A man of God and a pillar of the Christian faith in the 20th and 21st centuries, Pastor MacArthur was a mainstay of the Christian faith for the entirety of his tenure as senior pastor at Grace Community Church, which ran from 1969 to his death today. He notably made headlines in the midst of the plandemic when he opposed the Newsom administration's authoritative demands to shut down the church due to it supposedly not being an essential institution - all of this being said by Newsom while, as we frens well know, the man was eating at the French Laundry. Unmasked.
But while the state of California was showing itself hypocritical, MacArthur and his congregation showed themselves faithful, standing firm in the face of lawlessness in the government - and God rewarded them for it. The ensuing court case ended with an awarded settlement to his church, and the Newsom administration was not permitted to interfere any further with the church's decision to remain open.
Pastor MacArthur remained steadfast, grateful, and firm as a soldier wearing the Armor of God, even as health issues which had plagued him since early 2023 ultimately led to his passing a few hours ago. His unwavering commitment to the truth, his boldness in the face of persecution, illness, and death, and his passion for the Word of God leaves an incomparable legacy among evangelical Christians today. Perhaps you may have disagreements with his doctrinal stances, but it's undeniable that he was a powerful force used by God in the spiritual war against the enemy, and while he will be sorely missed, he is now in glory with his Lord. I thank God for the wonderful preaching and powerful testimony of John Fullerton MacArthur.
Sure man. In my opinion the "danger" is multifaceted.
First, it is just wrong on every point of TULIP in my opinion - the ramifications of that could vary. More specifically, I feel that carried to its necessary and logical conclusions, it defames God, or at least God's character. Exodus 34:6-7 God says "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin".
Straight from the mouth of God, he is giving us who He is, which the Calvinist God contradicts. The Calvinist God already damned you to hell or decided you're saved before you were created. There is no choice, no free will, and no change to change a single thing about your life or actions. It teaches determinism, or that God's sovereign will governs all events, including human choice, and are by His decree.
This creates a monster of a God. Child molesters are in His will, you're destined for Hell before you were born, etc.
Part of why this is dangerous is (and this is anecdotal I know) that every single deconversion testimony I've watched (9 or so) and every personal story of someone who I've met that used to be a Christian, when you take the time to listen and hear their story, every single time, you can tell from what they talk about as far as theology goes, that they came from a Calvinist background.
There's a lot more I could delve into as far as my opinion of the dangers of Calvinism, but I'll leave it here, at the simple point that Calvinism teaches a theology when carried to its logical conclusions means there was no need for Jesus and the cross - you were already saved (or not) before all of creation. It leads to a monster of a God, and it leads to completely undermine everything from prayer (why pray if it is already all determined) to evangelism to repentance.
I say this with a full acknowledgement that some Calvinists that I've known have been some of the most serious and committed Christians of any type that I've ever met.
I totally think you're still saved if you're a Calvinist, but I think teaching the doctrine can lead to a serious shipwreck of faith for those that listen to you down the road.
Anyways, there's a "short" answer. I am sure that Calvinists could probably say things about my theology that they would consider dangerous too, but that's where I fall on the matter.
Thank you for taking the time to respond.
First:
This is true and you won't have an easy time finding a Calvanist that doesn't believe this. Remember, in the Old Testament, God gave the Jews hundreds and hundreds of years to repent from their ways before casting divine judgement each time. See: Sodom and Gomorrah along with Nineveh as quick examples. (Nineveh was closer to 150 years after God initially spared them via Jonah). He loved them and wanted them to choose Him in their worship and lifestyles but instead, they chose idol worship and idoltry so, divine justice was served.
I think the separation in belief on free will is, most believe free will extends to all facets of our reality when Calvanists believe our free will pertains only to our worldly decisions and has absolutely zero impact on our spiritual life, which exists outside of, but along with, our physical world. Our free will is limited to choices typically based on a moral compass; good vs. evil. We have absolutely zero say in our spiritual life.
Literally everyone's default destination is Hell when born as a human. We are incapable of not living in sin. The Bible is very clear about this. See Romans 3, 5 & Ephesians 2.
Here's a couple fun little thought exercise:
How did God know he loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were born?
Why did Jesus pick Judas of Iscariot as a disciple, giving him full privileges as the others, knowing he would betray Him?
I can appreciate where you are coming from, even if I do not agree with your conclusions. I invite you to take some time to go over the following passages and see if you find a common theme in all of them. I would enjoy discussing further with you from there:
Ephesians 1:4-5,11
Romans 8:29-30
Romans 9:10-24
John 6:37,44
Acts 13:48
2 Timothy 1:9
Titus 1:1-2
John 15:16
Matthew 11:27
Revelation 13:8
Revelation 17:8
Thank you for staying civil.
Oh definitely, Calvinists, if nothing else, know their Bible well, even if I think their interpretations are off. I wouldn't expect to ever present a piece of scripture that they say that they don't believe.
I think what it boils down to for the main point I started with, is in what sense is God good, if he pre-ordained that the majority of people who ever lived should be destined for hell?
I think the arguments about original sin (which I don't agree with as you stated it), predestination, free will, etc. are all good conversations to have, but are somewhat adjacent to what maybe the main necessary and logical conclusion of Calvinism is - that God is not a good or loving God. The God in Calvinism (which really didn't start there, it started more in the philosophical writings of Augustine) logically has to contradict what the Bible says about His character.
You said that the default position of every human is Hell (which I disagree with, but let's grant that) - why is that? God pre-ordained that to be the case, pre-ordained the fall, pre-ordained every sin, pre-ordained whom He would call and save.
