Free At Last: Choosing to Leave Calvinism

Dr. Tim Stratton brings two *former* Calvinists on the show to discuss the reasons why they freely chose to reject Calvinism after carefully thinking about and re-examining the best case for the position. Tyler Fowler (a recent convert from Calvinism) and Joshua Davidson also have some great questions for Dr. Tim to answer. Some of these questions have been inspired by recent social media comments made by a couple outspoken compatibilists. Don't miss it!

[aquinasrost]

Great show. I am a pastor and left calvinism many years ago. While in seminary I attended MacArthur's church, then years later I attended for years the annual shepherd's conferences at Grace Community. I eventually left calvinism because it did not add up logically in light of the entire context of the Bible. The one area that really convinced me calvinism is false is how it dealt with the problem of evil and God's decree. Totally irrational.

[michaeldesmond]

Loved this discussion! Here's a verse that is absurd on determinism: Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, " declares Yahweh. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." On determinism, "my" thoughts WOULD BE God's thoughts and "my" ways WOULD BE God's ways, because they would be determined by God, and caused by God, and thus God would be responsible for them and not me.

[coreylapinas]

They kept the best part of reforned theology though...


the beards.

[TheologyNerd]

I wish more Protestants would read the early church fathers. They were taught Christianity from the Apostles and passed down proper interpretation. Read the Didache, Clement of Rome, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, Ireneaus, and Justin Martyr etc. A great book from a Protestant scholar that summarizes these doctrines is "Early Christian Doctrines" by JND Kelly.

[dennis]

As a former Atheist, I’m still looking for an answer on how I came to believe in Christ. I went from thinking it was the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard, to knowing that He was my Lord and Saviour in an instant. Any ideas guys?

[borealopelta]

Can I get the book name and location of John of Damascus’s free will quotes please

[CapsFan]

Can you share a link to the Facebook group?

[Golfinthefamily]

Tyler, with your emphasis on the early church fathers, do you hold to baptismal regeneration and the real physical presence of Christ in the sacraments? Are you tracking toward EO or RCC?

[Golfinthefamily]

As someone who is seeking truth in this... I don't find myself having the capacity to even comprehend some of the things you are saying. It would have been helpful to put texts up on the screen. Also, it seems all of this is SO heavy on philosophy (which may be your niche, understandably) but I wish there was more treatment of scripture. -- Do you have a work that you would refer the open calvinist to make sense of all of the passages that seem to posit the opposite.

[aletheia]

I left Calvinism too. And I left Freewill as well

[jonathanchaney]

1:55:40 how does the Piper illustration not work with determinism/Calvinism? God uses all kinds of means. It’s statements like that that causes the questions about how well you really understood (not just agreed with) Calvinism.

[paulheberling]

Stratton, with all due respect, you have to be better at critiquing Compatibilism and Colton. It Seems your whole schtick is to question beg. And then when critiqued on question begging, question beg harder.

[jonathanchaney]

1:17:23 or Tyler was never regenerated to begin with (Matthew 7:21-23; 1 John 2:19). Therefore you could say he fits in with the false beliefs that God does give unbelievers as found in scripture. Calvinism can answer this. Look at the Parable of the sower (or soils). Three of them look the same - having life. But #4 has a difference from 2 and 3 - it actually takes root. But 2 and 3 don’t persevere, therefore that person was never truly born again. Once again you mischaracterize what Calvinists believe. Its not about Calvinists not having assurance as any Calvinist who knows what he believes says it’s about persevering to the end. Appearance of fruit that doesn’t last was never truly saved. If Tyler comes back, then there may be saving faith. If he doesn’t, then there was never saving faith. Surely you don’t believe he has libertarian free will to choose to be “unborn” again after being born again?