I do talk about God, and so do Calvinists, who say such things as, they would not worship a weak God Who will not or cannot bring to pass that which He desires. Yes, people on this very thread have said such things. They call God weak. On this thread? Maybe not, but elsewhere, certainly. Does God desire everyone to be saved? The Calvinist says no, that He only desires those to be saved Whom He has elected for salvation, that all does not mean all. Where Scripture says Jesus died not just for believers, but for the sins of the whole world, they have said the whole world does not mean the whole world, because if it did, then everyone's sins would be forgiven... as IF repentance were not a requirement for salvation. They have said it enough times and had their omission pointed out to them numerous times, too, but they just get angry when it is pointed out to them, and accuse the other of lying, though at the same time they will agree when pressed that repentance is required of man, BUT they will turn around and say man plays no role in his salvation, again negating the need for repentance.
This dovetails into their "man has no choice" doctrine, coming full circle to God pulling the strings, because in their view, a God Who is in control must be micromanaging or He is not omnipotent or sovereign, and they will not acknowledge such a God as One Who gives man a choice. They say there is no such thing as free will. Is the will free? Of course not. It is tied to physical and spiritual imperatives. Is there such a thing as self will that opposes the will of God? Of course there is. The Bible is all about that, and our need for a Savior, that we may escape the bonds of sinful flesh, being born again of the Holy Spirit of God. However, they will say man has no ability to choose God unless God draws them.
Do they overlook the fact that Jesus said He would draw all men to Himself? It seems they do. Their theology promotes a God Who does not give some men a choice, but will nevertheless eternally punish them for failing to choose Him. Their theology also promotes a God Who will reward them for something they claim they played no role in. To me it is all about the character of God. Is it loving, merciful, and just to punish forever after anyone for something about which they were given no choice?
“The first man fell because the Lord deemed it meet that he should.” ~John Calvin
“I freely acknowledge my doctrine to be this: that Adam fell, not only by the permission of God, but by His very secret, the counsil and decree …” ~John Calvin
“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.” ~John Calvin
“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? Here the most loquacious tongues must be dumb. The decree, I admit, is, dreadful; and yet it is impossible to deny that God foreknew what the end of man was to be before he made him, and foreknew, because he had so ordained by his decree.” ~John Calvin
