tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post5428616013902147855..comments2023-07-26T06:35:58.781-07:00Comments on Balancing Faith and Reason Since 1966: The Gospel According to CalvinJust call me Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12412692603929128787noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-69218453615620967712009-10-04T18:18:47.733-07:002009-10-04T18:18:47.733-07:00"God indeed foreknows all events, a person wh..."God indeed foreknows all events, a person who takes the Bible seriously cannot refute that; however, that does NOT mean He is CAUSING all actions."<br /><br />Actually I and many others far more educated than me would contend just the opposite. A serious look at the Bible shows that God doesn't foreknow all events; see "God of the Possible" by Boyd and "Most Moved Mover" by Pinnock for excellent introductory presentations to this perspective.<br /><br />The problem with God foreknowing all events is that it eliminates any possibility of free will. How can I freely choose my own actions yet be totally predictable in my thoughts and behavior? And if I have no choice but to do the things I do, then on what basis does God condemn me?<br /><br />Even Paul cannot answer this objection, hence his long diatribe in Romans chapter nine about divine sovereignty. It was carefully designed to sidestep the issue, though the apostle does provide something of an answer by saying "God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he might have mercy on them all" (Romans 11:32).Just call me Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12412692603929128787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-68118608815427492542009-10-04T18:10:44.397-07:002009-10-04T18:10:44.397-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Just call me Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12412692603929128787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-47547334369227974172009-09-25T06:39:32.705-07:002009-09-25T06:39:32.705-07:00Thank you John, and welcome to the blog. Feel fre...Thank you John, and welcome to the blog. Feel free to drop in anytime.Just call me Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-41032005922564313932009-09-01T13:55:22.216-07:002009-09-01T13:55:22.216-07:00I think you hit the nail on the head. Calvin had s...I think you hit the nail on the head. Calvin had some good stuff to say, but his views on predestination were not among them. You could say that for most of TULIP theology for that matter. Some of your readers want to defend predestination, but I wonder if they realize that Biblical predestination is primarily speaking of Christ, hence the importance of being IN Christ. Wether you agree with me or not, thank you for not allowing the traditions of men and the rituals of religion to keep you from using the mind that God gave you. Maranatha!Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-84483440187733609872009-08-11T11:12:11.470-07:002009-08-11T11:12:11.470-07:00Well, I am not a Calvinist, as my own Blog will sh...Well, I am not a Calvinist, as my own Blog will show... but your respresentation of Calvinsim is not exactly right. God indeed foreknows all events, a person who takes the Bible seriously cannot refute that; however, that does NOT mean He is CAUSING all actions. Predestination is a Bible fact, but how we define it (Biblically) is what is important. We must understand the relationship between Predestination, Foreknowledge and the will of man. I don't totally agree but I enjoyed reading your perspective.I say, I say...https://www.blogger.com/profile/04246457510230714321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-12566376400074207502009-06-23T21:01:04.094-07:002009-06-23T21:01:04.094-07:00I freely admit my own biases came through in this ...I freely admit my own biases came through in this post. I just don't like Calvin, partially because he reminds me of certain unnamed individuals that have caused me great harm. Like all of us I am very, very human.<br /><br />The most damning evidence against Calvin's character is his role in the death of Servetus. Just mentioning that in Calvinist circles, especially the ultra-conservative variety, is to stir up a hornet's nest. an unbiased look at the facts, however, points to Calvin as complicit in the poor fellow's murder.<br /><br />I freely admit that there are many wonderful, godly people in Presbyterian and Calvinist churches. I would also posit that they are being inconsistent with their own beliefs when they support missions and say that God loves the world. <br /><br />I should also clarify here that this post was meant to address what in today's terminology is often called hyper-Calvinism, though I see it as simply what Calvin really taught. Modern Calvinists are often embarrassed by what the man taught and have softened his tenets in many ways, especially in terms of predestination and limited atonement. <br /><br />Lutherans have struggled with similar issues. I admire much about Luther, but many of his later writings are horrendous in tone and content, such as his polemics against Jewish people. It is my opinion that in his case there seems to be evidence of age related mental deterioration. I've often thought that modern psychology could shed some light on this, perhaps by interpreting his works through a forensic lens. <br /><br />I appreciate your kind words about the blog, Shannon. Its primary purpose is to provoke thought, not to sway people to my way of thinking. Hope to see you here again!Just call me Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12412692603929128787noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5867348547264087086.post-70425610314998274622009-06-23T18:20:12.018-07:002009-06-23T18:20:12.018-07:00While I grew up in a Presbyterian church and alway...While I grew up in a Presbyterian church and always fought against pure Calvinist thought, I do have to say that your spin on his views is excessively negative. When I was sitting through my SS classes as a child we were taught so much about God's holiness. Calvin was trying to reconcile grace and holiness. I don't agree with all of his conclusions, but I don't think that he was the dour man full of hate and mental problems that some who disagree paint. I think that we can disagree with his conclusions without classifying his followers as close minded. My mother remains in a Presbyterian church and my father who recently passed away embraced Calvinism whole-heartedly. They were not closed to God's grace and were great supporters of mission work--which always seemed a waste of time to me if you believed the 5 points of Calvinism. Its been years and I mean years since I've delved into theology, so I'll not try to argue with you about this. Just use care when using a broad brush to paint a theological position. <br />I enjoy reading your blogs--it makes me think I really need to get back to heavy thinking again. BTW--I'm a whole hearted conservative Lutheran these days. Missouri Synod, very reformed, a great believer in balance between law and gospel.Shannon Blacknoreply@blogger.com