Charge: Calvinism upends Mercy
Arminian Complaint: Calvinism upends Mercy.
Dan with Arminian Chronicles explains: “Anyone who claims God saves and damns people based on a hidden purpose, without considering them sinners or believers must explain how God is having mercy. Uncreated humans would not require mercy or punishment.” (An Analysis of Romans 9 – 11 from an Arminian Perspective)
So, do Calvinists believe that they were saved, for a reason other than their need for mercy?
One Calvinist explains: “Do Calvinists secretly believe that God chose them for some reason other than their need for salvation? Would I, as a Christian, believe that God chose me for some other reason than my need for salvation? Yes, I do. God chose me for His glory, for His pleasure, for His purposes. Sure I had a need for salvation. But that is not why He saved me primarily. ... In the Bible, God does not say He chose us because of our desperate need. He chose us before our need ever arose.”
Ultimately therefore, in the Calvinist system, mercy is swallowed up by Election.
Question: What is the implication of “mercy”?
Answer: Mercy requires a need for mercy.
