Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Ophidian Arminians

J.C. Thibodaux, on May 20, 2010 at 6:06 pm Said:

The sovereign God holds power of life and death for His creations, and therefore has no obligations to stop evil from being committed or prevent His creations from destroying each other, and is therefore not responsible for their actions in any moral sense.

http://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/fallacies-of-calvinist-apologetics-fallacy-8-calvinism-doesnt-charge-god-with-the-authorship-of-sin/#comment-4576

J.C. Thibodaux, on May 23, 2010 at 6:46 pm Said:

Then I would have to conclude that definition of moral responsibility can’t be applied to God for allowing evil. He isn’t an eligible candidate for blame simply by His allowing the event to occur regardless of His reasons, as He has no obligation to keep it from occurring, and hence there’s no basis on which He can be blamed.

http://arminianperspectives.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/fallacies-of-calvinist-apologetics-fallacy-8-calvinism-doesnt-charge-god-with-the-authorship-of-sin/#comment-4611

It's ironic to see what Arminians must resort to to construct a libertarian theodicy. The standard appeal of Arminianism is that God is so loving and caring and equitable.

But in order to defend their conception of God against the argument from evil, Arminians are now taking the position that God has no moral obligations to his rational creatures. That's reminiscent of Medieval voluntarism and nominalism. The very thing that Calvin inveighed against.

In so doing, they have done a 180 from the sales' pitch of Arminianism. Indeed, this makes supralapsarian Calvinism positively cuddly by comparison.

In fact, they are casting God in the role of viviparous snakes that abandon their young at birth to fend for themselves. "You're on your own now, kiddies! I'm outta here! If you're eaten before you make it to your first birthday, tough luck!"

3 comments:

  1. Oh goodie! The charge of moral responsibility and moral obligation doesn't apply to God. So much for Calvin's God being the author of sin (as used in a nefarious sense)! Yet another Arminian defense that a Calvinist can use.

    "God ordained that evil? Well then he's positively wicked."

    "No, you see, God isn't a subject for ascriptions of moral responsibility and obligation."

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  2. I simple don't buy that argument.

    I live by Faith, Faith once delivered to the Saints!

    When this is what is implied: "... The standard appeal of Arminianism is that God is so loving and caring and equitable....".

    I then say, God has an amazing way of teaching us how to, why we should and we now better, pray!

    Mat 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.
    Mat 20:21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom."
    Mat 20:22 Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
    Mat 20:23 He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

    And what did Our Father prepare for them?


    Act 12:1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.
    Act 12:2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword,
    Act 12:3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
    Act 12:4 And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.
    Act 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

    and

    Act 12:19 And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.

    So go tell the sons of Thunder's mommy all about just how loving and caring and equitable Our God is!

    He makes little sense to my tender soul:::>

    Heb 11:35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.
    Heb 11:36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
    Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated--
    Heb 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy--wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
    Heb 11:39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,
    Heb 11:40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

    I know I am going to die a beggar, aren't you?

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  3. All proper Calvinists know that Time's Arrow is in their favour...

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