FrSam On the Dalnet IRC network there is a formerly popular chat room called #ChristianDebate (whose population has really thinned out over the last five years). There are a lot of regular visitors in that room but very few have a history there quite as long as that of Father Samuel L. Bassett (a.k.a. “FrSam”). A lot of things can be said about Fr. Bassett, for he has a very polarizing personality (but I have positive and fond memories of our long history), but one of the clearest things that can be said about him, all personalities aside, is that he truly loathes Calvinism! (It should also be pointed out that Fr. Bassett is with the American Catholic Union, which is an association of independent Old Catholic priests in California.)

Around the beginning of June this year I poked my head back in that room, which I do from time to time when the network I enjoy gets too quiet. During this recent visit a very brief conversation ensued over the subject of Calvinism and, in response to my seeming defense of it, Fr. Bassett directed my attention to an article he had published at his blog in 2006 entitled “Calvinism = Diabolism.” Definitely an attention-getting title, and after reading it I said that I shall have to comment on it.

And so I did. The following is the comment I submitted to the article:

Greetings, Fr. Bassett. As you posted a link to this article on IRC last night, I obliged you and gave it a read. It appears that your basic argument reduces to the following:

  1. Calvinism teaches self-hate and hatred of others (“total depravity” doctrine).
  2. Only the Devil symbolizes hatred of self and others.
  3. Therefore, Calvinism is diabolism (influenced by or characteristic of the Devil).

If the Christian is to fight against lies with the truth (as your closing sentence encouraged), then we must be able to distinguish lies from truth. I am a little uncertain about the wording of your second premise, but I’m willing to grant it for the sake of argument because it is true enough for us to be in agreement about. So allowing that the argument is valid, the issue then would seem to focus on the first premise. Given the need to distinguish lies from truth, we need to see whether the first premise is true or not.

Can you please cite for us from any confessional standard where Calvinism teaches self-hate and hatred of others? For example, evidence in the form of a quote from the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Canons of the Synod of Dort, Westminster Confession of Faith, or the London Baptist Confession of Faith (any of which represent what “Calvinism teaches”).

Several weeks went by without my comment getting published. Although I would still visit the room from time to time, FrSam was never around—that is, until last night, when I was finally able to ask him about the matter. And his response speaks volumes.

Ryft: You never published my comment on your article.

FrSam: Nope. Nothing worth publishing.

Ryft: Okay.

I will let his article and his response to my submitted comment speak for the integrity of his polemic against Calvinism. And I will post here what he was unwilling to post there, and permit our readers to observe both sides. Draw your own conclusions.

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