Is the God of EDD Deceptive?

Question

Dr. Stratton,

If you say if God determines all things and some believers have false theological beliefs would that mean God determined them to believe false things and that makes God deceptive?

And if you would say yes to that.. if you think that God determined Jesus to die on the cross does that make God also a murderer? If you think God determined Pharoah to harden his heart does that make God cruel? If God determined Assyria and Babylon to destroy Israel does that make him a warmongerer?

Would all of these premises have to be true or none? If not what's the difference between the first point and the others?

- Shamez

Dr. Tim's Response

These are good questions, Shamez! I'm guessing this is in response to premise (2) of the Deity of Deception Argument that JP Moreland and I offered in our recent journal article entitled An Explanation and Defense of the Free-Thinking Argument. Our goal was to show that the concept of exhaustive divine determinism (EDD) is ultimately self-defeating for the Christian who assumes the Bible is theologically trustworthy. Here's how it's crafted in the journal:

E1- If EDD is true, then God determines all Christians to affirm some false theological beliefs.

E2- If God determines all Christians to affirm some false theological beliefs, then God is deceptive and His Word (the Bible) cannot be trusted.

E3- God is not deceptive and His Word can be trusted.

E4- Therefore, God does not determine all Christians to affirm some false theological beliefs.

E5- Therefore, EDD is false.

This argument shows that EDD is false and that humans must be the source of at least some of our thoughts and beliefs. If one assumes that something or someone else (like an untrustworthy deity of deception) determines all of his theological thoughts and beliefs, then one cannot rationally affirm theological thoughts and beliefs. But of course, at least on occasion, we can rationally affirm these theological thoughts and beliefs (to argue otherwise presupposes it). Therefore, something or someone else does not determine all of our thoughts and beliefs. Therefore, we are libertarian free thinkers.

With this argument in mind, your question is answered by defining and understanding key terms. EDD stands for exhaustive divine determinism. One who holds this view affirms that God determines ALL things about humanity. Not just our physical actions, but, as Paul Helm says, "every twist and turn" of our thoughts are under the direct control of God -- which ultimately determines all of our theological beliefs (including our false theological beliefs). 

The next term which demands to be defined is "determined." An event is determined if antecedent conditions are sufficient to necessitate said event. With EDD in mind, God provides the antecedent conditions (via his choice) that are sufficient to necessitate all of your beliefs. Since no theologian (or anyone else) worth their salt will affirm that they are infallible regarding theology, it stands to reason that every single human -- including all of God's elect and loyal followers -- is determined by God to hold false beliefs about God and ultimate reality. Indeed, if EDD is true, then every single student of God's word is determined to study scripture, reason incorrectly, and reach false theological beliefs. 

Accordingly, all of these contingent events and false theological beliefs are determined and necessitated by God's decree! This means that God uses His supernatural power to determine you to reason in such a way that is sufficient to necessitate each and every one of your false theological beliefs -- beliefs you are also determined to believe are justified, but are actually false. 

If any other agent would use his power to determine and necessitate you to affirm false beliefs about reality, we would all quickly label that agent as "deceptive." Indeed, if a demon used his supernatural power to determine you to hold a false theological belief, we would refer to this supernatural being as a "demon of deception." Thus, it seems that if a supernatural deity used his power to determine you to hold a false theological belief, it would be fair to refer to this supernatural being as a "deity of deception." 

As I've said elsewhere, if it's good for the goose, it's good for the gander. If it's good for a demon, it's good for a deity. 

Less Abrasive Terms

Now, perhaps one might be subjectively uncomfortable with referring to a deity who determines all of his followers to hold false theological beliefs as "deceptive." Fair enough. We can edit the argument for the sake of one's comfort. Consider the following:

1- If God determines all things about humanity, then God determines all Christians to have some false theological intuitions and to hold some false theological beliefs.

2- If God determines all Christians to have some false theological intuitions and to hold some false theological beliefs, then God is .

3- If God is , then, there is reason to doubt God’s inspired word.

4- There is never reason to doubt God’s inspired word.

5- Therefore, God is not .

6- Therefore, God does not determine all Christians to have some false theological intuitions and to hold some false theological beliefs.

7- Therefore, God does not determine all things about humanity.

I hope you see that if one refers to this deity of EDD as "deceptive" or "an untrustworthy source of theological beliefs," the conclusion still follows deductively and remains the same. Therefore, EDD is false! 

Conclusion

To answer your other questions, if I thought EDD were true, I think it would be fair to refer to the deity of EDD as a "cruel" and "murderous warmonger." However, since EDD is clearly false, God's perfect and maximal greatness is left unscathed. Be that as it may, if one disagreed and believed that even if a deity determines a person to murder another person, nevertheless, that deity should not be referred to as a "murderer," it would do absolutely nothing to change the point of the deity of deception argument. The deity of deception argument is not an attack against the deity of EDD's character -- it is an attack upon your epistemic position to rationally affirm theological claims of knowledge (including those discussed here). 

The problem is not what we label a deity who determines all Christians to hold false theological beliefs, the problem is that if EDD is true, a deity determines all Christians to hold false theological beliefs. If that's your view of the God of Christianity, then your view of Christianity is going to crumble. 

It is much better to drop the low view of the divine -- and let go of EDD. Instead, worship a maximally great being and affirm your God-given gift of libertarian free-thinking. 

Stay reasonable (Isaiah 1:18),

Dr. Tim Stratton