If we stopped deviating into no sense and stood out of confirmed stupidity, perhaps we could find the source of what radically affects our dimension and scope of comprehension......
2006-11-14 03:11:15 · 14 answers · asked by laquisha_blackstone 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I agree with Father K Calvinism is contrary to scripture and has no place in the church. But people love it so much because it lets them think they're going to heaven no matter what. I can be a bad person, live in sin, hurt the people around me, do nothing to help the poor, but God will still make sure I get to heaven.
Too many people in the church today have taken that ideology to extremes. They go to church, get "saved", take their ticket to heaven, and stick in their pockets, never to be seen again until they need it.
Yes we are saved by the grace of Christ. Yes we do need the blood to atone for our sins. But if you recognize that something is wrong, and you ask for forgiveness, how can it be okay for you to do it the next time? That simply makes no sense. If you love Christ, and if you're following Him, it seems you would make an effort to please Him.
Call me old-school, but Joshua's words from thousands of years past still ring in our ears....
"Choose you this day whom you will serve..."
2006-11-14 03:27:08 · answer #1 · answered by cirque de lune 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calvinism is scriptural, and I can see free will (translated inability) in the light of God's sovereignty, but not the other way around. The argument that those who are saved can behave in any sinful manner they want, is preposterous, since those that are brought into the fold, WANT a relationship with their God, and WANT to shun evil. Calvinism is not a haughty belief system, it's rather the opposite -- an inclination toward humility and thankfulness for a God that had the grace to pull his own away from certain destruction. So yes, free will blanches under the floodlight of Calvinism.
2006-11-15 22:08:12 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everything in existence conforms to a pattern, sometimes referred to as cycles or vibes. We all come from the same place, and will go on to the same destination ~ie~ infinity. Nothing you can do will change that. It's how you conduct yourself on the short journey while here that determines how easy or hard the next level or dimension will be. Don't even claim that life ends at death, to do so exposes your ignorance and you will be completely unprepared for what you find when you leave your body at death. "Religion" in it's true form is the search within yourself for the opening of your "non" physical eye. Is it real. you bet your -ss it is. When the very best thinkers mankind has ever produced affirm it we are unforgiveably arrogant to deny it in favor of sophomoric intellect. Those who say "show me" expose themselves as lazy. That's tantamount to saying "feed me" and sitting on your -ss while someone else cares for you at their own expense. Answers are free but they must be personally sought, you cannot find them by going to a church for an hour or so three or four times a month. Genuine religion is absolutely the most important discipline in life, hands down. But don't ever confuse what the "church" teaches for religion. It is not. When you claim, or even think you know the "truth" you are saying your wisdom surpasses that of Plato, Jesus, Aristotle, Einstein, and an exhaustive list of enlightened thinkers in every generation who evolved their thinking to the point of revelation. The "academy" is a minor branch of religion, and not as the ignorant believe vice versa. If you would be enlightened, flee the "church", open all your senses, including your mind, and SEARCH, and what follows will be that which ALL religious leaders of ALL times have discovered and tried to pass on to the rest of us. But a word of caution, it can be terrifying, especially to the unbelieving so be prepared to be startled. And you can safely ignore those who will become afraid of you (and they will)! Remember that Jesus said they will accuse you as, they did him, of being "possesed". I'm not concerned with, and have no interest in, those who will scoff at this, they are what they are. But SEARCH.....and you WILL find!...... I promise.
2006-11-14 12:53:12 · answer #3 · answered by mustalaf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always argue "pre-destination" to anyone who insists that god wants me in his fold of friends and servants. Because I have sincerely sought and asked to be included and done works and answered alter calls, have been christened as a baby and baptized as a pre-teen. But in all of my searching, god has not revealed himself to me and has not answered any prayers in a way that made me believe he is real. So, now I don't believe in him. I am an atheist, and finally feel at peace with my place in the universe. If god is real, I was "pre-destined" to not be wanted by him. But, belief in a god seems very illogical. And coupled with my apparent rejection to his country club of happy friends, atheism makes more sense for me. I am happy for those who feel included and special, but it's not for me.
2006-11-14 11:22:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will and pre-destination are not mutually exclusive of one another.
Perfect and total free will would tell me that I can decide to fly on my own. Physical design limits my free will.
So, we exercise our free will within a given set of boundaries based on the things of which we are capable.
Spiritually, it's the same thing. We exercise free will within the boundaries of God's plan for our lives.
2006-11-14 11:21:23 · answer #5 · answered by Bob L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no because there can be a confluence of man having a free will and God can sovereignly choose and both can be true
additionally free will is a loaded term... man can have a free will that freely rejects God and only by grace will come to God in a saving way ... man can freely reject God 10 out of 10 tiems by the storngest inclination of his heart and God can sovereignly draw a person by grace changing his heart
2006-11-14 11:15:14 · answer #6 · answered by whirlingmerc 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A little too intellectual for me- Sorry!
2006-11-14 11:14:58 · answer #7 · answered by Hope 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
that would be bad. would you want to know? could you handle knowing? Would you be the same? would a part of you be at great loss?
drunk on life
or
sober on truth
2006-11-14 11:38:13 · answer #8 · answered by Labatt113 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, depends on how you look at it, if you choose your life before you came to earth, and where you were going, it's kind of both really.
2006-11-14 11:18:21 · answer #9 · answered by v v 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Which is exactly why I reject Calvinism in all its forms.
2006-11-14 11:15:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