Theistic Determination
Theistic Determination – If GOD knows “The Future” (what you will do), then how can you possibly do anything other than what you will do.
If you believe in GOD, then you believe that GOD is omniscient,omnipresent, and omnipotent. If you believe that GOD is omniscient then you believe that GOD knows everything. If GOD knows everything then GOD knows the future. If GOD knows the future then GOD knows what you will do. If GOD knows what you will do then how can you do anything other than what you will do. If you can do nothing other than what you will do then how can you have a choice?
So basically all Theistic Determination is saying is that GOD knows every action and every decision that you will ever make, and if GOD already knows every action and every decision that you will ever make, then how can you possibly choose to do any other action or any other decision that what GOD knows. Therefore you have no choice. Everything you will has already been decided for you.
My first problem with this view is that I see it as limiting GOD’s omniscience. This view says that GOD can only know of one future for my life. What if when I am born I am born with an infinite number of possible futures? What if when I am born there is an infinite number of possible paths my life can take?
If this is true then every decision I make shaves off any possible futures that depended upon me making that choice. For instance, when I was ten I chose to become a Christian. The moment before I made that decision I had an infinite number of possible futures that led both ways, down the Christian path and down the pagan path. But as soon as I made the decision to become a Christian all of the possible futures that I had that depended on me being pagan were shaved away.
So how much harder is it for GOD to know all of my possible decisions and actions before I do them? If GOD is omniscient then he already knows everything, and if I am a part of everything, and if my decisions are a part of everything, then all of my possible futures are a part of everything. Which GOD already knows.
My second major problem with Theistic Determination is this. Let’s just say that I buy into this concept that GOD already knows every decision and every action that I will ever make. Who decides what I will do? I’ll assume that it’s GOD who makes that decision (since GOD is omniscient and omnipotent he therefore has the knowledge and the power to make my decisions for me). So what about sin? If GOD is by definition “good” and sin is by definition “evil” then how can an all-good being force me to do evil?
If you believe in GOD, then you believe that GOD is omniscient,omnipresent, and omnipotent. If you believe that GOD is omniscient then you believe that GOD knows everything. If GOD knows everything then GOD knows the future. If GOD knows the future then GOD knows what you will do. If GOD knows what you will do then how can you do anything other than what you will do. If you can do nothing other than what you will do then how can you have a choice?
So basically all Theistic Determination is saying is that GOD knows every action and every decision that you will ever make, and if GOD already knows every action and every decision that you will ever make, then how can you possibly choose to do any other action or any other decision that what GOD knows. Therefore you have no choice. Everything you will has already been decided for you.
My first problem with this view is that I see it as limiting GOD’s omniscience. This view says that GOD can only know of one future for my life. What if when I am born I am born with an infinite number of possible futures? What if when I am born there is an infinite number of possible paths my life can take?
If this is true then every decision I make shaves off any possible futures that depended upon me making that choice. For instance, when I was ten I chose to become a Christian. The moment before I made that decision I had an infinite number of possible futures that led both ways, down the Christian path and down the pagan path. But as soon as I made the decision to become a Christian all of the possible futures that I had that depended on me being pagan were shaved away.
So how much harder is it for GOD to know all of my possible decisions and actions before I do them? If GOD is omniscient then he already knows everything, and if I am a part of everything, and if my decisions are a part of everything, then all of my possible futures are a part of everything. Which GOD already knows.
My second major problem with Theistic Determination is this. Let’s just say that I buy into this concept that GOD already knows every decision and every action that I will ever make. Who decides what I will do? I’ll assume that it’s GOD who makes that decision (since GOD is omniscient and omnipotent he therefore has the knowledge and the power to make my decisions for me). So what about sin? If GOD is by definition “good” and sin is by definition “evil” then how can an all-good being force me to do evil?
posted by theboythatis at 9:02 AM
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