Do you have Calvin Derangement Syndrome?

Regardless of whether you like or dislike Calvin, anyone with any discernment should have their blood pressure rise when seeing ads of the Chosen.

That last paragraph is great.

This has very little to do with Calvinism, since there are plenty of Reformed folks who have this kind of extreme reaction to anyone who questions the 5 points. The same is true for some Covenant theologians when they encounter a dispensationalist and vice versa, or a KJVOnlyist when someone carries an NIV, or advocates of trad worship music when they see a drum set in a church building, etc.

Social media has only added fuel to the fire for so many of these guys.

We had someone in our church leave because of our elders' position on Calvinism. This individual used to affirm the doctrines of grace but started listening to Leighton Flowers and became convinced that Calvinism teaches another gospel. He spent numerous hours with several of our elders trying to convince us to renounce Calvinism. He and his family finally left our church.

We don't formally require someone to affirm the doctrines of grace to join our church. However, we make it clear that that is what our elders believe, teach, and preach. If you can submit to and affirm our statement of faith (i.e. New Hampshire Baptist Confession), you are welcome to join our church.

We live in an age where people lose control because they go ballistic at someone who holds a different position. This is understandable, for example, when someone teaches heresy within the ministry of a supposedly solid church.

It is clearly seen in politics with family members not even talking to one another and being unable to agree to avoid political discussions for the sake of family harmony. In the church, it is seen via ignorance and failing to distinguish a doctrinal position embraced by a particular church or denomination vs. a broader doctrinal position for members of the Kingdom of God. Churches, IMO, have a right to a more nuanced doctrinal view, based upon shared convictions. But our perspective toward the larger evangelical world has to be based upon the bare essentials like the fundamentals or the 5 Solas.

Between living in an age when more and more people go ballistic (launching tirades, etc.), ignorance of the distinction between the fundamentals and second tier beliefs, and confusion between what we expect from the broader evangelical world and the more limited belief system of our particular church or denomination, we have a witches’ brew.

I've seen it a fair amount, and many really ought to pay attention to the straw man fallacy. A lot of times when someone is arguing against another theological system, they do so in terms that no adherent would ever describe.

And just to make David Szweda jealous, I have never seen an ad for "The Chosen". By order of my cardiologist, of course. :^)