Anti-Calvinistic Arguments

Two predominant arguments arise against Calvinism. I have argued against both. Simply put they are: 1.) "Calvinism doesn't make sense to me." 2.) "Calvinism makes sense to you."


The first is rooted in Pelagianism, emotive and generally comes from an uninformed person. The second comes from a Semi-Pelagian and informed person. It carries errors of ambiguity.


The first ignorantly (at least the people I have argued with) deny original sin. Usually they blame me for doing harm to others by saying "God elects those He saves." They bring up the salvation of their children. It is a highly charged emotional argument that can erupt in outburst if pushed. To them Calvinism does not make sense. These people fail to give a good argument for total depravity.

The second group believe in original sin and total depravity and thus are Semi-Pelagian. They are informed and non-argumentative. Included in this group are those who insist on the universal free offer. They are hypo-Calvinistic and in my opinion are not really Calvinist. They are Arminian of a different sort. Their appeal is that my Calvinism is logical.

They embrace "mysticism" to describe the method God employs to give the sinner free will. The appeal is beautiful and implies the essence of faith in order to accept it. It has a Roman Catholic ring to it. It is the sacramental language of communion, how a dead sinner is enabled to make a choice.

Both groups by differing degrees reject any regeneration that precedes faith. The first group clearly insist faith precedes regeneration, clearing the way for an aggressive evangelism to the whole world. The second group insist that regeneration and faith are inseparable and mystical. It is such that a "universal free offer" is made to all rather than just the particularly elected.
The free offer is thus contrived and made to appear evangelistic. Simultaneously limited atonement is embraced by an insistence of two wills with God; a desire to see all saved and a special will for the elect to be effectually saved. This group takes issue with the first.

Both groups accuse hyper-Calvinism of being the enemy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Neither of them can identify a hyper-Calvinist, though it is the arch enemy of the evangelism of the church!