On Calvinism pt. 2

From reading the comments on the last post, I can tell this is a divisive issue. I have to tell you that I am by no means completely certain about my position. I may sometimes act like I am certain, like I am wise and smart and all the rest, but that's more a defense mechanism than anything else. I'm as much adrift here as you are. I have arrived in this particular theological stance because I have been seeking Truth, and I seem to have followed it here. I may wake up tomorrow and find that Truth has inexplicably migrated, and if I am half as wise as I think I am I'll follow it out of the position I am now in. I hope not to convince you about the Rightness of where I am, but rather that you and I can look for truth together. Unlike some, I would rather seek Truth than be Right. If you and I are able to look for Truth together, then you are my friend, regardless of where you seek from. I hope that you see it the same way.

So. On to business. There are 3 people in particular that have affected me greatly when it comes to my position on predestination. All of these people were Calvinists, even though I am not really "one of them." The first person was George, whom you heard about last week. The second is my friend "Trevor," who has the dubious honour of being the only person I know who describes himself as a "Charismatic Calvinist." The conversation in particular that affected me took place during my third year at college, when I was married, commuting, and spending my free time waxing philosophical in the Commuter's Lounge. I walked in to catch the tail end of a tongue-lashing that Trevor was receiving from Margaret, a mutual friend of ours. Here, to the best of my recollection, is what followed.

"And I'll never look at you the same way again!" the woman's voice was audible through the heavy door of the Commuter's Lounge, but once opened it elevated to burning-bush decibel levels. I had obviously walked into an especially inopportune conversation, and I was about to beat a hasty retreat when the owner of that voice - Margaret, a fine-arts student - came round the corner towards the door and swooned dramatically past me. She spun on her heel and attempted to slam the door after her, but it had one of those hydraulic closing systems that are so popular with fire doors and simply refused to accommodate her. After a few brief, frustrating seconds, she gave a little sob, and disappeared. The door hissed shut apologetically a moment later.

"Hey, Trevor, having your customary luck with the ladies?"

He chuckled ruefully at my comment. "Nah, this wasn't a wife-finding attempt. I'm still a student, you know, and some of us don't go looking for our wives in 'bridal college.'"

I took the jab light-heartedly. "Still, you know what they say - if Bible College is the game-"

"Then seminary is sudden-death overtime, I gotcha."

"Right. So what was that all about?"

His face looked uncharacteristically glum. "Well, we were having a discussion about theology..."

"Ah."

"And I told her I was a Calvinist..."

"Ah."

"And then she just blew up. I didn't get to say anything else."

I frowned. "That doesn't sound like her. What about you being a Calvinist set her off?"

"I gather that her family are all non-Christians. I said 'Calvinist,' and she heard 'I believe that God has intentionally damned your whole family.'"

"Yikes!" I tried to be sympathetic, but to be honest with you I could see where she was coming from. Wasn't that what Calvinists believed? I thought I'd try and clear it up. "But isn't that basically what a Calvinist believes?"

Trevor got an Et tu, Brute? look on his face, but gamely responded. "I suppose they could, but they'd only be giving half the picture."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that it isn't so 2-dimensional. 'God predestines people, therefore no one has a choice and we're just pawns.' Some people make it so cut-and-dried, and I think there's alot more to it than that."

"Like what?"

"I think it's more 3-dimensional. We are still real, choosing creatures, and our choices have consequences."

I held up a hand. "Hang on a second, Trevor. If God is predestining everything, then no one really has a choice, do they? And God's just making people and condemning them arbitrarily."

"Why did you pick a ham sandwich for lunch today?"

I looked down at my lunch, which was sitting on the table in front of me. "Uhh... I like ham?"

"So no one put a gun to your head and said, 'Grey Owl, if you don't take a ham sandwich today I'll kill you?'"

"No... but if God predestined everything, then I had no choice."

"Really? Did you feel coerced? Did God make you take a sandwich you didn't want today?"

This was starting to feel a little silly. "No, of course not."

"So deciding to take a ham sandwich was your decision? One that was made freely and without coercion? One that was made because of Who Grey Owl Is and What He Likes?"

"Yeah..." I was starting to see where this was going.

"Think about it like this. God creates the Universe. He has perfect foreknowledge about what the future holds. He creates humanity. And he creates every individual person unique and truly themselves."

