In dissusing Calvinism, I have raised questions that have been ignored or unanswered. I am sure that more will follow in the years to come. These questions will not stump/silense/ all Calvinists. You must first know what they believe by what they state in conversing with them. They are as follows:
1- Does God get His 100% perfect will 100% of the time?
2- Is my humanistic desire for all mankind to be saved a sin?
As stated ealier, some could answer quickly and others may hvae to ponder awhile on it. There will be more to follow. For the non-Calvinites out there, the most likely retreat that a Calvinist will make when "cornered" will be phrases like " It is a mystery." Or " You just don't understand Calvinism." Just a heads up.
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5 comments:
1. What is more powerful than God?
Nothing. Therefore, what can disrupt His perfect will?
Nothing. Therefore, though mankind does not always make the choice that God would have liked for them to, He easily forsaw this and planned accordingly, prior to the earth's creation.
Therefore, though our actions are not what God may have liked for us, His perfect plan for us, in spite of us, is unfolding perfectly. Nothing can thwart God, nothing is outside His control, and nothing happens that He didn't choose to allow.
Therefore, everything that's ever happened is in His control, allowed by Him, etc.
You have to understand that what God wants, God gets.
Had God wanted Adam to not sin, was Adam stronger than God and able to sin anyways?
No...God is stronger. He allowed Adam's sin because He wanted that to happen more than He wanted to intervene. Why? Couldn't tell you.
But for God to want with every part of His Being for Adam to not sin, and Adam sinned anyways...that makes Adam stronger than God. Everything happens because God wanted to allow it to happen. That's part of being Sovereign.
2. I wouldn't say it's a sin. Just odd, considering you know as well as I that what you wish for is an impossibility.
However, if Jesus paid the debt (Hell) for all mankind, then their debt is cancelled...meaning everyone goes to Heaven because their sins are all forgiven. Therefore, you might actually get your wish.
...not.
"Yes" to #1. "No" to #2. What are your answers?
Mr. Boyce,
I appreciate your response and your thoughtful answers. Please bear with me as I make sure that I understand them correctly. Would it be correct to summarize them in this way: (1) Yes, God does "get His 100% perfect will 100% of the time;" and (2) No, our "humanistic desire for all mankind to be saved" is not a sin? If it would be correct, then I believe that we would agree. Not only would we agree, but I believe that anyone who would identify himself or herself as a Calvinist would also agree—without hesitating. The only exception would be the person who has crossed the line into fatalism and would, therefore, properly be identified as a Hyper-Calvinist. Have you spoken to self-identified Calvinists (as opposed to Hyper-Calvinists) who have refused to answer your questions, had to ponder them awhile, or retreated by telling you that it is a mystery or that you didn’t understand?
The central theme of Richard's argument is this - " GOd will always get what He wants." Let's compare that with Scripture. We will begin with the Ten Commandments. Did God want the nation of Israel to obey the Ten Commmandments? Or what about the other laws? If God did not want them followed, why give them? Why would God punish those that did not obey the Law? What God is this? I will follow up on this in a new post.
As for Richard's answer to number two, it does not add up with consistant Calvinism (if there is such a thing). Calvinism says God selected certain ones for salvation and damned the rest to hell. For me to want those supposed damned to not be damned would be for me to go against the desire of God. If a Calvinist does not call that a sin, then what is sin?
WOA, I will post something on the will of God soon that may spark interest. I don't believe the desire for mankind to be saved is a sin either, but Calvinism all but demands it to be a sin, as already explained.
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