Free Republic

One topic which has been the center of a great deal of controversy in Christian doctrine is that of free will. It has been discussed in various forms in St. Paul’ s epistle to the Romans, Chapter 9:Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad--in order that God's purpose in election might stand not by works but by him who calls--she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ Just as it is written: ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says...

At the center of Nietzsche’s rejection of Christianity is the idea that Christianity involves an attack upon the human will. In The Antichrist he says the following: "The Christian conception of God…is one of the most corrupt conceptions of the divine ever attained on earth. It may even represent the low-water mark in the descending development of divine types.… God as the declaration of war against life, against nature, against the will to live! … God–the deification of nothingness, the will to nothingness pronounced holy!"1In this passage, and in much of his work, Nietzsche is reacting against a version of...

This is part of a talk I'm preparing on how lefties think (no need for snark - I know they don't really think). Conservatives are often puzzled by why lefties, particularly feminist or gay lefties, would support Islamists over, say, their fellow countrymen, particularly when they would be the first on the chopping/lashing/stoning block if Islamists actually took over. To understand why, you have to understand that lefties are extremely selective in assigning free will to others. It's what leads them to believe that conservatives are one of a)stupid b)brainwashed c)evil In the first two cases, conservatives are not assigned...

Chapter IX Of Free Will I. God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil.[1] II. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God;[2] but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it.[3] III. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation:[4] so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that...

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An Open Letter to My Physicist Friend RE: Darwinism and the Problem of Free Will By Jean F. Drew Dear A — Regarding the discussion of “free will” at www.naturalism.org, you wrote: “I am surprised to find a ‘scientific naturalism’ so similar to the utmost banality, shallowness and false superficiality of the ‘scientific materialism’ that I [had] to learn in … school [during] the communist regime.” I think this is a very striking statement; and I understand what you mean. I read in your Book of the Living Universe long ago that you were aware of the problem of “tampering”...

For years, we have been telling American citizens that the Communist Party USA and Socialist Party USA members joined forces in an operation known today as the Democratic Socialists of America. Instead of working outside the two party systems, they established DSAUSA to work inside the two party system. We have documented that both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Congressional Black Caucus are legislative apparatuses of the Democratic Socialists of America, all of which is openly documented on the DSAUSA site. The communist are not coming folks, they are already here, and they are the most effective political juggernaut in...

In a delightful and widely acclaimed French novella, written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a space traveler called “The Little Prince” visits an imaginary asteroid or planet named #325. The “king” of this domain has a very unusual view of his kingly powers as illustrated by this paragraph: “The little prince looked everywhere to find a place to sit down; but the entire planet was crammed and obstructed by the king's magnificent ermine robe. So he remained standing upright, and, since he was tired, he yawned. "It is contrary to etiquette to yawn in the presence of a king," the monarch...

  As the discussion of individual liberty and civil order enters its 2,363rd year, the forum welcomes a new voice, pleading for definition, definition. In the September 11, 1962 issue of National Review an essay of signal importance was published under the title, “Freedom or Virtue?” Written with the grace and knowledge typical of all of Brent Bozell's work, the essay mounted an attack on the “fusionist” efforts of Frank Meyer and Stanton Evans, in effect affirming that there can be no peaceful coexistence of the “libertarians” and the “traditionalists” among conservatives. First, let’s take a moment to review Mr....

* People were right about themselves just half the time * Technique might enhance advertising, education efforts By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - Brain scans may be able to predict what you will do better than you can yourself, and might offer a powerful tool for advertisers or health officials seeking to motivate consumers, researchers said on Tuesday. They found a way to interpret "real time" brain images to show whether people who viewed messages about using sunscreen would actually use sunscreen during the following week. The scans were more accurate than the volunteers...

