I put up a post last week in which I quoted a single passage from Calvin which illustrates well my theological rejection of Calvinism. The statement was not meant to constitute an argument but state a conclusion to which I've come regarding the Calvinistic system. The bottom line is, regardless of all the protest to the contrary, Calvinism reduces to pure determinism. From my standpoint, rigid Calvinism is as much about philosophy as theology and unhealthily depends upon both for its warrant to exist in lieu of sound, consistent biblical exegesis >>>
Below are a few more golden nuggets from Calvin which reflect Calvin's undeniable adherence to fatalistic philosophy (all emphasis mine):
"Let him, therefore, who would beware of such unbelief, always bear in mind, that there is no random power, or agency, or motion in the creatures, who are so governed by the secret counsel of God, that nothing happens but what he has knowingly and willingly decreed" Institutes I, xvi, 3
"But whose has learned from the mouth of Christ that all the hairs of his head are numbered (Mt. 10:30), will look farther for the cause, and hold that all events whatsoever are governed by the secret counsel of God. With regard to inanimate objects again we must hold that though each is possessed of its peculiar properties, yet all of them exert their force only in so far as directed by the immediate hand of God. Hence they are merely instruments, into which God constantly infuses what energy he sees meet, and turns and converts to any purpose at his pleasure." Institutes I, xvi, 2
"They deny that it is ever said in distinct terms, God decreed that Adam should perish by his revolt... They say that, in accordance with free-will, he was to be the architect of his own fortune, that God had decreed nothing but to treat him according to his desert. If this frigid fiction is received, where will be the omnipotence of God, by which, according to his secret counsel on which every thing depends, he rules over all? ... As this cannot be ascribed to nature, it is plain that it is owing to the wonderful counsel of God... I again ask how it is that the fall of Adam involves so many nations with their infant children in eternal death without remedy unless that it so seemed meet to God?... The decree, I admit, is, dreadful; and yet it is impossible to deny that God foreknow what the end of man was to be before he made him, and foreknew, because he had so ordained by his decree... Nor ought it to seem absurd when I say, that God not only foresaw the fall of the first man, and in him the ruin of his posterity; but also at his own pleasure arranged it. Institutes III, xxiii, 7
"Let us suppose, for example, that a merchant, after entering a forest in company with trust-worthy individuals, imprudently strays from his companions and wanders bewildered till he falls into a den of robbers and is murdered. His death was not only foreseen by the eye of God, but had been fixed by his decree. For it is said, not that he foresaw how far the life of each individual should extend, but that he determined and fixed the bounds which could not be passed (Job 14:5)... All future events being uncertain to us, seem in suspense as if ready to take either direction. Still, however, the impression remains seated in our hearts, that nothing will happen which the Lord has not provided." Institutes I, xvi, 9
"It seems absurd that man should be blinded by the will and command of God, and yet be forthwith punished for his blindness... That men do nothing save at the secret instigation of God, and do not discuss and deliberate on any thing but what he has previously decreed with himself and brings to pass by his secret direction, is proved by numberless clear passages of Scripture." Institutes I, xviii, 1
"By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation; and, accordingly, as each has been created for one or other of these ends, we say that he has been predestinated to life or to death." Institutes III, xxi, 5
Thus, when non-Calvinists display protest toward our Calvinist brothers and sisters, we do not protest because we assume they automatically accept Calvin's inadequate understanding of baptism, covenant, church and state relations, or even the burning of Servetus. Instead many of us vigorously protest the dreadful deterministic philosophy undeniably embedded within the theological model Calvinism embraces. For us, we outright reject the fatalistic tendencies we observe in Calvinism which, from our standpoint, makes God out to be a divine Despot resembling more a narcissistic Devil than the Sovereign loving Father our Lord Jesus Christ revealed.
So, pardon us in love if we will never accept the dark Calvinistic "truths" that:
- God created the clear majority of the human race for the specific purpose of damning them to hell
- all human actions, thoughts, impressions—good or bad—were divinely decreed from eternity
- all social crime is decreed and happens according to God's infinite wisdom—as the robber is decreed to rob, so the rapist is decreed to rape and the child molester decreed to molest all for God's pleasure and infinite wisdom
- infant babies doomed to eternal destruction
- God blinds men and punishes them for their blindness all the while taking pleasure in doing so
- any thought we possess or mindful deliberation we experience was all previously decreed and will be brought to pass exactly as God predetermined it to be
- all unreached people groups today which have never heard the name of Jesus were predetermined in eternity never to have known Jesus and therefore were created specifically for eternal destruction
There are many more Calvinistic "truths" for which we'd beg our Calvinist brothers and sisters to pardon us in love if we reject their deterministic understanding of reality.
But we think this is enough for now...
"... many of us vigorously protest the dreadful deterministic philosophy undeniably embedded within the theological model Calvinism embraces."
Peter, that is indeed the bottom-line for me in this SBC debate. It's as if there is a Calvinist God, and another known by the SBC majority. But, perhaps, I'm a little sensitive about this right now after just learning that a missing child from a neighboring community was found raped, killed and thrown into a local lake. The thought that this man was decreed by Holy God to rape and murder an innocent child is unsettling to me - a misrepresentation of the character of the God I know. Scripture says that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy ... Satan is our enemy, not God. Some will argue that you describe a "hyper" extreme view of God's sovereignty, but the underlying deterministic philosophy in general Calvinistic theology is hard to escape.
