Today Steve over at Triablogue wrote a couple blog posts responding to some articles I’d written a few weeks ago. Soon after, “Truth Unites … and Divides” commented:
“I wonder if Rauser is a fanboy of Roger Olson. Didn’t Olson say something like if it turns out that Calvinism is a more accurate description of God than Arminianism, then Olson would’t want to worship such a God? Rauser seems rather similar to Olson in that regard.”
Sigh. Isn’t it easier to talk nonsense than engage arguments? (And no, I’m not a “fanboy” of Roger Olson. But I bet Truth Unites is a fanboy of Star Trek.)
I responded with my typical wit and irrepressible charm:
Why don’t you just ask Rauser? No wait, let me do it.
“Hey Rauser?”
“What?”
“Truth Unites wants to know if you’d worship God if Calvinism is true.”
“Sure. Would Truth Unites worship God if Arminianism is true?”
Huh. Good question. Well Truth Unites?
Not surprisingly, Truth Unites showed that he was loathe to say point blank that if Arminianism were true he would worship God. Instead he responded like this:
It’s good to hear that Randal Rauser would worship a Calvinist God.
God is God. I worship God whatever and however He decrees.
Undeterred, I pressed on:
Truth, is that your indirect way of saying that you’ll worship God even if it means shining Roger Olson’s shoes because he was right all along?!
Instead of answering he replied:
Randal Rauser, do you deem a Calvinist God as evil?
There’s one thing I appreciate about this question. Truth Unites gets my name right (one “l” folks!).
But beyond that you’re probably wondering why I’m bothering to recount this rather inane exchange. Simple. Because it is good to remind yourself that you could be wrong and to recommit yourself to your desire to know if you are wrong.
That’s what I’m challenging Truth Unites to do, and what I myself do. Thus, I concluded the conversation like this:
There’s no such thing as “a Calvinist God” or “an Arminian God”. There is just the Christian God.
I think that Calvinism makes certain claims about the Christian God which are false and are, among other things, inconsistent with his metaphysical perfection. I reject those claims.
You think that Arminianism makes certain claims about the Christian God which are false and are, among other thigs [sic], inconsistent with his metaphysical perfection. You reject those claims.
But will you shine Dr. Olson’s shoes if you’re wrong? (I’ll gladly shine John Piper’s shoes if I’m wrong.)
Heck, if I’m wrong about Calvinism I’ll even clean the mud off of Mark Driscoll’s scuffed up Doc Martens.
If I’m wrong.
