super garbage

Despite the logical consistency of [Calvinism and Augustinianism] and the renown of those who have taught it, the perspective has many fatal flaws...God is the only actor; humans are but characters in the novel...All participants in the storyline do exactly what the author determines. All have their traits laid out by and have no existence apart from the author. The plot moves inexorably to the end determined by the author. What he desires is precisely what occurs; there can be no variation.

John E Sanders, "God as Personal"

So this is a fatal flaw how?

Sanders begins his discussion with the idea of control beliefs. Control beliefs are the foundation to other beliefs. They are what shape and control our interpretation of the Bible. Does God change? Is He all powerful? Is He all-knowing? While he diligently questions the control beliefs of Calvinism, he neglects to do so with regards to Arminianism. Calvinism, he says, is subject to the beliefs of early Greek philosophers like Plato. Yet he completely assumes the truth of the beliefs of Arminianism, namely that in any interpretation Scripture, the will of man is always free and he must always determine his own destiny. Any other assumption is "fatal". The Bible never assumes the truth of free will, however.

After reading so many "Christian theologians" make this primary assumption without drawing attention to it or explicitly describing it, it bothers me far less than originally. They rarely make even a veiled attempt at upholding Scriptural truth. They create a different scripture entirely and a different God and they profess their belief in them. As such, they can say whatever they want. We do not believe in the same God; we do not believe in the same Bible. I will forever agree with an unbiased and literal interpretation of the Biblical text, however deterministic it seems, because I trust in the determination of God.

This is the real problem Arminians have with Calvinism. They do not trust God and they do not trust His will. In a contest between their will and His, they choose the importance and fallibility of their own.

pure garbage

If God has decreed all events, then it must be that things cannot and should not be any different from what they are. And if this is the case, what sense does it make to try to make a difference?
Exhaustive Sovereignty: A Practical Critique, by Randall Basinger

Notice the title of Basinger's essay isn't "Exhaustive Sovereignty: A Confirmation of Biblical Truth". No, far be it from Mr Basinger to uphold the plain truth of Scripture which says in numerous passages that God's will and his decrees are the basis for existence, and that we are subject to them.

Notice also that in this passage, Mr Basinger's entire conclusion rests on the necessity of comprehending the mind of God: What sense does it make? What sense, indeed. The solution, he declares above, it to toss out the Biblical revelation entirely, here referred to as Calvinism.

Let us throw aside what we do not understand and declare a new gospel that makes sense! God and man, working together! God limited; God no longer sovereign. Man is able; man is partner. Through man's will he is equal (?) to God.

The Arminian believes that what actually occurs in the world is, to an extent, consequent on the human will; God's exhaustive control over the world is denied. This means that things can occur that God does not will or want; things not only can be different but often should be different.

So now prophecy decreed generations before its fulfillment is not dependent on God's power, but on man's will. God declares what will be and somehow by chance it comes true. Or perhaps by the kindness of man's nature, he allows God's prophecy to be fulfilled.

This view is obscene. There are no words for men who pretend to honor God but who blatantly despise Him and His sovereignty over them. I have none, anyway. Besides "obscene".

We do not live in a world that is intended to "make sense" to us. No other assumption could be more arrogant in a world where God exists, much less in a world He has created. No other attitude could be more offensive in a world where He sent His Son to die for His people, rebellious and hostile towards Him, whose hearts He had to recreate before they were even willing to love Him.

There is nothing of Scripture in the doctrine of free will.