If you are one of the handful of people who look at this blog on a regular basis, you know by now that I am a Calvinist. This does not mean that I agree with all of the teachings of the great Reformer John Calvin. What it does mean is that I hold to the Doctrines of Grace, or what is commonly known as the 5 points of Calvinism.Many of my relatives and friends are not Calvinists. In fact, many are Arminians. I even grew up in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition. The beauty of all this, of course, is that Calvinists and Arminians are all Christians as long as they repent and believe in Jesus Christ alone as Lord and Savior.
Why bother bring all this up? Here is the reason: when Arminianism and Calvinism are compared, one side is usually disparaged and described in a manner that is not accurate. However, I recently stumbled upon what I believe is a fair comparison of the points of the two theological systems. In other words, if an Arminian and a Calvinist read these descriptions together, they would probably both agree that they are accurate.
Is there any point to all of this? Yes, there is. It is extremely important that we know not only what we believe, but also why we believe it. I hope this comparison will cause you to think about these things.
To go to the site, click here.
2 comments:
Eric,
Thank you for linking to this site. I have not read all of the content, but I think it can be good. If... if... if we read "the other side" with a view towards understanding instead of with a view towards tearing it apart.
-Alan
Alan,
I think a big part of the problem on this issue continues to be that the two "sides" paint each other as being much more extreme than they are. In reality, Arminians and Calvinists have a lot more in common with one another theologically than they have to differ about.
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