I hate it when I hear of children waking up with Arminian nightmares. Yes, seriously. Do I look like the kind of person who would make this up? From the description at Amazon:
Book Description
Publication Date: April 15, 2013
Come along on a journey with Mitchell, as he recalls his nightmare for his mother. Mitchell was in a land of darkness and gloom, when due to no cooperation of his own, a Knight in shining armor saved him and all the other captives He intended to save. “Help! Arminians are Giving Me Nightmares Again!” is a children’s allegory designed to teach your kids the Doctrines of Grace through the use of creative story-telling.
About the Author:
Hall is the pastor of Fellowship Church in Eastern Montana, where he lives with his wife, Mandy, and three children. JD is a co-founder of Reformation Montana, a network and mission society consisting of Reformed Baptist churches in Montana and the surrounding region. He is a columnist for the Intermountain Christian News, and operates the Pulpit and Pen website. JD received his B.A. in Christian Education from Williams Baptist College and M.A. in History from Arkansas State University.
Oh no! It’s part of a series of books…
We heard about this at the blog Spiritual Sounding Board which did an analysis of the doctrinal war going on in the comments section — and remember this is for a children’s book — at Amazon.
…We’ve talked about the idolatry of doctrine before. I believe the idolatry of doctrine can create an environment in which abuse is allowed to continue in churches. The obsessive focus on doctrine can become a distraction to the message of Christ and what it really means to live out the life Christ intended: loving God and loving others.
I have a problem with training children (sic) this stuff at such a young age. What is the purpose? To raise up little like-minded warriors to defend your brand of Christianity?…
…LDS carry their Bibles, too, along with the Book of Mormon when they go to their wards to worship. I have seen some combo versions that include the Pearl of Great Price and The Doctrines and Covenants. These are all part and parcel of LDS.
The way I’m seeing it, there are some Christians who behave the same way as Mormons. They have their Bible along with the Institutes of Calvin. I wonder if there is a combo Calvin Institutes/Bible in publication yet?…
Staging this doctrinal battle in the pages of a children’s book is indoctrinating kids at the earliest against anyone who is part of the Arminian tradition. It’s almost what we in Canada would call hate speech (which is illegal here) against groups such as the Wesleyan, Free Methodist, Anabaptist, Salvation Army, Church of the Nazarene, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Four Square, Pentecostals, Assemblies of God, Free Will Baptist, Charismatic, and many, many others.
Sadly, while the blog post at Spiritual Sounding Board — who is now over 450 comments since Saturday — gets a little worked up on this, we have to agree with her. The Reformed movement just sunk to a new low. This is unconscionable. This type of book is simply not of God.
The fracturing of the body of Christ continues…stay tuned.
Related post: Drawing the Body Together, Tearing the Body Apart
Thinking Out Loud 
Indeed! Thanks for linking. Just a quick note, I tagged the author in a tweet inviting him to check out the blog article and join in the discussion. He did join the conversation, but left after a bit. I don’t think he liked it there. I then noticed him tweeting something that I suspected had to do with the conversation from my blog, so I picked it up again with him on Twitter and then privately. Yea, he’s right, I’m wrong. He even said so bluntly. He thinks it’s appropriate and noble to teach kids these things from the earliest of ages. I find it divisive and inappropriate. ~ja
Comment by Julie Anne — June 4, 2013 @ 8:06 am
We had another post scheduled for today, but I had to bump it when I saw this late last night. So deeply disturbing. Yes, I did see the Twitter exchange and also had a look at his profile there. I’m not sure what drives such people to get up in the morning.
I was unfamiliar with your blog until yesterday. (I came from a link at Bene Diction Blogs On, following another story.) At the beginning I referred to you as “the blogger” because at that point I hadn’t looked around and read your full story.
I’m adding a link now as a “related post” that sets out what I feel about this. Refer back to the original article.
Comment by paulthinkingoutloud — June 4, 2013 @ 8:57 am
Ah, yes, BD. I think he was one of the first to cover my lawsuit story – maybe even before it went crazy viral. I read your related post and then rabbit trailed to another excellent article: https://paulwilkinson.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/the-cultization-of-calvinism/ It’s an older one, but it is sure relevant today, too. You’ve been following this trend for a while. Calvinism only became a familiar term in the past 5 years or so for me. I’m slowly figuring it out – well, minus the crash course in the comment section on my blog :)
Comment by Julie Anne — June 4, 2013 @ 9:37 am
Julie Anne — It’s too bad you didn’t come here sooner; this post would have straightened everything out for you:
Comment by paulthinkingoutloud — June 4, 2013 @ 8:04 pm
I attend a Presbyterian Church, but am not Presbyterian. They are Calvinist. I am not. I don’t agree with everything that is taught there, but I know I am accepted as a brother there, dispite our differences. No one is shoving Calvinism down my throat, or sneaking it into my kids minds through children’s books. There is mutual respect, and the ability to walk side by side with Jesus, despite our differences. The real heart of this book, which reveals the real heart of the author, is one of division and intolerance for any who don’t believe like “we” do. I don’t see that fitting very well with the message of Christ.
Comment by J. Randall Stewart — June 4, 2013 @ 8:53 pm
Its Calvinists that give people nightmares. I’m sure plenty of kids wake up in the middle of the nigh wondering if Calvin’s god is under their bed waiting to eat them.
Comment by descriptivegrace — June 4, 2013 @ 8:57 pm
[…] just last week on this page it was our discovery of Calvinist kids being indoctrinated against Arminians in the form of children’s story […]
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