Posted on 07/06/2007 8:24:06 AM PDT by Bladerunnuh
Welcome to Xmark, the new corporate identity for our healthcare security products. Our new name emphasizes our focus on healthcare security. You may have known us under the eXI or VeriChip brand, but we are now bringing all our products under the Xmark name.
(Excerpt) Read more at xmark.com ...
You should have mentioned that up front because that changes the whole discussion. Even the ancient philosophers were in clear disagreement on this question so basically, good luck in your thinking.
Yes, and I believe the creator has a plan/destiny/fate for me, which I must follow accordingly.
“Probably all part of God’s plan...”
I think of it as man’s plan like how man makes nuclear weapons out of the laws of physics or tanks from metal.
How is that?
Why chilling?
Thank you, that was a very thoughful thing to say. What God wants to happen, will.
Oh my gosh. The seminude Spock. The one where he sings “Bitter Dregs” is pretty bad too, in the Roman episode. We won’t even mention the space hippies in the last season.
Stating that one refuses to believe God’s Word, or that Christ is not from whom one receives salvation means they CANNOT see.
And until they can, they cannot FIND HIM.
And you have the audacity to claim I am being judgmental when I plainly said I will pray for him, as he has been deceived, as evidenced by his own words.
Take your judgmental lectures to someone else who deserves them.
So that means the discussion cannot progress? I guess there are no real answers then...if we all have to believe the same.
Beautifully put
I love that! Isn’t that where Kirk rides Spock around like a pony? I apologize for the visual.
Thank you, it’s what keeps me going.
Now, just because God knew all the moves you were going to make from the time you woke up this morning, does not mean that you necessarly did what He wanted you to do. Maybe you chose to smoke three packs of cigarettes which carved some time off your life, or maybe you chose to sit in your living room and drink four bottles of gin, and after you drank the gin, maybe you chose to get in your car and in the process of you driving drunk, you mowed over a day care class crossing the street on their way to get ice cream. Now do you think that that's what God wanted you to do? But He didn't do anything to stop you, did He? He didn't because when He made you He gave you free will because it was never His intention to create robots.
And no, you don't have to do as He has planned for you. He does not force Himself on anyone. He gave man the opportunity to have a relationship with Him, and be forgiven and cleansed of sin, and spend eternity with Him, and yes, live the life that God has planned for him. But He does not force man to accept Him, or obey Him, or love Him. At the same time, He knows what choices we will make and the outcome and the consequences of those choices. And like a good Father, He doesn't always step in to fix our screw-ups.
How do you know you could have made different choices? Well, after you sobered up immediately after hitting the day care class, you would know that you could have made a different choice. Every single day, we come to forks in the road and choose which way we go. And once a person gets to a certain age, he can reasonably gauge what choices are wise and which aren't. We make our choices and we are responsible for what happens as a result.
Oh man, those are some bad memories I’d like to erase. ha
You know what though? The thing that bums me out the most is the fact that there’s no need for Star Trek today, because the dream of going into space is just dead. Too many problems down here, and so many people are sucking on the gubmint teet, no one would want to spend their handout money on space. So sad. When I was a kid, everyone wanted to be an astronaut or the President of the US. Who wants to be those now? ha
God does grant you grace, but not to choose; he opens your heart and mind to him... we do not choose him — he chooses us.
Hoss
Yet we are given freewill...What a wonderful mystery!
I did what I did, while consciously believing I made all those choices.
When I think on it though, I find that I also believe that God has a plan for each of us. In believing that God has a plan, and believing that He is the creator with knowledge of all that will come to pass, and that His plan cannot be deviated from, I am forced to the conclusion that my concept of freewill is just an illusion. As God is God, and I am just a man, I leave it up to Him to direct my thoughts on this matter. I believe that this is what God intends for me. I may wake up tomorrow, believing differently, I cannot say.
I am not as sure of God’s intentions as you appear to be.
666. Mark of the maxibeast.
And yes, God does have a plan for each and every human being, but unless they choose to accept Him, and His will for their lives, He cannot work out His plan in their lives.
And for you to say that your freewill is an illusion, and to "leave it up to Him to direct my thoughts on the matter" is a cop out. God already made a way for you to know Him and to know His plan for your life; it is up to you to find out the plan by knowing God's Son. There is no other way and unless you do know His Son and have a personal relationship with Him, your thoughts are your own and your choices are your own and can be attributed to no one but you.
God has made a way for man and God has made Himself available to man and God has met man halfway. It is up to man to choose whether or not he will accept God's way or go his own way and live with the consequences of rejecting God.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.