Calvinism Compared With Islam
twins or cousins?
Introduction:
Islam is fearsome indeed. But, have you considered its cousin Calvinism? Now by Calvinism, I mean Reformed Churches. Reformed Churches are generally grouped into the Presbyterian Church category but some Baptists claim their origin in John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli as do Presbyterians.
Catholicism dominated Christianity and the world for well over 1200 years. The Protestant Reformation began with Martin Luther, countless Christian groups through the centuries had opposed Catholic domination. Martin Luther was the first to make an effective stand against Catholicism and its error.
The Protestant Reformation had three main directions that it erupted into: Lutheran, Reformed, and Anabaptist churches. The first was very popular, argumentative, and had few differences with Catholicism. The second was very stearn, warlike, performed public executions over doctrinal disputes, and practiced Caesaropapism as did Constantine the Great and other popes of the Catholic organization. Anabaptist beliefs can be found here.
Calvinism can be traced all the way back to Augustine and Origen the heretic. Calvin and Augustine alike stated that you cannot know if you are going to Heaven or Hell until after you die. Interestingly, Islam teaches the same thing:
As you read below, consider Calvinism's irresistable grace, unconditional election, and limited atonement:
He used the very will of the creature which was working in opposition to the Creator's will as an instrument for carrying out His will, the supremely Good thus turning to good account even what is evil, to the condemnation of those whom in His justice He has predestined to punishment, and for the salvation of those whom in His mercy He has predestined to grace. (Augustine. The Enchiridion, C, in Oats.)
To many this seems a perplexing subject, because they deem it most incongruous that of the great body of mankind some should be predestinated to salvation, and others to destruction... Although it is now sufficiently plain that God by his secret counsel chooses whom he will while he rejects others, his gratuitous election has only been partially explained until we come to the case of single individuals, to whom God not only offers salvation, but so assigns it, that the certainty of the result remains not dubious or suspended. (John Calvin: Insititutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 21, Section 1 & 7.)
"As to those who rejected faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe. Allah hath set a seal on their hearts and on their hearing and on their eyes is a veil; great is the penalty they (incur)." Surah 2:6-7
"Say: Why then doth He punish you for your sins? Nay, ye are but men - of the men He hath created. He forgiveth whom He pleaseth, and He punishes whom He pleaseth. And to Allah belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between." Surah 5:18
"He is the Irresistible (watching) from above over His worshippers, and He sets guardians over you. At length, when death approaches one of you, our angels take his soul and they never fail in their duty." Surah 6:61
"Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us." Surah 9:51
"And if Allah afflict [sic] you with harm, then there is none to remove it but He and if He intends good to you, there is none to repel His grace." Surah 10:107
"If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people; but they will not cease to dispute. Except those on whom He hath bestowed His Mercy. And for this did He create them: and the Word of thy Lord shall be fulfilled: 'I will fill Hell with jinns and men together'." Surah 11:118-119
"Allah sendeth whom He will astray, and guideth whom He will. He is the Mighty, the Wise." Surah 14:4
"For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle (with the command), 'Serve Allah and eschew Evil'. Of the people were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom error became inevitably (established). So travel through the earth and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth)." Surah 16:36
"Had Allah willed He could have made you (all) one nation, but He sendeth whom He will astray and guideth whom He will, and ye will indeed be asked of what ye used to do." Surah 16:93
"God created you and that ye make." Surah 37:96
"But better far than all argument, the orthodox say, is the testimony of the Book. 'All things have we created under a fixed decree." Surah 54:49
"This is an admonition: whosoever will, let him take a (straight) path to the Lord. But ye will not, except as Allah wills; for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom." Surah 76:29-30
"Taqdir means in the popular sense pre-destination, fate or destiny. It means literally to make manifest the measure of a thing or simply to determine a measure. Another word which comes in this connection is Qaza meaning pre-decree or pre-decision". Mishkat III, p. 93
"Sahl b.Sa'd reported it from Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) that a person performs deeds like the deeds of the people of Paradise apparently before people but he would be amongst the dwellers of Hell. And a person acts apparently like the people of Hell, but (in fact) he would be among the dwellers of Paradise. There was argument between Adam and Moses. Moses said to Adam: You are our father. You did us harm and caused us to get out of Paradise. Adam said to him: You are Moses. Allah selected you (for direct conversation with you) and wrote with His own Hand the Book (Torah) for you. Despite this you blame me for an act which Allah had ordained for me forty years before He created me. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: This is how Adam came the better of Moses"... Abu Huraira reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look, and the adultery of the tongue is the licentious speech, the heart desires and yearns, which the parts may or may not put into effect... Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it. The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect". Sahih Muslim IV, p. 1396-1398 - The Hadith
