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Sunday, March 03, 2013

"...but would you let your daughter marry one?"


 

 
Jerry Walls shared a link.
Yesterday
PITY THIS POOR GUY...

And just to be clear, I love Calvinists. In fact, I briefly dated a Calvinist one time, but I would not marry one (on the grounds that it would be hard to share a life of ministry with anyone who does not believe God truly loves all persons and desires all to be saved.

This is like the old quip about “I’m not racist! Some of my best friends are black. But would you let your daughter marry one?”

Or, “I’m not anti-Semitic! Some of my best friends are Jewish. But would you let your daughter marry one?”

It’s also like the old quip about “Don’t believe anything that comes before the but.”

Jerry Walls believes in God’s unlimited love, but Jerry’s love for Calvinists is quite limited. Jerry fully loves only those who share his all-loving theology. He loves everyone equally–except for all those who don’t make the theological cut.


4 comments:

  1. I actually doubt Jerry's claim to love Calvinists. He sees them not as persons who are mistaken about something, but as moral inferiors - perverse individuals who greatly damage the gospel. His over-the-top tone in his writing, which has been recognized by others in public reviews, and his obsession to discuss Calvinism in this way - mostly with those whom already agree - is tribalistic. Yeah, Jerry can say he loves Calvinists. Self-deception can be comforting in that way.

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  2. Jerry Walls said:

    "And just to be clear, I love Calvinists. In fact, I briefly dated a Calvinist one time, but I would not marry one (on the grounds that it would be hard to share a life of ministry with anyone who does not believe God truly loves all persons and desires all to be saved."

    1. Wouldn't it be harder to share a life of ministry with someone who claims he loves all people but acts contrariwise rather than with a consistent Calvinist?

    2. Walls defends "purgatory." He subscribes to postmortem repentance for Christians who need further sanctification as well as for non-Christians who haven't totally rejected the gospel (which I suppose would include learning about the perverse errors of Calvinism if he allows Calvinists are bona fide Christians).

    However, I'm curious about Walls' position on postmarital repentance. Is it possible for a Calvinist to repent of Calvinism after marriage to an Arminian like Walls? Also, wouldn't it be more likely a Calvinist repents of Calvinism after marriage to an Arminian like Walls than to another Calvinist? If so, then, all other things equal (e.g. there's mutual attraction), then what's wrong with Walls marrying a Calvinist?

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  3. Hi Steve,

    I don't know anything about Jerry Walls but I don't see a problem saying that although I love Arminians I don't think I'd marry one (if I were single). (Of course there would be liberty to marry one.) And certainly, although I love the unsaved (e.g. Jews) I would not marry one. (No liberty there to marry an unbeliever.)

    Lastly, if that is his only objection to Calvinists then he might reconsider because most Calvinists do believe that God does love everyone and desires the salvation of all.

    Again, I don't know anything about this person but I suspect there's much more here than meets my eye.

    Best wishes...

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    Replies
    1. The argument doesn't work in reverse. Suppose a Calvinist wouldn't marry an Arminian. But that's not a mirror image of Walls's position. For Walls is contrasting universal love with selective love. Therefore, it would be consistent for a Calvinist to be selectively loving, whereas it is inconsistent for an Arminian to be selectively loving.

      Walls is hypocritical. He says he wouldn't marry a Calvinist because Calvinists deny the universal love, but his refusal to marry a Calvinist exhibits a lack of universal love on his part. He's not as loving towards Calvinists as he is towards his fellow Arminians. He professes universal love, but only practices love towards those who share his profession. "I believe in universal love, but I will only love you if you reciprocate!" His universal love is actually a conditional love: I love everyone on condition that they love everyone.

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