Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Bosse  Hello Caleb,
OK, a little Aristotelian Categorical Syllogistic argumentation, eh? Good job. I will continue playing the Devil's advocate. All of this rests on the assumption: God has absolute control over all creation. How far are you willing to go with this? For instance, does God have absolute control over the rapist in the very act of rape? Does God have absolute control over me? If not, then it is not the case that God has absolute control over all of creation. This would undermine the argument. If God does have absolute control, then in what sense is God in absolute control over my evil choices? 
Brian |
Thanks. Good question. If absolute control entails that you are like a physical puppet that God controls, I don’t think God has absolute control (because I don't think that is the biblical view of God). I am a compatibilist with respect to free will btw. God has absolute control over the rapist in that it is *metaphysically possible for God to stop the rapist*. (But, God allows evil in this world for a morally sufficient reason. I take that by faith, and anyway, I think it is beyond our epistemic faculties to even comprehend...). As far as creating an object (like a rock) that God can’t lift, that would put Him into a situation where it is metaphysically *impossible* for God to control such an object. I think this is the relevant distinction between the rock example and the rapist.
One could also argue from second causes, but I do think there is a sense in which God is "responsible", but not blaimworthy, for our sin. I have to study Calvinism more. Only last year did I embrace the doctrines of grace, and I have much more to learn. But, I think all calvinists have this problem.
Edit: I guess one could say that if God foreordained that he *wouldn't* lift a stone that he created then he "couldn't", but I don't think that is the way 'couldn't lift' is being used in the argument. This is also a relevant difference between the rapist and the rock. R & R distinction
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