Posted by: Max | 2012.10.11 at 12:18 PM
I literally just sat through my Philosophy class and the lecture happened to be determinism. Another great article Peter.
Posted by: bigfatdrummer | 2012.10.11 at 01:34 PM
talk about a one trick pony! Geesh!
Posted by: Adam G. in NC | 2012.10.11 at 01:44 PM
Max,
I'm quite sure many Calvinists will accuse me of sporting hyperism which has little, if anything, to do with what I'm proposing here. I'm suggesting that the Calvinistic model is fundamentally oriented toward philosophic determinism. That's John Calvin. And, those who desire to wed themselves to his exhaustive fore-ordination of every single act and thought of humankind will just have to eat the fatalistic beans he's cooked from philosophy not Scripture.;)
bigfatdrummer,
interesting how relevant I am (ha ha!!)
Adam G.
No pony show here I'm afraid. I'm only dealing with the most significant issue facing Southern Baptists and have been doing so since 2006. If you're tired of it, perhaps you can find something more edifying to you on another site. Peace!
with that, I am...
Peter
Posted by: peter lumpkins | 2012.10.11 at 02:39 PM
Max,
I almost forgot: I too feel what you do concerning the horrible incident about which you speak. To attempt to lay that devilish act at God's decretal feet is monstrous at best. Strict Calvinists who desire an answer other than decretalism have nowhere to turn in times like those except falling back on non-Calvinist responses--permissively allowing evil's existence but not purposely causing evil's existence.
With that, I am...
Peter
Posted by: peter lumpkins | 2012.10.11 at 02:49 PM
Imagine you are a victim of rape and listening to a pastor talk about God directing every single molecule since before creation and forerordained every single event and if you do not believe that means you do not believe God is Sovereign.
What this really boils down to is that none of us has any responsiblity for what we do. The Calvinists say the rapist was just being their depraved self.
So think about it from the rape victims point of view. A born again believer is raped. We know Calvinists believe the rapist was just being normally totally depraved and God decided not to allow them to be saved.but what abaout the victim? God foreordained SHE would be raped on that date and time.
Is it any wonder that Calvinism either dies out eventually or goes liberal... over time? Is it any wonder that many Puritan descendents in the NE became Unitarians?
Posted by: lydia | 2012.10.11 at 03:09 PM
"From my standpoint, rigid Calvinism is as much about philosophy as theology and unhealthily depends upon both for its warrant to exist in lieu of sound, consistent biblical exegesis."
This is precisely my opinion, as well, and accurately describes the principle reason why I am not a Calvinist. I do not believe that it is dangerous or offensive that we have brothers and sisters in the SBC who are Calvinists, and I believe that we face many issues far more important than this one, but I am not a Calvinist and you have stated articulately in the preceding quote the primary reasons why.
Posted by: Bart Barber | 2012.10.11 at 03:16 PM
This is from my pastor's blog (this morning). I don't think you'll hear Calvinists saying these things. Or many others, for that matter:
From time to time I flip through the television channels to watch various T.V. preachers, just to see what they’re up to. Not long ago I came across a woman who was speaking to a packed auditorium of several thousand people. I listened in for a few minutes and the message was clear; if you expect anything from God, if you want success, you had better get your life in order.
It didn’t seem to occur to the preacher that these folks had spent the last week doing just that in any number of ways, mostly with limited or no success, and that some relief might be in order. It’s hard to understand why she would simply remind them of their wounds and then put the verbal whip on them to try harder. It’s also hard to understand why people would return week after week and subject themselves to reminders, couched in omnipotent terms, of their inadequacy. Well, actually, it’s not hard to understand at all.
Preying on people’s fears, inadequacies and brokenness works. And it works precisely because we are so terribly vulnerable in this life. Once we get our wits about us in this world it becomes quite obvious that to get along we have to be good for something. We must demonstrate our value in tangible ways. Some are more or less up to the challenge, some fail miserably, and most people wobble along in fits and starts anxious for security, looking for shelter from the storm. They are suckers for bootstraps religion. Nothing else in life is free, why should God be free?
Well, based on the generally lackluster performance most of us produce in this life I can fully appreciate the question. I’ve asked it myself. And the answer, surprisingly enough, has been given by God Himself.
“When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.”
We call that the Good News. It is what I was hoping the T.V. preacher would get around to but she never did. So, here, in an unvarnished quote from that late purveyor of God’s glorious grace, Gerhard Forde, is the word of irrepressible freedom delivered to you this day; it is a word of pure gift.
“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ the confessional answer is shocking: ‘Nothing! Just be still; shut up and listen for once in your life to what God the Almighty, creator and redeemer, is saying to his world and to you in the death and resurrection of his Son! Listen and believe!’”
(Gerhard O. Forde, Justification by Faith (Philadelphia, 1983), page 22.)
Isn’t it great? There is nothing left to do. Christ Jesus has done it all! Let go of your bootstraps, sit back, relax and take a deep breath of the free air. The Son has set you free!
_____
And then Gerhard Forde used to say (he’s with the Lord now),
“Now that you don’t have to do anything…what do you want to do?”
Posted by: Steve Martin | 2012.10.11 at 03:33 PM
"principal reason" not "principle reason"
Sorry. mea culpa
Posted by: Bart Barber | 2012.10.11 at 03:40 PM
Philosophical (NOT theological!) determinism...exactly!
Posted by: stan schmunk | 2012.10.12 at 01:59 PM