Does Calvinism lead to Fatalism?

Dr. Leighton Flowers interacts with The Consistent Calvinist Podcast regarding the charge that Calvinism leads to Fatalism.

JOIN US FOR A LIVE CONVERSATION!

Or @soteriology101 on Twitter

Please SHARE on Facebook and Twitter and help spread the word!

[annwolfe]

I have been hurt so much in the Calvinist church I’ve been in for the last 5 years. Such a lack of compassion among them Thank you you are helping so much!

[waitingandwatching]

I love this comment from live chat....Jordan Thornburg "​Whats funny is on calvinism all the textual variants in the bible were determined directly and deliberately by God" beautifully said.

[brandons]

A determinist is simply a fatalist pretending to have the free will he claims not to have.

[sethpawlik]

We are just parsing words. Fatalism and determinism have basically the same meaning.

[R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

In addressing the desire of the reprobate/unsaved/unelect to only do evil under his Calvinist doctrine, R.C. Sproul was fond of saying man's "wanter" was broken... but not fond of admitting it was God that determined it to be broken.

[melissaschubert]

Excellent! Praying for many I know and love who will not examine these things - not seeing that it will set them FREE!!

[ShowCat]

Almost 30 years ago Dr. Mal Couch, told me that "You will never amount to anything, you will follow in the steps of your father, everything you will try will fail, " and that "there is no use in fighting it." Dr. Couch was a theologian (Calvinist) who founded Tyndale Theological Seminary and Biblical Institute in Fort Worth Texas. Some people I have told this to do not believe me, but Dr. Couch's words haunted me for almost three decades. A Calvinist minister, Rev. Stan Mcgehee, preached my mother's funeral and used the oportunity to talk about his doctrine. His attitude during the service was cavalier and insensitive. I could go on.

[a.k.]

So the fatalist behaves more consistently with their view. So what he's really saying is that calvinists are consistently inconsistent. Now where have I heard that before?

[titosantiago]

WOW! Again, theistic determinism self-destructs. And any who disagree with me fail to understand that in God's Sovereignty He caused me to decry theistic determinsm self-destructs entirely for His glory. So instead of disagreeing, rejoice with me that all my words are meticulously determined by God for His glory. Otherwise, you may find yourselves fighting against God's Sovereign determined will.

[R.L.KRANESCHRADTT]

Because of the contentions of their doctrine, Calvinists are forced to perpetually defend the indefensible. It's been going on for hundreds of years. The obvious objections and logical conclusions to their beliefs are both predictable and inevitable and their canned responses are well developed and choreographed, almost like a square dance. The amount of energy that has been directed at explaining away the preponderance of simple and clear scriptures which are in absolute conflict with their doctrinal claims is mind numbing.
In their world, whenever scripture and Calvinism conflict it is scripture which must yield.

[b.rocket]

How can a person not be fatalistic believing as Calvin? I’m so confused.

[davidthomas]

In his boat example, Colin refers to the fatalist's and the determinist's "efforts." But if God meticulously decrees and causes those efforts, whose efforts are they, really? Doesn't it follow that no one on Earth really makes any efforts of their own?

[timothyhodges]

Since fatalism is a fairly new term to me, my guess is another fatalistic statement would be, "It is what it is..." If I say that, does that make me a fatalist? Why?

[Rightlydividing-wxxb]

Calvinistic preachers and teachers always preach, teach, admonish, exhort, etc. as though they "are not" Calvinists. I have heard no exception so far.

[beowulf.reborn]

Colin might be a "Consistent Calvinist", but Fatalists are Consistent Determinists.

[beowulf.reborn]

The irony of the analogy with the Fatalist and Determinist in the boat is that if Determinism is true, then the Fatalist was right. It didn't matter what he did or didn't do. The Fatalist sat on his hands, whilst the Determinist threw the rope, and the guy in the water lived or died as he was Determined to do so by God.

[tdawg]

Where does calvin say i cant choose between coke or pepsi

[Maranatha]

Why is it that when I have interacted with Reformed Christians on social media, many times they are rude to me? They say things like “get a grip”, “sit down and shut up, ” etc. I try very hard to have civil conversations when I make comments.

[dutchchic]

That's exactly first question I had for a friend after learning what Calvinism teaches. And that was before I even heard of Provisionism or knew what Arminianism was. His answer was simply "because we're told to" But why if the elect will be saved? "It's a mystery " with a shrug.

[davidallin]

..."Free will"..."Determinism"...Do we even know what we are talking about...? I suggest that they are identical...Prove me wrong by giving me an actual illustration which will clearly distinguish between the two.( I myself have not been able to come up with one...)