Calvinism's Achille's Heel

[iam1me]

While there are a number of issues with Calvinism and Reformed Theology, let us discuss one of the most glaring errors of this school of thought. The idea that certain individuals have been specially selected for salvation while others have been selected by God for damnation - through no merit or demerit of either group, but simply because God wills it thus.

The problem with such a position is that it inherently shows favoritism towards these special few. Scripture both asserts that there is no favoritism with God, and that favoritism is a sin.

Leviticus 19:15 ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism

Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.

Colossians 3:25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.​

James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.​

For God to elect some to salvation and to others damnation based only on his discretion is nothing more than favoritism. No, salvation must be open and accessible to all people's. Either everyone must be saved, all must be damned, or there must be a common accessible standard by which we are judged. Indeed, the scriptures teach the latter - that we are judged by our deeds.

Romans 2:6-11 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”a]">[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.​

Of course, our deeds only have meaning as such a common standard if we have freewill to choose to do good vs evil, vs being pre-ordained. Fortunately, both good and evil are within our graps.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
​

God has factored in the gentiles who did not receive the Law as well:

Romans 2:12-15 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)​

 

[exchemist]

While there are a number of issues with Calvinism and Reformed Theology, let us discuss one of the most glaring errors of this school of thought. The idea that certain individuals have been specially selected for salvation while others have been selected by God for damnation - through no merit or demerit of either group, but simply because God wills it thus.

The problem with such a position is that it inherently shows favoritism towards these special few. Scripture both asserts that there is no favoritism with God, and that favoritism is a sin.

Leviticus 19:15 ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism

Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism.

Colossians 3:25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.​

James 2:9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.

Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.​

For God to elect some to salvation and to others damnation based only on his discretion is nothing more than favoritism. No, salvation must be open and accessible to all people's. Either everyone must be saved, all must be damned, or there must be a common accessible standard by which we are judged. Indeed, the scriptures teach the latter - that we are judged by our deeds.

Romans 2:6-11 God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”a]">[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.​

Of course, our deeds only have meaning as such a common standard if we have freewill to choose to do good vs evil, vs being pre-ordained. Fortunately, both good and evil are within our graps.

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. 15 See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. 17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
​

God has factored in the gentiles who did not receive the Law as well:

Romans 2:12-15 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)​

You are I think referring to the concept of "predestination". If you read this you will get a more nuanced view of it: Predestination - Wikipedia
In the early church and the Middle Ages it seems the view was that God can have foreknowledge of what free choices an individual human being makes, without influencing those choices.

Calvin, apparently, took a tougher line and one I agree seems difficult to reconcile with human free will. To me, if human beings do not have free will, they cannot be morally judged, as there can be no virtue or vice in following a predetermined path like an automaton.

Personally though, I find the Achilles' heel of Calvinism is its general aura of drabness and disapproval. But I speak as one raised in the opposite tradition.

 

[iam1me]

You are I think referring to the concept of "predestination". If you read this you will get a more nuanced view of it: Predestination - Wikipedia
In the early church and the Middle Ages it seems the view was that God can have foreknowledge of what free choices an individual human being makes, without influencing those choices.

Calvin, apparently, took a tougher line and one I agree seems difficult to reconcile with human free will. To me, if human beings do not have free will, they cannot be morally judged, as there can be no virtue or vice in following a predetermined path like an automaton.

Personally though, I find the Achilles' heel of Calvinism is its general aura of drabness and disapproval. But I speak as one raised in the opposite tradition.

Predestination is part of it, however it really isn't the focus here per say. Different versions of Reformed Theology will attempt to make some wiggle room for themselves with regards freewill. However, as far as I am aware, all of them maintain the idea of Unconditional Election (TULIP).

Unconditional election (also known as unconditional grace) is a Lutheran and Reformed doctrine relating to Predestination that describes the actions and motives of God in eternity past, before He created the world, where he predestinated some people to receive salvation, the elect, and the rest he left to continue in their sins and receive the just punishment, eternal damnation, for their transgressions of God's law as outlined in the old and new Testaments of the Bible. God made these choices according to his own purposes apart from any conditions or qualities related to those persons Unconditional election - Wikipedia​

The general debate of freewill vs predestination is always interesting - but predestination in of itself does not necessarily have to show favoritism. God could decide everyone is saved, for instance. Unconditional Election, however, cannot escape the sin of favoritism.

 

[exchemist]

Predestination is part of it, however it really isn't the focus here per say. Different versions of Reformed Theology will attempt to make some wiggle room for themselves with regards freewill. However, as far as I am aware, all of them maintain the idea of Unconditional Election (TULIP).

Unconditional election (also known as unconditional grace) is a Lutheran and Reformed doctrine relating to Predestination that describes the actions and motives of God in eternity past, before He created the world, where he predestinated some people to receive salvation, the elect, and the rest he left to continue in their sins and receive the just punishment, eternal damnation, for their transgressions of God's law as outlined in the old and new Testaments of the Bible. God made these choices according to his own purposes apart from any conditions or qualities related to those persons Unconditional election - Wikipedia​

The general debate of freewill vs predestination is always interesting - but predestination in of itself does not necessarily have to show favoritism. God could decide everyone is saved, for instance. Unconditional Election, however, cannot escape the sin of favoritism.

Oh I see. Yes indeed. Unconditional election is a horrible idea, completely at odds with free will and also, it seems to me, with any notion of fairness or God's mercy.

(Another highly objectionable feature of it is the smugness of those who think they are "the elect". They can do whatever they like in this life because, having been elected, they have an automatic free pass to heaven!)

 

[iam1me]

Oh I see. Yes indeed. Unconditional election is a horrible idea, completely at odds with free will and also, it seems to me, with any notion of fairness or God's mercy.

Indeed!

(Another highly objectionable feature of it is the smugness of those who think they are "the elect". They can do whatever they like in this life because, having been elected, they have an automatic free pass to heaven!)

Completely agree, although this problem isn't really isolated to Reformed Theology. Many/most protestant sects try to remove any obligation or requirements for salvation on our part - save for believing the right things. Believe in God, Believe the Trinity, Believe Christ is the Messiah, etc. Hold the correct beliefs and you are saved - nothing else is expected of you. They even try to twist the scriptures around so that wherever they speak of us doing good works, they say it is actually God doing good works - removing themselves from the picture.