Great Bastards of the Christian Faith #2

John Calvin

Bio: John Calvin (July 10, 1509 � May 27, 1564) was an important French Christian theologian during the Protestant Reformation and is the namesake of the system of Christian theology calledCalvinistm. He was born Jean Chauvin (or Cauvin) in Noyon, Picardie, France, to Gérard Cauvin and Jeanne Lefranc. French was his mother tongue; Calvin derives from the Latin version of his name, Calvinus. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517, when Calvin was 8 years old. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin)

Reasons for Nomination:

1) Used religion to establish his own political power - putting to torture and death his political opponents.

2) Responsible for urging the burning of 23 people for thcrimene of witchcraft.

3) Directly responsible for the murder of theological opponent Michael Servetus
"On October 27, 1553 John Calvin, the founder of Calvinism, had Michael Servetus, the Spanish physician, burned at the stake just outside of Geneva for his doctrinal heresies! Hence, the originator of the popular doctrine of "once saved, always saved" (known in certain circles as "the perseverance of the saints") violated the cry of the Reformation -- "Sola Scriptura" -- by murdering a doctrinal heretic without Scriptural justification." (http://www.evangelicaloutreach.org/ashes.htm)

In short John Calvin was an unrepentant murderer and an unfit human being. Today he woulreceiveve the harshest of legal penalties for his self serving murder and torture of others.

Yet many hold him to be the greatest of Christian thinkers!!!!

Let us recognise the saintly life and example of one of Christianity's greatest teachers.