Hi Stranger,Myself I am not a thorough going Calvinist. But I do hold to much of Calvinist doctrine. I have nothing against Calvinism though I may disagree in certain areas. It seems only in the past few years that Calvinism has become a hated doctrine by many believers. Much like dispensational doctrine too has become hated by many and even likened to cult status.
So, just what do you say are the presuppositions of Calvinism? You don't have to explain them right now. Just list them.
Stranger
What I mean by the presuppositions is the reasons behind how they interpret Scripture. For example, @Steve Owen explains that Christ bore the 'curse which accompanies death' and asks whose curse is that? He assumes this is the curse of God against sin. He notes that Jesus 'was cursed for our offences' and assumes Christ bore that curse so that we do not have to and assumes this curse is 'These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.....' so he concludes that Christ endured the pains of hell on the cross as well as separation from His father which is Penal Substitution Theory.
That is a lot of assumptions, but they are unaddressed assumptions. I am not even sure some recognize what is being assumed.
Here are a few assumptions: presuppositions that need to be addressed:
Why center redemption on divine justice (that the central purpose is to satisfy the demands of divine justice, not that justice goes unmet)?
Why view divine justice as retributive justice (as if men were Jean Valjean and God were Inspector Javert)?
How is sin transferable?
How is it just to punish sin apart from the sinner (to impute sin to another person who bears the punishment)?
Why the belief that "death" is speaking of a "spiritual death" (Scripture speaks of a second death for those absent spiritual life)?
Why assume the "curse" is more than is stated in Genesis?
If Divine Justice is not retributive justice then Calvinism is a false belief (as is Penal Substitution Theory).
If redemption is not centered on satisfying the demands of divine justice then Calvinism is false.
If sin is not transferable then Calvinism is false.
If it is not unjust to punish sin apart from the actual sinner then Calvinism is false.
If "death" is not speaking of a spiritual death that the spiritually dead will somehow die then Calvinism is in question (not necessarily false, depending on one's type of Calvinism).
If the "curse" is as stated in Genesis then Calvinism is false.
Those are just a few issues that need to be addressed because Calvinism assumes those things true.
I hope that helps understand my issue with the theology and the theory.
John
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