A Hateful Calvinism

Having been nurtured in the warmth of the doctrines of grace for my entire Christian life, I am often dismayed at charges that are leveled against Calvinism, especially those that would depict the Reformed faith as legalistic and harsh.  Unfortunately, the more I get around the more I understand these charges, which though wrongly applied to Calvinism are rightly applied to some Calvinists.

I thought of this while watching the news clip of Shirley Phelps-Roper, speaking for Westboro Baptist Church on the occasion of the funerals for the Amish girls so tragically murdered.