Brennon's Thoughts: The Theological Fatalist's Modal Fallacy

My brother-in-Christ, Brennon, has posted another fascinating article on his blog about determinism and human free will.  While I don't agree with Brennon on this point I appreciate his honesty and the loving demeanor he has always shown me when he has spoken to me about it. I understand this post to be saying that Calvinism has a problem because the just because God foreknows something then it does not necessarily follow that the thing must happen. There are two quotes from the post the I think bear further discussion.

If it is necessary that God knows a specific event will happen, then God is as fatalistically determined as everyone else. It certainly seems like God's knowledge of future events isn't necessary, because it is possible that God could have chosen not to create the universe, meaning there would be no future events.

I think what is missing is why God knows a future event is going to happen. The argument seems to miss the instances that God decrees  an event. When God does so, then the event must happen or God is not sovereign over everything. Without that how can God issue prophecies and they come true? I'm not saying that I think God decrees everything that happens but there are some things that must happen in order for God to get the results God desires. For example, did God foreknow or did God decree that Israel would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. God made this prophecy to Abraham before Isaac was even born. Was this something that could have been avoided? I'd say no. This was something God decreed not just foreknew.

So, in the case of free human actions, we have the ability to act in such a way that determines what God knows in the past. Take the example William Lane Craig likes to use. Jesus prophesied that Peter would deny Him. The moment before Peter denied Jesus, he had the ability to act in such a way that if he did, Jesus would not have prophesied as He did. Peter didn't have the ability to contradict Jesus' prophesy, because Jesus is infallible. However, Peter did have the ability to make it so Jesus would not have prophesied that Peter would deny Him.

Don't get me wrong I like and respect William Lane Craig but this example doesn't seem to work for me. The argument is basically, Jesus would not have had to make the prophecy if Peter had exercised his free will not to deny Christ. What?!!! How??? I just don't understand that. Peter made a free will choice but at the time that Jesus made that prophecy that he would rather die than deny Jesus. That was Peter's decision. When crunch time came and Peter folded (just as we do whenever we compromise with our sinful natures) that was also Peter's decision. The thing is when I look at that scripture it wasn't just prophesied that  Peter would cave but that he would also repent and be better. Look at Luke 22:31-34

³¹"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. ³²But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
 ³³But he replied, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."
 ³⁴Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

Jesus told Peter that he was going to be tested and that he was going to fail that test but he would be restored. We also see that the events were purposely against Peter's will but not God's.  This was something that God was going to use to build Peter up for the role he would carry after Jesus' Resurrection.

I think the unasked question in the post that is being posed is did God decree our salvation or did God just foreknow know it? I think the answer is given in Acts 13:48

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Brennon's Thoughts: The Theological Fatalist's Modal Fallacy

The Gospel According to Iron Man

I've always been a fan of Iron Man. I mean can you really get better? I mean his powers are almost on par with Superman and he made it himself. I've been reading the comic books for a while. I got thinking about what kind of spiritual messages the character brings. I got to thinking about it because of a tweet from the director of the Iron Man movies, Jon Favreau.

The first 21st century superhero is a hedonistic, narcissistic, even nihilistic, adrenaline junkie, billionaire entrepreneur do-gooder. If Peter Parker's life lesson is that "with great power comes great responsibility," Tony Stark's is that with great power comes a shit-ton of fun.
You can't get any more Gen Y than that.

I got to thinking: How close is it to the character that Jesus wants us to have? I mean I've got to admit that the movies do a great job of portraying Iron Man as this way. From the first movie, the way Tony Stark decides to use his powers to help others if guilt over how his technology has been used. He feels responsible. He stops building weapons. You might argue that Iron Man may be more about ego. Being responsible for the harm because of his technologies forces Tony to choose to be a hero. This is explored in the comics. It was well done in the the Extermis storyline, now being told as a Motion Comic. Tony actually says that being Iron Man means he can pretend to be more than a man who makes land mines. It freed him of his past as a weapons dealer so he can be more. As far as responsibility, Spider-man does what he does because He feels like he must not ignore the needs of the others. It's also out of guilt but not the same of Iron Man. I think that there is more about fun in Iron Man than Spider-man. I mean being Spider-man is more of a burden for Peter Parker than being Iron Man is for Tony Stark.

I think that Jesus expects us to look at our gifts and resources as being in His service to help others not feed our own ego.

As for the Theology by which Tony lives his life, despite the info at the link at the end of the post, I do remember a point in which Iron Man and Spider-man had a conversation about the things that science cannot answer. When I find that story I'll probably will post on it. 

I think that neither character expresses a Biblical worldview but  Spider-man's is closest to God's. We can't just ignore the miracles and other spiritual matters.

As for the burden of responsibility, in my opinion, the burden comes from accountability. Being held to a standard is where it gets difficult.

The religion of Iron Man (Tony Stark)