This is an odd attack on Calvinism:
It’s striking how many Arminians think the theological options boil down to Calvinism or Arminianism. Although divine foreknowledge is a Reformed essential, it’s hardly a Reformed distinctive. This is not unique to Calvinism.
It is, however, true that Calvinism can ground divine foreknowledge in a way that freewill theism cannot.
The short answer to Vox’s challenge is that God employs leading questions. There’s nothing deceptive about the Socratic method.
Taking God’s word at “face value” includes rhetorical conventions. Vox is like Lt. Commander Data, who’s blindsided by idiomatic speech.
God predestines debates between himself and men like Moses and Abraham. It’s a learning experience for the human participant–the way some parents stage debates with their kids to teach them how to think through issues.
Vox states,
ReplyDelete"The contradictions between Calvinist Churchianity and Biblical Christianity are vast in number. But the key one is this: if God genuinely wills salvation for everyone and yet everyone is not saved, then it cannot be reasonably denied that God's will can be thwarted by His autonomous creations."
Freddy very nicely nailed him with this:
"That's the point Einstein....God doesn't have a wonderful plan for everybody, whom he has "fitted for destruction."
The idea that man can somehow thwart God's will is the whole premise that sets up Paul's response in Romans 9. Paul refutes the assumption that God wills salvation for everyone.