Now, that’s a Good Question!

Q. Isn’t Calvinism fatalism since it teaches that God has decreed all things unchangeably?

A. I suppose that by ‘fatalism’ you are referring to the thinking or philosophy that all things are fated to happen by inevitable destiny or necessity. If that be the case, then I must insist that Calvinism is not fatalism. Indeed, I cannot think of how Calvinism can be equated with fatalism as far as I understand fatalism to be.

Fatalism, if it believes in the existence of God at all, presupposes a god who is impersonal, powerless and who does not care, whereas Calvinism presupposes a God who is personal, sovereign and caring. Calvinism does teach predestination, but predestination is not fatalism. Predestination involves not only the sovereign and wise decrees of God, but is intricately tied to the work of God in providentially bringing all things to pass according to the counsel and wisdom of His will.

In fact, if you think about it, Arminianism is the real fatalistic theism, for in Arminianism, God is not in sovereign control over all that happen. When He is said to elect, it means that He foresees who will respond to the preaching of the Gospel. The Arminian god, in other words, looks down the avenues of time sometime in eternity past, and laid out his plan accordingly. Thus the ultimate control of the universe is not God, or even the will of man, but an impersonal fate, chance and luck.

Calvinism, moreover, teaches the necessity and efficacy of prayer. Of course, it does not teach that prayer changes things as in changing the mind of God who has decreed all things. But it teaches that even our prayers are ordained of God, and our prayers are part of the means by which He brings things to pass. When the Calvinist prays, he does not pray as if he is compelled by external force. No, he prays from the bottom of his heart, and he knows that God does answer prayers.

The Arminians emphasise prayers too, but how could an impotent god who has no control of the universe answer prayer? Here again, we see that Arminianism is the real fatalism.

To be sure, Calvinism does teach election and reprobation, but this is quite different from fatalism. Fatalism would insist that whatever happens, the elect will somehow be dragged into the kingdom of God, while the reprobate is prevented from entering the kingdom of God no matter how he pleads to be let in. The fact is that no one will desire to enter into the kingdom of God, but those for whom Christ died and whom the Spirit of God sovereignly regenerates. Ultimately, the reprobate is condemned because of his own sin, and because of his rejection of the Living and True God. On the other hand, the elect are never dragged into the kingdom. They are given a new heart, and they enter in most willingly. God does not manipulate anyone like robots, yet He does not leave the destiny of anyone to chance or fate.