walkawayarchie wrote:
That is Calvinism and the ideology of the "elect". I've read some of the writings of the Pilgrims- and they actually taught their children from an early age to be afraid that they would go to hell- to the point of almost having nightmares about it. God is not loving in that ideology- and one of their famous preachers actually condemned the Lord's Prayer and said it would take people to hell.

It's also at the core of the abuse and vilification of the poor, the elevation of the rich, the ideology that America is blessed, even though America's "Riches" were stolen from the nations that were already here, and so on. Personally, I wouldn't want to be in any heaven who treated people that way.

Capricious.

Archie - "Personally, I wouldn't want to be in any heaven who treated people that way either"!!! As I understand it God gave man free will - we are free moral agents!!! Also, as I understand it we are all created equal!!! The problems arise when one group of peoples try to think that they are superior or "God's elect"!!! The idea of predestination in my mind "smacks" of an elitist group of people who think they are superior, God's chosen and God's voice in the world. This belief is fertile ground for pride and arrogance to grow and spreadly vastly. This also addresses the pente/charismatics who think that they are the "chosen" ones. They are in my opinion under one umbrella and think that are "somehow" superior to us mere mortals. We are all human beings who were given "free will" - we are "free moral agents" and whether the so called elitists like it or not we were all created equal!!! I want to steer clear of any group that suggests that they are "special", "God's chosen" or God's elect". I had enough of it with the SUPERIOR ELITISM AND SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE PENTE GROUP I CAME OUT OF.



Last Edited By: not1perfect Jun 20 09 4:07 PM. Edited 1 times.