On Determinism

I just watched a video that just came out titled "Calvinist can't answer the question!!!" (here) Well, that caught my attention as a "Calvinist." I wonder if a title that said "Arminians (or non Calvinists) can't answer the question!" would attract the non Calvinist? There were several comments and I will cite one at the end of this rant. If the title was meant to provoke Calvinists, it succeeded in my case. The same is true with similar videos and writings by those who are strongly anti Calvinist, such as from former Calvinists like Dr. Leighton Flowers. There are some Arminians who are Calvinist haters and if they could they would "cancel" their speech. Likewise there are some Calvinists who are Arminian haters and would do the same thing.

I have some drafts on the subject of free will vs. determinism which I hope to finish one day before I die. Not that there is anything new in them from what I have already written through the years. But, writing them after so many years of study and debate on the subject, I think I could now do a better job of discussing the issues more softly and gently.

In this video there is a question and answer session with Calvinist Dr. John Piper and another gentlemen who does not seem to embrace Calvinism. I cannot respond to everything so let me just make this as short as possible. 

"God determines the end and the means" said Piper. What is wrong with that? The brother playing devil's advocate with Piper and the narrator seemed to suggest that non Calvinists don't agree with that. Well, I do and I can defend that proposition, not by logic alone, but by scripture. 

In this short discussion here are some of the questions and statements made by the non Calvinist.

1) "Why did you believe and not another?"

2) "What determines your belief?"

3) "What determines your free will choice?"

4) "Obviously, if something determines your free will choice then it ceases to be a free will choice." 

5) "he freely chose not to believe the gospel"

According to the non Calvinist, God is not the reason why one person differs from another (which is against what Paul taught in I Cor. 4: 7). He believes that he is different because of free will.

The narrator assumes that a free choice cannot have any causes. How is that logical or biblical? An effect without a cause! That is against both the bible and science; and common sense too.

One comment under the video is one that we hear often from those who despise determinism. The commenter said:

"...there is no disobedience in Calvinism, because a person who does not evangelize is doing so because they were pre-determined to not evangelize. If I choose not to witness then I have not done wrong." 

Just substitute the word "suffered" or "permitted" or "allowed" for the word "predestined" or "caused" or "predetermined" and you will see that really the non Calvinist is in agreement with Calvinists (they just will not admit it, or having trouble seeing it, etc.). Nothing comes to pass unless God allows it to come to pass. Some things he permits to happen and other things he keeps from happening (like keeping Abimelech from sinning). Can we agree on that? We should. Well, that being so, all we have to do is to ask whether the permissive will of God is still the will of God?

Just substitute the word "independent" for "free" also when those who believe in indeterminism speak of free will. Ask them if they mean an independent will, a will that depends on nothing. No one has free will because no one has a completely independent will. Only God has a free and independent will.

The words "compel" and "constrained" are used in scripture, which in itself is against indeterminism and free will or libertarianism. 

I will delve more deeply in this subject when I have finished other drafts that are ahead in the list. As anyone can see, I do not see predestination and determinism as a hobby horse. On the other hand, if Arminians attack my belief in it and call my view heresy, then expect me to kick back or make a defense.