Featured Question about Calvinism

Completely so and I see very little practical value except that it's a comfort to know that God is ultimately in control. But that doesn't mean our road can't get pretty bumpy in the mean time.

 

Yes, that is what is happening by a logical train of thought. But be careful with making God responsible if you mean more by that than "allowing" or not preventing evil to occur. But you are correct, there are some Calvinists who clearly believe that God is directly causal of evil. I don't and I have reasons for my belief. Now if by "evil" you include calamity and disaster then you simply cannot deny that and still say you read your Bible.

 

Pilate didn't 'order' the crucifixion. If anything, he was more likely coerced.

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.
14 But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,
15 and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Acts 3

27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.
28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should be slain. Acts 13

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;
23 him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: Acts 2

24 So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it.
25 And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Mt 27

 

Why the ambiguity with Kevin? The question doesn't make sense.

 

No, one was saved, and the other was saved or lost - originally...it appears you've edited it so that it now makes sense.

disregard

 

Free Will is an illusion. Sin nature, human nature, genetics, and nurture leave no room for true free Will.

 

I know that you have said you are a calvinist and yet say you do not agree with divine determinism. But the WCF and the LBCF are clear that God determines all thing so that does not leave you any wiggle room whether you call yourself a calvinist/reformed/PB. So we see that it is your WCF/LBCF that makes God the author of evil not scripture. The calvinist theology does not leave you the option of "allowing" or not preventing evil to occur.

So either the calvinist view is correct or scripture is correct it cannot be both.

As one that does not follow the calvinist theology I can say evil that befalls man can include calamity and disaster because I trust scripture whereas you must deny your stated theology. This is something that I see many calvinists do quite often as they understand the problems their theological view presents.

 

If man has no free will then man has no responsibility.

 

I believe that grace can be resisted, and I don't believe in a limited atonement. I also don't believe that God created millions of people for the sole and primary purpose that they would burn in Hell forever. Having said that, if I can still be a Calvinist then I am one.

Of course it does. Why would you make such a moronic statement. Don't try to dig through Edwards, that idea can be found in Sproul's little paperback "Chosen by God". If you can't see the difference between God making a man sin and knowing a man will sin and allowing that action to continue to completion then I don't know what to say to you. Sometimes I don't know if you are just pulling my leg or if you really are that dense.

Scripture verses alone can support all the points of the TULIP. At the worst, from scripture they can all be deduced. I do think Calvinism has some flaws that I have mentioned above. I also think Edwards has the best writing on free will if you are interested in such things, which @AFJ seems to be. But I am not encouraging him to become a Calvinist. It has flaws, it can get you in hot water with your local church, and most important of all, it appears to no longer be "cool". It is so 2015! All the cool kids now are leaving the Young, Restless and Reformed for Roman or Eastern Catholicism.