ANATHEMIZING OPEN THEISM – A DIRE PREDICTION FOR CALVINISM

NB: Forgive me for any imprecise or inaccurate descriptions in the following.

I’m going to make a prediction – it is not something I HOPE will happen, but something I FEAR will happen.

I predict that if Calvinists push hard enough against Open Theism (and Dynamic Omniscience) – if they draw a hard line in the sand and insist that all other believers choose a side – they will encounter serious, unintended consequences.

The line in the sand is this: Open Theism is formally declared anathema, heresy, a non-negotiable reason to break fellowship and exclude from the Kingdom Tent, not even fraternizing with this enemy will be tolerated. We already see a lot of this going on, but for an easily observable example, say that the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) formally declares that no leeway will be given to Open Theism. IIRC this was narrowly avoided in past dicussions.

The unintended consequence will be this: Calvinism will suffer the same fate it consigns Open Theism to.

The rationale is this: By forcing every Christian to denounce Open Theism, many of these churchgoers will realize they actually dislike and disagree with Calvinism even more. The mental block, politeness filter, gentleman’s agreement will fall off – or rather, will have been ripped off by Calvinism forcing the issue.

In fact I think we already see some of this in action. Open Theism seems to be growing, and I think the actions of Calvinists contribute to this.

I’ve often seen Calvinists push the dichotomy that either God knows the future, OR people have real free choices – pick one. Those Calvinists pick the former, reject the latter – “God foreknows because He predestines” etc. And I’ve seen the exact same dichotomy pushed by Open Theists, who pick the latter instead.

Meanwhile, many Calvinists try to force the false dilemma that it’s EITHER Calvinism, or else you must affirm Open Theism. It’s a boogeyman scare tactic similar to their “You think man can choose God? Are you a Pelagian?” canard. James White has said on multiple occassions that “The only consistent non-Calvinist is an Open Theist.”

But the more that Calvinists push on this “Either you’re with us, or else you must be one of those HERETICS” false dichotomy, the more Christians are pushed AWAY from Calvinism. And if they buy the Calvinist’s false dilemma, they think therefore must turn to ‘the only other option’ – that being Open Theism. The Calvinist’s own plot backfires and turns around to bite them.

We might not realize it in our little (and it IS comparatively little) Internet Theology communities, but I hazard to guess that among regular churchgoers… Calvinism’s claims come across as much WORSE than “God does not / cannot / chooses not to know the future”. To the “I used to be Arminian, but then I learnt the truth of how the Bible teaches the Doctrines of Grace” folk out there, think back to how jarring Calvinism first appeared to you. Dragged kicking and screaming and crying into it, like Sproul and Piper said.

Of all the many odiferous teachings of Calvinism, in my experience I have found that the most shocking, horrifying and unacceptable doctrine is simply this: That Christ DID NOT give His life to save everybody. If you force the average Bible believer to pick a poison, they will sooner swallow the one labeled THE FUTURE IS OPEN.

And the bad example set by Cage Stagers doesn’t help their fellow Calvinists. All other things being equal, a non-aligned Christian forced to pick a side would probably not be partial to the guys calling them Pelagian, synergist, worship pagan goddess free will, barely saved, heretic, think they can save themself, stealing God’s glory, just hate God’s sovereignty… The more Cage Stagers tighten their grip on people’s throats, the more will slip through TULIP’s fingers.

And so to loop back to the line in the sand, what will happen if Open Theism is held up to the spotlight and every Christian forced to denounce it? Some time after that, people will realize that they felt all along: “You know what, Calvinism is actually worse.” The mental barrier preventing outright breaking of fellowship will have crumbled, and massive divides will ensue. Disagreements and debates like Calvinism/Traditionalism in the SBC will devolve into full on splits and parting of ways. The gloves will have come off, and it will have been the Calvinist denouncement of Open Theism that pulled them off.

Sure, Open Theism calls into question God’s ability to know the future – but Calvinism calls into question God’s good character. Go look up hashtag #KeepOnSinnin if you want the most egregrious examples. As Leighton Flowers has compared before, it’s one thing to belittle someone’s ability (you can’t herd a room full of kids very well) – it’s a whole ‘nuther thing to insult their character (you’re a child abuser and enjoy it).

So to the Calvinists, go ahead and continue prodding and provoking everyone else on the Open Theism issue. Mock Leighton Flowers for his lambasting the push for Open Theists to be pushed out of the SBC. Just don’t complain if you get pushed off the cliff next, in the mad stampede you triggered. You will have opened the floodgates, but the waters rush both ways. Both ends of the pendulum swing will be swept away by the flood, one cast out after the other.

You only will have yourselves to blame… Or maybe, blame God since it would have been God’s secret will all along having been unchangeably decreed in eternity past, right?

Let this be a solemn warning, and not an unwitting prophecy. I hope that I myself will not fall victim to it, being very big tent when it comes to these matters.