So we could go back and forth about the truth according to scripture on the doctrines of original sin, predestination, etc. but to get to the heart of the matter of your original question, on why it is "dangerous", it is because carried to the necessary and logical conclusions, Calvinism creates a God that is not good, not loving, is totally inconsistent with scripture like John 3:16, is a liar, and in no real sense love or good if He pre-ordained the majority of all people to ever live to be condemned to hell.
And again, why pray, be baptized, evangelize at all, repent, confess Jesus is Lord, or take any actions that are morally relevant for yourself or others at all if it is already determined and pre-ordained before the foundations of the world?
Again, I probably used a lot of words on repeat to say very little, but I think that's the danger in Calvinism, and where that logic doesn't work, is where deconversions happen and we see people giving up on Chris/God.
To a Calvinist though, I guess that's not really a danger, because if that person de-converted, it was already pre-ordained that they become a Christian, become dissatisfied, and de-convert because it was pre-ordained that they were destined for Hell all along.
See what I mean with this over-emphasized illustration?
Cheers bud, Calvinists aren't my enemy, I just think it is a misguided theology that I'd like to see corrected and the ultimate end of over time, for the good of the body.
Thank you for sharing that so honestly and clearly. It's obvious you’ve wrestled with these things deeply, and I respect that. These are not light issues, and your concerns strike at the heart of how we view God's character, human responsibility, and salvation itself. Let me speak to you not as a theological opponent, but as a brother who cares more about the Person of God than winning an argument.
You asked, how can God be good and loving if He preordains that many will be condemned? That’s a real, weighty question; one that has haunted hearts for centuries. I won’t offer a glib answer, but I would ask you to consider: what if God’s goodness isn’t measured by how many are saved, but by the kind of mercy He shows to any at all? What if the stunning thing isn’t that many perish, but that any are rescued, at great cost to Himself?
You’re right to say that Calvinism takes seriously God’s sovereignty. But sovereignty, rightly understood, doesn’t mean God is a cold dictator—it means He’s not surprised by anything and that His purposes will not fail. His justice is real. His wrath is real. But so is His mercy, patience, and love. He does love the world. His arms are open. No one who comes to Him is turned away. But not all want to come—and that’s not Calvinism talking, that’s humanity's story since Eden. Humans cannot escape total depravity.
You raised a good point about why pray, evangelize, repent, or pursue holiness if God already knows the end. That’s a fair question. But here’s the beauty: God ordains the ends and the means. Prayer is effective, not despite God’s sovereignty, but because of it. Evangelism works, not in spite of God’s plan, but through it. Repentance, confession, baptism; these aren’t meaningless rituals, but gifts God uses to draw and transform His people. He doesn’t bulldoze our will; He changes it, over time, through His Spirit.
You mentioned that this doctrine has led people to deconversion. That breaks my heart. Truly. But I’ve also seen this same doctrine be the anchor for believers going through their darkest hour.. when all seems lost, they cling not to their faithfulness, but to God's. Not to their strength, but to His sovereignty. To know that He’s not surprised or outmatched, that He chose them not based on performance but grace, that sustains.
And finally, you said Calvinists aren’t your enemy. Thank you for that. The unity of the body matters more than the names we put on our systems. At the end of the day, we’re both trying to uphold God’s glory and take His Word seriously. We may disagree on the how — but we worship the same holy, merciful, and just God. I hope these words help you see that what Calvinism attempts to do is not distort God’s goodness, but magnify His grace in light of our deep need.
I’m grateful for your honesty. I pray God continues to lead both of us into deeper truth and that we never stop asking hard questions with humble hearts.
I will pray that God blesses you and yours, brother.
Oh boy, looks like a long one. Much appreciated. I'll have to give this the credit it's due and read it carefully when I'm home. Thanks in advance.
I could have done better addressing this, so I am also leaving this for you to consider:
I do truly understand why the presence of evil in the world leads many to wrestle with God’s character. It’s a hard reality when we see things like abuse, murder, and deep injustice. But we must be careful not to let our emotions or limited understanding define who God is. God is not the author of evil. He never commits evil, tempts anyone to evil, nor delights in evil. Yet He is absolutely sovereign over it. That means evil does not surprise Him, overwhelm Him, or disrupt His plan. He uses it, without endorsing it, for the purposes of His perfect will.
Evil exists because mankind rebelled. The human race fell in Adam, and from that point forward every human heart has been inclined toward sin. God didn’t force anyone to sin; sin flows freely from a heart that does not love God. And yet, God remains in control. Not to violate human responsibility, but to ensure that every act, even the worst of them, ultimately serves His glory and purpose.
Why does He allow it? Because through it, He reveals things we could not otherwise see. Without sin, there is no display of mercy. Without rebellion, there is no redemption. Without evil, we would never know the depths of God’s justice or the riches of His grace. The greatest example of this is the cross. There, the greatest evil ever committed (the execution of the sinless Son of God) became the very means by which God saved His people. That was no accident. It was God’s plan before the foundation of the world.
So no, God is not a monster. He is holy. He is righteous. He will judge every sin. No wicked act escapes His notice, and none will go unpunished. He either judges sin at the cross, through the substitutionary death of Christ for those who believe, or He will judge it in eternity upon those who refuse Him. He does not ignore evil. He conquers it. And in His perfect timing, He will wipe it away forever.
The reality is, God’s patience in allowing evil is not cruelty.. It’s mercy. Every day He delays final judgment is another day He calls sinners to repentance. His justice will come. And when it does, it will be perfect. Every wrong will be made right.
If we demand that God only do what we understand, we are not seeking God. We are seeking control. But the God of Scripture is not accountable to our sense of fairness. He is infinitely wiser, infinitely holier, and perfectly just in all He does. And He has revealed enough of Himself that we can trust Him, even when we do not yet see the full picture.
I am truly confident that one day, every person who knows Christ will look back on history, including all the horrors of this fallen world, and say with complete confidence, "He did all things well."