"What do you mean, 'truly themselves?'"

"I mean that everyone makes decisions that are authentically theirs. They are decisions independent of coercion and force. God doesn't 'make them' do anything - he creates them with needs, wants, and choices to make that they will make authentically. God doesn't make the decisions for them - even if he does know what choice they will make."

I wasn't convinced. "I'm not sure I understand. If he creates them unable to respond to him, then isn't he responsible for their sinning?"

Trevor gave this some thought. "I don't think so. He created everyone as themselves. Let's take an imaginary person - Joe. Joe is born, has his life, and dies. Joe has likes, and dislikes. And Joe makes authentic decisions, independent of any interference. And one of those choices is to not repent - to stay as his is, and choose to be apart from God."

"How do we know that God isn't making him choose that?"

"Think about when you've sinned - when you make that decision knowing it's wrong. Is anybody but you making that decision?"

I was forced to admit he was right. "So what about the people who are saved? God just closes his eyes and picks at random the lucky ones he's going to save? The ones he's going to override? Because that's what it is, isn't it? He picks some and decides to ignore their choices and give them faith so they can be saved. Right?"

"Not at all. Think of it this way: You are a sinful person. Now you and Joe are different, because even though you aren't able to choose God because of your sin, you would if you could, because that would be an authentic choice of Grey Owl. But you can't choose God on your own, because your sin prevents you. So God enables you to choose him - gives you faith - so that you can be saved. Because you want to be saved, unlike Joe, who does not."

A light bulb went on in my head. I felt something slide into place and arrive with an almost audible "click." "So it's not that God just picks people at random to be saved, it's that he sees there are people who want to be saved, and he saves them. And he created them as real, authentic creatures, just like the ones who don't want to be saved, even if they could be. Neither group is forced into anything, they act completely as themselves. And despite their inability to save themselves, God saves the ones who truly desire to be saved. So everyone who wants to be saved, is saved." I paused for breath. "That seems to make sense. But this sounds suspiciously like 'Free Will' doctrine - what makes this any different? Because it seems to me once you introduce Predestination, the Free Will ground seems - well, iffy."

"That goes back to the problem I was saying before, about 2-dimensional ideas. Predestination and Free Will aren't mutually exclusive - only their 2-dimensional versions are."

"Huh?"

Trevor took a moment to sip from his water bottle. "It's like this: the problem with 'Free Will only' ideas - 2-dimensional ones - is that they make salvation up to us as humans. God extends salvation to everyone, but he doesn't get it all the way. We still need to choose under our own power, and 'make up' the distance that God couldn't cover. So really, God doesn't save anyone - we do. That's the problem when you refuse to consider the Predestination aspect of salvation."

"Right - and the problem with 2-dimensional Predestination is that it dehumanizes us - makes us not authentic beings. God doesn't pay attention to how he created us, he just arbitrarily picks and chooses who goes up and who goes down. It leaves no room at all for choice."

"Exactly! In a way, they must both be correct - and so we come back to the reason that I'm a Calvinist. John Calvin himself said this; 'Scripture affirms both Free Will and Predestination, and does not attempt to resolve the tension between the two.'"

I felt as though a heavy load had been taken off my back. Trevor and I sat there, awash in the afterglow of a rousing discussion that ended not badly after all. At times it had been the mental equivalent of trying to run through waist-deep mud, but we had arrived. I had to admit that my preconceived notions of Calvinism were far from accurate, and said so.

Trevor grinned. "Yeah, we're not all assholes, are we?"

I chuckled as I rose to leave. "Well, I think the jury'll stay out on that one for a while."

"Blessings, brother."

"You too. Cheers."

I had almost reached the door when another thought occurred to me - this one another serious stumbling block I had to the Predestination argument. With one hand on the door I turned back.
"Hey Trevor - one more question."

"Shoot."

"What about people the gospel never reaches - like bushmen in Africa, or the Incas, or... unborn children? What about them? Are they all in hell?"

Trevor actually shuddered at that. "Why on earth would you want to think about that?"

"It's just a question that's been on my mind. What do you think?"

"To be honest, I've never given it much thought. I can't help you there."

"Ah." I tried not to look disappointed, and turned the handle. Trevor's voice stopped me.

"But I think I can tell you who can."

to be continued...