Everything that happens in this world is planned by God. Nothing happens to us that God doesn’t cause or allow.
,
Molinism,
arminianism,
foreknowledge,
middle knowledge,
the problem of evil
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on August 21, 2007 at 2:17 pm and is filed under Calvinism, Molinism, arminianism, foreknowledge, middle knowledge, the problem of evil.
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August 21, 2007 at 7:35 pm
God causes evil things? And he plans them?
Are you sure?
August 21, 2007 at 9:03 pm
God never causes evil. He allows evil. Evil is a part of God’s plan. Everything that happens in a part of God’s plan.
August 22, 2007 at 3:32 am
Daniel, I don’t think that is saying much different than God is causing evil (even if indirectly). If God is still the one who gives the stamp of approval on everything that does or doesn’t happen then God is in a sense causing it. It sounds like what you are saying (or what are the implications of what you are saying) is that evil beings have evil things they want to do but to do them they have to have God approve them and if God does then it was part of his plan (what plan? I don’t know). If he doesn’t then those things weren’t part of his plan. If God’s plan existed before the evil beings did (with their evil desires) then the evil things they wish to do that God will allow them to do to fit in with his plan ultimately have their origin in God.
Let me try to give an example. If the government of a country wants to get rid of a village so they can build an oil line or something through it and all they have to do is take away their protection over that village so that rebels can come in an plunder and destroy the village, then even if the government doesn’t actually go in and destroy the village and instead rebels do, the government is still the cause of that evil that happened.
Sorry if that was wordy but I was just trying make sure I was getting my point across : )
Blessings,
Bryan L
August 22, 2007 at 7:35 am
Oh, I see everything that happens is either caused or allowed.
I thought you meant that everything that happens is BOTH caused and allowed.
August 22, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Bryan,
Does anything happen to us that God can’t do anything about? Does anything happen that is outside of God’s control?
August 22, 2007 at 11:43 pm
“Does anything happen to us that God can’t do anything about?”
No
“Does anything happen that is outside of God’s control?”
Depends on what you mean by control. If you mean it in the sense of your first question; no. If you mean control as in steering and directing; yes.
Blessings,
Bryan L
August 23, 2007 at 2:29 pm
I do believe that God steers and directs the course of history. As a Molinist, I think that God does this by placing free moral agents in certain situations in which He knows their free response. These agents could have done otherwise, but God knows how they will freely response.
August 23, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Molinist is such a funny name! ; )
You are an advocate of Middle Knowledge, right? Correct me if I’m wrong but it affirms freewill and divine causation by saying God chooses the world/reality he most likes made up of free choices. So that there’s all these infinite realities of individual choices being made and the outcomes they produce and God picks which one he wants. Am I correct?
Blessings,
Bryan L
August 23, 2007 at 3:27 pm
It comes from the name of the Catholic theologian Luis de Molina. Alvin Plantinga and William Lane Craig are two of the leading advocates of this position.
It affirms freewill, not necessarily divine causation. God doesn’t cause people to make the decisions that they do (contra Calvinism). They are the first movers. They have LFW. They could do otherwise.
There is a great number of possible worlds that God could have created. But I wouldn’t say that it’s infinite.
December 26, 2007 at 7:14 am
It’s a hoax.
Ron
December 26, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Ron,
Could you be more specific? What’s a hoax? And why?
January 12, 2008 at 12:37 am
Daniel,
Go to my blog…
Ron