Dominion vs determinism 3

[JonC]

I like Picirilli in that he seems aware that you can come to the end of theology pretty easily. And I don't think that should be a problem if one is using their theological system as a framework, and a help in fencing you from going off too far in a wrong direction. For example, in a discussion of whether all events are determined by God (which he acknowledges as true) doesn't that make history and all of life "some sort of predetermined rehearsal after the fact, merely playing out in motion what has already been settled. To do that is to miss the whole message of the Bible, which is that God deals with us in time an space. He speaks and we obey or disobey, and he responds accordingly when we do. He sets before us life and death now and we choose now. Is there a sense in which he 'decided' to do all these things in eternity? Yes. But he did not do them then ; he does them now. And he does them now in response to what we do."

That is excellent practical advice. Whether it really works as a way to philosophically reconcile sovereignty and real human free will I sincerely doubt.

I enjoy reading people who can present their positions without arguing against other positions. It is fairly uncommon these days. Picirilli did a very good job. Jonathan Edwards did as well (in Fredom of the Will).

 

[JonC]

One reason I believe free-will cannot be assumed to be libertarian free-will is the forum in which this thread is posted (Calvinism vs Arminianism).

Arminianism obviously does not advocate libertarian free-will. Instead it maintains human free agency exists throughout salvation (man is influenced by the flesh and by the Spirit).

@DaveXR650 brings up like pertaining free-will, and it is certainly true that some within free-will theology (not Arminianism) believe that man can, of his own uninfluenced nature, choose God.

Among this minority sect some still leave room for divine influence in terms of man retaining an element of God's image in their nature (that natural man innately struggles between right and wrong, between two opposing desires).

Søren Kierkegaard famously discussed this in Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing.