Calvinist Bad Logic #6: All Animals Are Monkeys
Bad Logic #6: Calvinists often operate by an "if all monkeys are animals then all animals are monkeys" logic. (Illogic!)
Such as, if the Bible shows God controlling one thing then they say that all things are controlled by Him. Since God caused and controlled the creation of the heavens, then they say it proves that all things are created (read: controlled and caused) by Him. If the Bible shows that God actively carried out a plan that He made, then they say it proves that all things that happen are because God preplanned them and caused them. If God predestined the ministry of one person in the Bible (such as calling one to be a prophet), then they say it shows that God predestined the future of every person, including whether we go to heaven or hell.
But just because there's an example in the Bible of one thing happening a certain way, doesn't mean this is the way it always happens. To think this means we have to throw out all the parts in the Bible that show God operating in a different way.
And this is what Calvinists do. They highlight the verses that show God operating in the way that matches their view of "sovereignty" (of God controlling/causing something), but they toss out or twist the verses that show God acting in a different way (such as verses about things happening that God never thought of and didn't have a part of: Hosea 8:4, Isaiah 30:1, Jeremiah 19:3-5. God Himself says He didn’t cause these things, but Calvinists insist He causes everything that happens. So … who’s wrong?)
And just because something is true in one direction doesn't mean it's true in the reverse. If so, then all fruit would be apples because all apples are fruit. Just because something is true for one situation doesn’t mean it’s true in all situations. If so, then - for example - if God let Joseph languish in prison for a crime he didn’t commit before He used him to fulfill His plans then God would also have to make us all languish in prison for something we didn’t do before He used us for any of His plans.
Such as, if the Bible shows God controlling one thing then they say that all things are controlled by Him. Since God caused and controlled the creation of the heavens, then they say it proves that all things are created (read: controlled and caused) by Him. If the Bible shows that God actively carried out a plan that He made, then they say it proves that all things that happen are because God preplanned them and caused them. If God predestined the ministry of one person in the Bible (such as calling one to be a prophet), then they say it shows that God predestined the future of every person, including whether we go to heaven or hell.
But just because there's an example in the Bible of one thing happening a certain way, doesn't mean this is the way it always happens. To think this means we have to throw out all the parts in the Bible that show God operating in a different way.
And this is what Calvinists do. They highlight the verses that show God operating in the way that matches their view of "sovereignty" (of God controlling/causing something), but they toss out or twist the verses that show God acting in a different way (such as verses about things happening that God never thought of and didn't have a part of: Hosea 8:4, Isaiah 30:1, Jeremiah 19:3-5. God Himself says He didn’t cause these things, but Calvinists insist He causes everything that happens. So … who’s wrong?)
And just because something is true in one direction doesn't mean it's true in the reverse. If so, then all fruit would be apples because all apples are fruit. Just because something is true for one situation doesn’t mean it’s true in all situations. If so, then - for example - if God let Joseph languish in prison for a crime he didn’t commit before He used him to fulfill His plans then God would also have to make us all languish in prison for something we didn’t do before He used us for any of His plans.
But Calvinists still insist that "If God planned/willed/wanted/caused one thing to happen in the Bible then all things happen because God planned/willed/wanted/caused them."
But this is bad logic that the Bible doesn't support. All fruit are not apples. All animals are not monkeys!
(For all the posts in this series, see the "Intro ..." Or look for "'Calvinist Bad Logic' Series" in the labels on the side-bar. Or find the whole series in one post, "When Calvinism's 'Bad Logic' Traps Good Christians.")