatar

The source of Calvinism’s anxiety is easily demonstrated by thinking about riding/driving in a car. Which produces more anxiety? Driving a car or riding in a car as passenger? Since anxiety is largely about control, and since Calvinism cede’s all control to God, it’s natural for that theology to be anxiety producing.

As a side note, I personally am not sure that Calvin was a redeemed person. He gave his approval of the execution of Michael Servetus due to his views on the Trinity as well as his opposition to infant baptism. Hard to look past that.

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Mark's avatar

As a lawyer who got deep into Calvinism in my 20s, I have to say I feel seen here:

“You can see the conflict here, between a bulletproof theological system and the raw experiences of life. As a logical system, Calvinism has a compelling crystalline beauty. Calvin, let's recall, was a lawyer. Many rationalistic types, if you've ever chatted with a staunch Calvinist, find this analytical system captivating. Like a complex puzzle, Calvinism is a vast logical structure to be explored. So down they go, into this dogmatic, analytical rabbit hole.”

And the deeper they go down that rabbit hole while they progress farther down the messy journey of life, the more tightly some hold to their supposed rationality even as it leads them to self-evidently evil conclusions. As Chesterton said, “The madman is not the man who has lost his reason. The madman is the man who has lost everything except his reason.”

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