"Abu Hurairah reported that the Apostle of Allah said: Verily Allah pre-ordained for the son of Adam his share of fornication. That will overtake him without doubt". Mishkat III, p. 103
"Muslim b-Yasar reported that Omar-b-al-Khattab was asked about this verse: And when your Lord created from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants - the verse. Omar said: I heard that the Messenger of Allah was asked about it. He replied: Verily Allah created Adam and then rubbed his back with His right hand and took out a progeny from him and said: I created these for Paradise and with the actions of the inmates of Paradise which they will do. Afterwards He rubbed his back with His hand and took out a progeny from him and said: I created these for Hell and with the actions of the inmates of Hell which they will do. Aman asked: O Messenger of Allah! for what actions? The Messenger of Allah said: When Allah creates a servant for Paradise, he keeps him engaged in the actions of the inmates of Paradise, till he dies upon an action out of the actions of the inmates of paradise and then He will admit him therefore in Paradise; and when He creates a servant for Hell, He keeps him engaged in the actions of the inmates of Hell till he dies". Mishkat III, p. 107
White race created for paradise, black race for hell:
"Abu Darda's reported that the Holy Prophet said: Allah created Adam when He created him. Then he stroke his right shoulder and took out a white race as if they were seeds, and He stroke his left shoulder and took out a black race as if they were coals. Then He said to those who were in his right side: Towards Paradise and I don't care. He said to those who were on his left shoulder: Towards Hell and I don't care". "Verily the Almighty and Glorious Allah finished five things for every man of His creation: his fixed term, his action, his resting place, his movement and his provision". Mishkat III, p. 117
"Imran-b-Hussain reported that two men of Muzainah tribe asked: O Apostle of Allah! inform about what the people do to-day and labour therein. Is it a thing which has been pre-ordained over them and which has gone among them from measurement that has been pre-ordained, or about what will occur in future out of what their Prophets gave them and so proof has been established among them? He said: No, rather a thing which has been pre-decreed for them and which has passed among them; and the corroboration of that is in the Book of Allah, the Glorious and Almighty: And by the soul and by Him who made it perfect. Then He intimated to it by inspiration its deviating from truth and its piety". Mishkat III, p. 104
"The Holy Prophet said: When you hear about a mountain that it has shifted itself from its place, believe it, but when you hear about a man, that he has changed his nature don't believe it as it will return to what it was created upon". Mishkat III, p. 121
"I heard the Messenger of Allah say - Verily the Almighty and Glorious Allah caught one hold with His right hand and another with another hand, and said: This is for this, and this is for this, and I don't care. I don't know in which of the two holds I am". Mishkat III, p. 118
"Anas reported that the Apostle of Allah used often to say: O Changer of hearts! make my heart firm upon Thy religion. I said: O Prophet of Allah! I believe in you and in what you have come with. Do you still fear for us? 'Yes' said he, the hearts are between the two fingers [sic] Allah. He changes them as He likes". Mishkat III, p. 111
"'Say: Nothing shall ever befall upon to us except what Allah has ordained for us'[sic].Mujahid said 'Bifatanin, Bimudillin': You cannot make anyone go astray except that whom Allah has written for to go to Hell [sic]". Al-Bukhari - "Al-Qadr", Chapt. 14
"'Never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us'. 'If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among the pious'". Al-Bukhari - "Al-Qadr", Chapt. 15
Calvin and Islam enforces the death penalty:
Constantine the Great slaughtered in the name of Christ and persecuted unbelievers.
Augustine The City of God book 1 chapter 21.
John Calvin executed Servetus and over 50 others who he had declared 'heretics'.
But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks; except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (of peace) or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. Surah 4:89-90
Augustine, Calvin, and Islam have the same view of Eschatology (no millenium):
Augustine The City of God book 20, chapter 7 & 8. 386AD
But a little later there followed the Chiliasts, who limited the reign of Christ to a 1000 years. Now their fiction is too childish either to need or to be worth a refutation. And the Apocalypse, from which they undoubtedly drew a pretext for their error, does not support them. For the number 1000 does not apply to the eternal blessedness of the church but only to the various disturbances that awaited the church, while still toiling on the earth. (John Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 25, Section 5.)
And (Jesus) shall be a Sign (for the coming of) the Hour (of Judgment): therefore have no doubt about the (Hour), but follow ye Me: this is a Straight Way. az-Zukhruf 43:61
There are several other texts in the Koran on End Times but a 1000 year reign of Christ on earth is never mentioned or implied. Check AnsweringIslam.org and QuranBrowser for more.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION