In my short life time I have known many people who have gone through difficult, dehumanizing, demoralizing events. These people should be given the room to talk about their experiences in order to heal. When you see progress it is very uplifting. Likewise, when someone reverts back into a cycle of bitterness and a victim’s mentality about life it can be disheartening.
I must say to some of my Reformed brothers and sisters that when I read what you write about Catholics, Orthodox, and even some fellow evangelicals (e.g. Arminians) that don’t share your view on secondary issues, you sound similar to these types of people. It is as if the Council of Trent concluded yesterday. Listen, you have the right to disagree with Rome on this or that. You have the right to say Azusa was misleading this way and that way. That being said, stop whining!
If predestination is stronger than Arminians and “soft” Calvinist make it so be it. God is the one who does the saving work, right? If the Pope is misleading people you have the right to say where but stop acting like all Catholics are beast. It only makes you look sad and small. I believe you can do better.
the archives near Emmaus 
Wow…not sure what got you going on this, but I have spoken to some Calvinist that have made me feel this way plenty of times, just not recently. That’s because I choose to only interact with nice Calvinist, I avoid the mean ones as much as possible 🙂
I have learned that some people feel as if God can’t take care of Himself and require them to yell, scream, demean, or use whatever tactic that have to use in order to ‘prove’ their point. Can’t we proclaim the Word of the Living God and let Him do the ‘heart work’? They will know we are His disciples when we love one another.
There’s Reformed Bitterness, Papist Bitterness, Orthodox Bitterness, Wesleyan and/or Arminian Bitterness, etc., etc., etc. It’s a spiritual disease, just like the compulsion to teach (i.e., show up and embarrass) others from the vantage point of one’s supposed superior views, to have things one’s way, to be always right, etc., etc., etc. It springs from pride and it is fed by self-congratulation, and no matter to which perceived theological (or political, social, etc.) orthodoxy it attaches itself, it is one and the same passion for all of us who are fettered by it. May the Lord have mercy on us!
Esteban,
Indeed, I have seen other types of bitterness. It can get ugly. While I called some Reformed folk out because (a) they are more news worthy right now and (b) I have a lot of associations with Reformed folk who I see acting this way, I have been around “emergent” types, Pentecostals, and many others who act this way.
“The Word was made Flesh.”
It seems many want a dehumanized Jesus, a “Word that becomes dogma” or a Word become data, a sentence that they can bludgeon the next guy with. Whenever we take the Word out of the flesh God is not with us and God is not for us; but whenever we take the Flesh out of the Word, God is not with us and not is against us. And when this happens we leverage and justify ourselves with our monopolization of the fleshless Word. And we are left with legalism, and it is binding, formed or reformed.
Hmmmm. It depends on whether we are talking about Cage-Stage calvinists or not. I know some mature ones and I know some rabid ones. But Esteban is right, each theological circle has its bitter people.
Robert: I think that is a solid game plan. I know a ton of kind Calvinist (Reformed, Baptist, etc) and I would claim to be one but thus far it turns out that “Middle Knowledge” without being a Calvinist or Arminian version best fits my evolving views.
Jeff: Well said. We do this often with the doctrine of God. We want to minimize it to him to a systematic study rather than a Living Force.
Rod,
Very true.
Esteban,
Amen, it is that old “party spirit”..very mean, and certainly not the “Spirit” of Christ! We must be also men of truth in ourselves.
I’ve experienced this same kind of “meanness,” Brian. In fact I had a friend, we were both just “Evangelical” in sensibilities, but then he became Westminster Reformed (Covenantal); in the beginning anyway, all he wanted to do was argue (and he actually changed a bit, relative to his demeanor). I know plenty of “Covenantal guys” who are nice guys, but I understand the drift of your point.
I think one reason that “Reformed” (I’m Reformed myself, not in the traditional sense though [ie. I’m not “Federal”]) folks stand out in this is because that system caters to an intellectualist approach; and therefore attracts those “types” of folks. Arminianism, on the other hand, isn’t necessarily driven (at least culturally) by the same kind of intellectual acuity, and thus you run into less folks (from this camp) with the “Reformed attitude.”