July 18, 2007
Armenians Protest Being Called Arminians
Tominthebox News Network which is a religious humor/satire blog wrote about, “Armenians protest being called Arminians”. In Yerevan, Armenians protested on the streets shouting that they were not going to take the abuse anymore. “No more slander!” “Stop the confusion!” and “Speak and write more precisely!”.
Many people have asked me what the heritage is of my family due to my last name and when I responded with Armenian, most have responded with “Where is Arminia?” After clarifying that I am Armenian and not Arminian, they still did not understand what the difference was. It is hard to be upset with someone over a simple mistake, because most people are not stupid, just ignorant. However, when they keep on repeating it over and over, it is hard to overlook their lack of kindness towards others.
For those who still do not understand the difference, “Armenians” are citizens of the sovereign nation of Armenia, while “Arminians” are Christians who follow the teachings of Jacobus Arminius. Arminianism holds to the following beliefs:
- Humans are naturally unable to make any effort towards salvation
- Salvation is possible by grace alone
- Works of human effort cannot cause or contribute to salvation
- God’s election is conditional on faith in Jesus
- Jesus’ atonement was for all people
- God allows his grace to be resisted by those unwilling to believe
- Salvation can be lost, as continued salvation is conditional upon continued faith
This is 100% different in the Armenian Church and that is why Armenians are protesting against being perceived as such. This protest is not about which country you’re from, but it is a religious incompatibility that the Armenian people will not allow anymore.
The leaders of the church went on to say, “This is far more than just a matter of pronunciation. If it was simply an ‘i’ instead of an ‘e’ matter, we would let it go. However, we as a church and as a nation do not want to be associated with Arminians of the West who believe in such a small god. How could a sinful man freely choose to serve a good God? It makes no sense.” – TNN