Paul Thagard1 and Scott Findlay1 Philosophy Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada Published online: 20 August 2009 Abstract Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is central to modern biology, but is resisted by many people. This paper discusses the major psychological obstacles to accepting Darwin’s theory. Cognitive obstacles to adopting evolution by natural selection include conceptual difficulties, methodological issues, and coherence problems that derive from the intuitiveness of alternative theories. The main emotional obstacles to accepting evolution are its apparent conflict with valued beliefs about God, souls, and morality. We draw on the philosophy of science...

A doctor who considers the national health-care overhaul to be bad medicine for the country posted a sign on his office door telling patients who voted for President Barack Obama to seek care "elsewhere." "I'm not turning anybody away — that would be unethical," Dr. Jack Cassell, 56, a Mount Dora urologist and a registered Republican opposed to the health plan, told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. "But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it." The sign reads: "If you voted for Obama…seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not...

Scientists have discovered a real-life 'moral compass' in the brain that controls how we judge other people's behaviour. The region, which lies just behind the right ear, becomes more active when we think about other people's misdemeanours or good works. In an extraordinary experiment, researchers were able to use powerful magnets to disrupt this area of the brain and make people temporarily less moral. The study highlights how our sense of right and wrong isn't just based on upbringing, religion or philosophy - but by the biology of our brains. Dr Liane Young, who led the study, said: 'You think...

#4 God: theism or atheism? 73% went with atheism, about 15% with theism. This, of course, is the question. What’s most interesting about it, academically speaking, is that arguments for atheism usually consist of arguments against theism. I mean, a philosopher will triumphantly announce a new line of thought which, say, invalidates the ontological argument (a popular attempt at proving God’s existence), and then say, to himself only, “Well, that’s that. Since I can’t accept any of the arguments that prove God’s existence, then God must not exist. Plus, look at my fancy new smart phone, built on the laws...

A 10-minute historical look at one of the most enduring theological debates within the Christian religion. The scholars in the video make a case for how and why Arminianism (Free Will theology) is the root of the vast liberalism we see in the professing church today (and arguably the liberalism we see in the greater Western culture and modern world.)

"Some of the greatest evangelists in the history of the church have for the most part, been Calvinists."

The primary objection to the notion of free will comes from atheistic contemplation and is defined as determinism. There are other objections, notably the Calvinistic view that would reject free will on the basis that God predestined certain people to be saved. For the purposes of this article I will address the former. Determinism asserts that human beings are nothing more than matter. It declares that consciousness as well as the notion of the soul is a fabrication of religion. To determinists man is a carbon based computer, nothing more than a sophisticated robot. According to such logic man should...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The rift between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Catholic Church will likely grow thanks to new comments the abortion advocate made. Pelosi said in a new interview that the "free will" of women wanting abortions outweighs pro-life Catholic teachings. Newsweek's Eleanor Clift conducted a year-end interview with Pelosi. The conversation turned to the topic of abortion and health care and Pelosi blasted the Catholic bishops for their opposition to the pro-abortion bill. She tells Clift it was frustrating that Catholic bishops "were not willing to accept what we know to be a fact" -- that...

When you buy an Apple device, you're often locked in to buying other Apple products that are compatible with it. Here are five examples, and some advice on what to do. Oh, wait--there's nothing you can do.Once you enter the Big Tent of Apple, it's exceedingly hard to find the exit. Over its 33-year history, Apple has consistently elected to limit consumer choice, creating a situation known as "lock in." As soon as you start buying stuff from Apple, you'll find it difficult to move to products made by someone else without losing everything you've already paid for. Of course,...

Do I have free will? One problem I have with this question is that it gives me some sense of control, an illusion of control, for my own eternal destiny. Pride is at the door ready to pounce. Another problem is that if I am “in” Christ Jesus, in other words under grace, spiritual, in the “being” mode, abiding “in” the vine, living in the “now” and truly alive, in truth with the only true freedom that exists, then I am a slave to Christ Jesus. If I am not “in” Christ Jesus but know “of” Christ Jesus, in other...