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He Deserves A Real Answer

Monergism is a cruel mistress. It's fun to stay at the RCIA! [Terrible. Just terrible.--ed.]
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Timothy R. Butler said…
That's an absurd example that I ended up breaking my moratorium on CtC to read... No thoughtful monergist would agree with that logic, obviously. I didn't realize where the link went! No fair! ;-)
3:32 PM
Jason said…
It's not CTC.
12:46 AM
Jason said…
Like "no true Scotsman"?
12:51 AM
Timothy R. Butler said…
No, more of a straw man. I don't know of actual monergists who speak that way. I'm sure you could dig up someone, but if even the craziest, nastiest representatives are fair play, then I could do the same and everyone could spend all day arguing about our respective straw men that are not even sort of representative. It makes for a good laugh if you enjoy beating up on monergism, but doesn't forward the discussion.

My argument has always been we should argue against a debate opponent's best representatives, not their worst.
2:15 PM
Jason said…
A "thoughtful monergist" is not a monergist at all, which is what he's trying to demonstrate. He's not representing a Reformed position; he's drawing a logical implication of it. It's a dilemma. You can't accuse someone of misrepresenting something you don't understand.
2:22 PM
Timothy R. Butler said…
And what don't I understand? I suspect I understand a good deal better than you are giving me credit for.

My point is, this sort of attack is used against Augustine even -- I've seen people do it. But, it misses the mark. Note that the "thoughtful monergist" (let's call him TM) doesn't deny James's statement that faith without works is dead. Rather, the TM will argue that while the work all comes from God, the life that God is working in will show fruit. Saying, "Well, I'm forgiven no matter what, so I'll just kill myself and enjoy the afterlife" doesn't sound like a life showing fruit, so -- Biblically, speaking -- I would say that such a person is the seed that fell on the rocky soil, not someone who is actually regenerate.

That's pretty much what TMs have said over the ages.
3:20 PM
Jason said…
St. Augustine isn't even close to a monergist.
3:23 PM
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