The Culpability of God

[Skandelon]

Originally Posted by Aaron
Any objective observer knows that when one with the power to prevent an imminent danger he can forsee does nothing to safeguard his neighbor, then his guilt is as if he had premeditated the injury. And the Law testifies to that fact assigning the same guilt and prescribing the same penalty.

So it is your contention that God is culpable for evil either way even in spite of the many passages which declare God's innocence of such evil, holiness, transcendence and his not even tempting men to evil?

Why is that many Calvinistic confessions go to such great lengths to avoid such accusations, while you simply accept it as if it is fact?

Your entire argument against Calvinism rests on an appeal to a carnal sense of justice. "If the idea originated with God, then . . ." Far from dismissing your argument, I met it head on and showed that you cannot escape the same "difficulty."

But that doesn't negate the distinction, however narrow you may presume it is, between a God who foresees and permits evil and One who originates evil. Even men like Edwards and most Calvinistic confessions go to great pains to make sure not to call God the author or originator of evil and even speak of his "permitting" and "not hindering it" in the same way I have done so as to avoid the very accusations I'm leveling against you. Are you merely casting them aside along with me and siding with the narrow band of brethren in the hard deterministic camp?

The Calvinist can humbly accept that, because he has been converted. The Noncalvinist cannot because he is too proud.

I submit that even most Calvinists don't stand with you on this point. Luke will, but that is because you are both hard determinists...not really "Calvinists."

 

[Skandelon]

This is a carry over from the discussion in "Can God Originate a Thought."