Calvinism provides some beliefs that are pretty different from their counterparts in the Reformation. I think it would be hard for me to argue that anything but the Calvinist view of salvation is its most unique facet. In a nutshell, Calvinists believe in predestination and limited salvation. Unlike most religions, Calvinism holds that man is incapable of being good because we are hopelessly sinful in everything we do. Because we are all evil, our salvation is entirely dependent upon God. That is a pretty standard theological premise. However, God does not save everyone. Only a limited number of people are chosen to be saved. It is unknown exactly what criteria God uses to keep these limited number of people, but they are unable to resist God's grace once they are chosen. This means we are predestined to go to Heaven and Hell, and there is nothing that can be done to change our outcomes.
             If you are not a Calvinist, I think you have to answer that the Calvinist concept of salvation is the most challenging thing to understand. There are several arguments that I have great difficulty accepting from the Calvinist camp. First, I think the idea of limited atonement is far-fetched and runs counterintuitive to everything Christianity stands for. It is a fundamental premise of Christianity that Jesus died on the cross to atone for the sins of everyone. However, Calvinism throws that out the window and says that Jesus only died for the sins of the few. In addition, if our fates are predetermined, the purpose of living lives morally and dedicating them to God becomes essentially pointless. One need not worry about their actions and decisions in this life as they will be saved in the next life regardless. I have always believed it to make the most sense that we influence our ability to be reserved. If we accept God and live moral lives, we should go to Heaven. According to Calvinism, that is not the case. I believe that calls into question the ...