Methodism and Calvinism

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The remarkably short history of Methodism

Methodism isn’t as old as one might think. It’s older than cars and television but not older than the Black Death. It is much like German Pietism. With a big deal of conversion and holiness.
The founder of Methodism is named John Wesley. John and his brother Charles started a religious group at Oxford University in 1729. Because of their resolution to live their lives and religious study by “Rule and Method” they were nicknamed “The Methodists”. Within nine years, Methodism had become really popular. John and Charles started to preach their message to the people. Eventually John died and the Methodists were divided into different congregations and groups for many years until they assembled as the Methodist Church in 1932.

The first man to introduce Methodism in Sweden is George Scott as late as 1830. However, no one wanted to hear about it until some Swedish-Americans came home to Sweden and told everyone about it. So eventually the Swedish government accepted Methodism as an official religion in1876.

Calvinism – the stupid TULIP flower

Methodism developed from Calvinism, therefor we have decided to write a couple of lines about it. Calvinism is on the paper about five things: “Total depravity” (Original Sin), “Unconditional Election” (God’s pre-election), Limited atonement (Particular redemption), “Irresistible Grace” (God’s calling to the chosen ones) and “Perseverance of the saints”. In Calvin’s Geneva it was about a sixth thing too “Punishment” (Getting loads of crap, beatings, prison and decapitation if you didn’t agree with Calvin). The first five are also known as T.U.L.I.P.
Total depravity or original sin would mean that everyone is born as sinners. From the second that Adam took a bite of the forbidden apples in the Garden of Eden he and all his children and all their children and all their children and all their children and all their children
and all their children and all their children and all their children and so on.... are forever condemned without any way of redemption except baptism. Therefor Calvin was happy to force everyone he met to baptise their children in a hurry. Refusing to do so would lead to prison or in the case of Michael Severus being burned to death on a public human-barbecue.

Unconditional Election is pretty easy. God has this list, No one knows how many names are on it (Jehovah’s Witnesses say it’s 144.000 but then again... That’s Jehovah’s Witnesses). Anyone on that list will eventually end up in heaven. God makes this list at random and anyone who isn’t on it will burn in hell forever. Not even baptism can save you here. Either you’re in or out.
Limited atonement is another stupid doctrine made up by Calvin. I know I’m supposed to be neutral but it’s just so stupid. It means that Jesus died on the cross only for those on god’s list. Some Calvinists argue that the blood of Jesus wasn’t strong enough to redeem all sinners so he had to settle with those on god’s list. This is just stupid since God according to the bible (which Calvin interprets fundamentally (at least he claims so)) God is omnipotent (infallible, super-duper great). That directly contradicts that argument. Also we can open the good book and look through it to find quotes like this: 1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

God did not elect he wants all men to be saved I Timothy 2:3-4 and II Peter 3:9
Christ did not come to save the saved he came for the lost Luke 19:10.
Irresistible Grace means that now and then God sends his holy spirit to one of those on his list who then becomes free from sins and stops sinning. There is no way to resist this and your life becomes super-holy at once. This could be compared with being dragged into heaven while kicking and screaming. This would mean that man has no free will, which would mean that man was never given one in the Garden of Eden (contradicting original sin).
Of course Irresistible Grace is also directly contradicted in the bible.

The Spirit can be resisted Acts 7:51, It is the word and preaching that pricks the heart and leads men to know what God desires Acts 2:36-41 Preservation of the saints or “once saved, always saved” means that once you are saved or blessed by god you will never fall out of his grace. Whatever you do torching churches or piss on bibles you are granted a place in heaven. However according to Calvinism no one that would use his blessing to do bad would be blessed in the first place. If you disregard the fact that everyone is a sinner and that Christianity is all about forgiving people this actually makes some sense. Here follows a list of places in the bible that contradicts this doctrine

a. Hebrews 10:38-39 g. II Peter 2:20-22
b. Romans 6:1-2 h. Revelation 2:1-7
c. Galatians 5:4 i. Revelation 2:12-17
d. Galatians 6:7-8 j. Revelation 2:18-28
e. I Corinthians 9:27 k. Revelation 3:1-6
f. I Corinthians 10:12 l. Revelation 3:14-21

Calvinism – Punishment and err.... Punishment

Quick history: Calvin was a persecuted protestant that fled most of the time. One day he ended up in Geneva. He started to preach but was thrown out almost immediately. After two years he returned and became dictator. The bible was the law-book and The Consistory (Gestapo wannabes) was the police.

An ordinary day in Geneva wasn’t a walk in the park. It was a walk in the über-christian park under the supervision of The Consistory. Most people were intimidated by Calvin and the Consistory who had the authority to break into homes at any time. Those who stood up for themselves or just messed up were punished without pardon. The punishments varied from public spanking to public burning-on-a-bonfire. A man who wanted to name his boy Claude after a catholic saint was “advised” by Calvin to name him Abraham after our forefather Abraham. The man named his son Claude anyway and ended up in jail for a week.

During Sundays the Consistory patrolled the streets making sure that everyone went to church. During a five-year period, Calvin saw to the death of 58 people and the exile of 76.
The most famous victim of Calvinism must be the religious man Michael Servetus. Servetus rejected Calvin’s doctrine of predestination and was strongly anti-Catholic (just as Calvin). What was his problem then? Well, he made a bad habit of writing to Calvin and telling him how wrong it was to baptise children. Instead he told Calvin about adult baptism and tri...