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The Myth of Christian America  /  MCA (13 of 14): Faith of the Founding Fathers #3  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 3
Adams mocks Calvinism by asking whether God created “innumerable millions just to make them miserable forever for his own glory”; how should a group respond to his moral revulsion—what in Scripture actually reveals God’s character here, and what parts of our inherited theology might be distorting it?
Another way to ask: Adams was disgusted by the idea that God would create many people just to suffer forever. How should we respond to that reaction, and what does Scripture actually say about God’s character versus ideas we may have inherited?

Direct Answer Bercot presents Adams’ revulsion as aimed at a picture of God he associated with Calvinism and “hellfire,” and he implies Christians should admit that inherited theology can distort God’s character—while also noting Adams’ response moved him away from historic Christian belief rather than toward it.

Support from Transcript:

  • Adams asks whether God “created and preserves…innumerable millions just to make them miserable forever for his own glory,” calling it incompatible with “infinite benevolence.”
  • Bercot comments Adams is attacking “the teaching of Calvinism, and I think a general teaching of most Christians concerning hellfire.”
  • Adams contrasts this with his own “religion”: “The love of God and His creation…delight, joy…These are my religion.”
  • He concludes by attacking orthodox teachers: “Howl, snarl…ye Calvinist, ye Athanasian divines…You will say I am no Christian. I say you are no Christians.”
  • Bercot’s evaluation is not that Adams corrected theology biblically, but that he ended up with beliefs evangelicals would not accept as Christian.
  • The transcript does not quote Scripture to answer Adams directly; it mainly reports Adams’ moral objection and Bercot’s assessment.
Discussion Follow-ups What would it look like to test our inherited views of judgment and God’s character without drifting into simply dismissing miracles and revelation as Adams did?

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