Had you been raised in a hyper-Calvinist church; you would have understood the dour comment and likely agreed.
I know a now elderly guy who grew up in the Christian Reformed Church where the Gospel was never preached. He and his parents were faithful members and attenders.
His expression regarding the CRC was, “I was raised in the CRC, but praise God, I got saved.”
I’ve heard the dour appelation all my life. I do understand it.
David Brainerd is my first cousin, seven times removed. That makes Jonathan Edwards an in-law.
Explanation: while I’ve heard the term, no one has ever applied it specifically to me.
I have never heard the gospel preached more strongly and more beautifully than in Calvinist churches.
There may be some that fail at that....all churches are flawed.
But, at least in my experience, Calvinism SHOULD if properly understood lead to a preaching of Christ crucified all the time.
If it’s not, that church is just “Calvinist” in tradition only, not in real faith practice.
My church is Reformed, but not every sermon is election this, election that. We preach the whole counsel of God, and every sermon ultimately, even in the OT, goes back to Christ and our desperate need for Him.