Can God originate a thought?

If God is not culpable because of foreknowledge, neither is He culpable if He planned it. But the fact of the matter is that the only way it couldn't have been part of His plan from before the foundation of the earth is if sin had caught Him by surprise, and the Cross was just plan B.

 

And thus you've undone your appeal to mystery.

But it's only a logical fallacy if the argument is not true. Otherwise, Christ could not have accused the scribes and Pharisees of hypocrisy. Any objective observer knows that when one with the power to prevent an imminent danger he can forsee does nothing to safeguard his neighbor, then his guilt is as if he had premeditated the injury. And the Law testifies to that fact assigning the same guilt and prescribing the same penalty.

Your entire argument against Calvinism rests on an appeal to a carnal sense of justice. "If the idea originated with God, then . . ." Far from dismissing your argument, I met it head on and showed that you cannot escape the same "difficulty."

God eternally knew it, eternally planned it, and it has eternally been His will for His Son to suffer for the death and sin of His people. His integrity, holiness and goodness is not contingent upon the satisfaction of your carnal sensibilities.

The Calvinist can humbly accept that, because he has been converted. The Noncalvinist cannot because he is too proud.