Please Help!?

Question

During the last supper Jesus said that someone who was sitting arround the table was a trator, that Peter would deny Him 3 times.
PREDESTINATION? If there is such thing, if our Maker knows, and we are supposed to do the things we do(bad things), why are we responsible then for our "sisn". How is it a sin if it was writen to happen? I cannot understand this concept. I have studied epistomology, mythology, spoken to many different religious groups about this, no one can give me a clear answer. Predestination tells me that there is no hell, no one is responsible for anything, all is ment to happen. ARE THINGS WRITEN TO HAPPEN OR ARE WE RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR ACTIONS?

Answer 1

We are responsible for our actions. God is all knowing and He knows what we will choose but knowing and forcing us into one decision or another is two completely different things. Predestination does not mean "this one goes to hell, this one goes to heaven - and there is nothing they can do about it." What it does mean is that God predestined all of mankind to live in Him - but not all of mankind chooses to do so. He does not force them to - He does not violate their right of choice given to them by Himself. Look at it like this - A school teacher "predestines" that all her students will reach a certain level of understanding in the subjects taught by the end of the school term. This is her predetermined/predestined will. But not all of her students will do so because of their own choices - lack of study, not applying themselves, not receiving instruction - whatever. So it is with us. God "predestines"----but we choose to enter into that "predestination" or not.

Answer 2

Those are just stories told to help the church keep control over it's flock via confusion and a lot of it. All that aside, don't sweat predestination, because the future doesn't even exist! By the time we make it there, it's the present all over again, so why sweat something that doesn't exist? As long as you live the present in a manner as to show that you understand there is no future, you will never be dissapointed. As for responsibility for our actions, of course we are responsible, it's our choices that create the actions, and therefore the reactions/consequences of those actions. Christianity is a very poor model for the real world in general: First, God declares that all are responsible for crimes that he (the "perfect being" creates, FULLY knowing that we are not perfect and cannot possibly live up to those rules.) Then God fornicates with a woman who is not his wife (Mary) and has a child out of wedlock (against his own laws) and decides that his son will be responsible for everyone's actions...as long as they all say they're sorry. Then God removes his "touch" from the world, and we're stuck with "Try not to sin, although I know you will, and when you do, say you're sorry, and I won't hold it against you." To get back to the heart of the matter: Is God just $!++-ing us, or are we shafted from the word go? Neither. Man just got so tangled up in his own lies that he couldn't cover his tracks anymore without pulling the old "It's MAGIC!" BS to convince simple minded weaklings who need a crutch to get through life b/c they don't want to admit that what they do is their own problem.

Answer 3

Okay, you've studied epistemology, mythology and spoken to many different religious groups. Have you looked at Calvinism and what it really teaches about predestination? I think you'll find your answer to be very plausible and simple, we have a sin nature and therefore Peter and Judas were both allowed to sin, not made to sin. Of course Jesus knew this, and this fits very well with a predestination of Peter and not Judas when Jesus knew both people. One was elected, predestined, one was not. This puts salvation in God's hands where it should be rather than in our own hands for a sinful man that the Bible says does not, cannot, choose God of our own free will. This makes every other decision that man makes, totally irrelevant, since we only have freedom to reject God and therefore have only one destination save for God's intervention. Can God harden a person's heart if he wants? Of course, it's his universe, not our own.

Answer 4

Well since have this so-called perception of what we as individuals think is "good" and "evil", a person could earnestly think and do something totally hideous (like, say invade a sovreign nation and cause general instability in that region, having a negative effect on the world) and believe that they are doing good. This is because of Adam, Eve, Garden of Eden and a piece of forbidden fruit!

So because our God is a loving God we are free to choose between doing what our maker would want (good) and what we want (usually bad). God can stop us @ any time from doing evil and if U ask me He has on many an occasion.

In Buddhism (sp) some believe in singularity and also that hell is only temporary to purge one's soul of unclean karma. There are obviously signals that we can interpret as being endtime harbingers but the bible says live life day to day and don't focus so much on the future.

I'm just glad we have an opportunity to choose to do the right thing and are not made to do it. Things seem that much nicer when one has a choice!

Answer 5

Jesus was talking about Judas. The story about Peter is something entirely seperate. The Bible does not teach predestination, this is a fallacy. The Bible teaches that we are all apponted to die, what we can make of ourselves before then are the blessings of God. No where in the Bible does it teach that no one is responsible, in fact it teaches the exact opposite. If you want to know more on the topic, research Calvinism. They have some doctrine that is similar to what you say.

Answer 6

I agree with fruitcake.During Moses time Pharaohs heart was hardened because God knew he would not repent,not that it was predestined as a lot of people say.

Answer 7

Just because I know someone will do something, doesn't mean I control it. For instance, I know someone perhaps who I believe would steal from me. Doesn't mean I make him/her do it. I just know they would if given the chance.
I know a person who cheated on his spouse and would do it again. I can tell by his character and attitude. I didn't cause him to do that.
People have the free will which means people control the course of events in their lives---if they are attuned to God's will the course of their lives will be different than if they are not in God's will. God's will is not mandatory for our lives. We decide to follow it or not.

Answer 8

Judas wasn't predestined to sin, to become Christ's traitor, Jesus just knew that He would. We are all responsible for our sin, God just knows all things.

Answer 9

dear x
predestination is a myth ,certain things are meant to occur
as footsteps as a child ,they go through growth stages as does the evolving of man
jesus was schooled in what was writen
steps stages
but it is as snakes and ladders
sociaty colapses then go back to that stage and thus we develop steam again ,the industrial evolution
baby steps
we repeat as nessesary
its like the price of stock ,certain thing occur that allow other things to occor or increase thier occuring.

Answer 10

There is a difference between knowing that something is going to happen and causing something to happen.