Where did we get the idea that our will is free? Almost everyone assumes that the will is truly free. But why? Is anyone truly free? Why shouldn't we instead realize that human will is controlled by inner desires that people have very little control over? What organizations are promoting free will in our world? Are these organizations to be trusted? Should we wonder whether or not if they have an agenda for wanting to us believe in free will? It is that last question that bothers me the most.
I have been researching what is going on in regard to Christianity. It seems Christian organizations are all over the map with what they believe. But most believe in free will. And it is driving most of what they do and how they think. But oddly enough this idea of free will is common to the larger society, too. Those not even attached to the Christian faith almost all agree that human-kind has free will. Even those organizations that are publicly against Christianity agree that the will of man is free. One such organization is the Church of Satan. Their message has a very strong affirmation and admiration of free will. But don't take my word for it. Search for the Book of the Law/Thelema. It won't take you long to see that the Satanic Church is promoting the idea in that book. They often even quote from it, saying "Do what you will shall be the whole of the law. In other words, the message is the same as the larger society. And it is so easy to remember. It is even catchy if phrased as we most usually hear it - do your own thing!
Since there is only a small segment of organizations claiming to be Christian that would dare question how free the will of humans is, I thought it reasonable to review an old theological controversy. The controversy has to do with how "free" the will is. A group of Christians that distinguish themselves with the label "Calvinist" say that the basic issue is that of free agency or ultimate determinism. Even if you are not a Christian this idea/concept is intriguing to think about. For the sake of argument, let's just assume that there is a God who created everything. In this worldview the question becomes - who chooses what happens to the creation (people included)? Is it God or is it the creation/creature/man? Even many of the Calvinist's Christian opponents agree that the root sin of man is self will. Every Christian group has a proclamation of a coming kingdom of heaven as their gospel (which simply means good news). All Christians agree with that. But these Calvinists assert something rather unique and intriguing. They claim that when any self will is part of the gospel message you don't have the gospel of Christ. Some of them have come up with very clever ways of demonstrating this concept. Here is one of them that is particularly interesting to consider.
Before continuing to read, please watch this (for the sake of context) ->Freewillism is a False Gospel.
Hopefully (now that you have watched the video) all this "Christian stuff" that will follow won't confuse you too much. The issue to be considered next is... Is God's threatening a person with hell inconsistent with freedom of choice? Keep that in mind as you read the following.
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Calvinists question their opponents definition of free choice/will. Other Christian groups who charge Calvinists (who believe God chooses who is going to be saved and who is not) with an evil God! Furthermore, they charge that the Calvinistic God is forcing people to believe in Him by His irresistible grace. They say that is evil. They say that "forced" love is rape. They maintain that love must be free to choose God, or not. But let us see how "free" this love is in their gospel. Their gospel includes hell for those who do not choose God. OK... So then how "free" is this choice? Is it a lot like the description below?
Is the Non-Calvinistic god (who supposedly respects your free will) a divine rapist?!
They say God offers people a choice. What is the choice? Is it really a "free choice"? Or, is it like a man trying to rape a woman at knife point. Assuming they believe in hell, then the knife is hell. God apparently, according to them, walks up to each person and threatens them with hell. But says, "Hey, I am loving, so I won't force you to follow me. But, if you don't, then I will send you to hell."
This is put forward as a "free choice", yet these same people would never suggest that a rapist is offering any "free choice" to his victim. As long as the knife is at the woman's throat while the "offer" of sex is made, then that is not consensual intercourse. And in the same way, neither is our opponents "free choice" of a gospel offer. All this boils down to threatening a sinner with extreme eternal pain so that they will obey against their will.
Technically, these people do "consent", but only in the same way a rape victim, technically, "consents"!
There it is. Is that a FREE WILL gospel? No! So if you really want a FREE WILL gospel you have got to take hell away as the "pain point" for the WRONG choice!
Here is the real gospel. Men are all deservedly going to hell for THEIR SINS unless/until God changes a man into something totally different. He must give the sinner eternal life. Then, the sinner will (in the twinkling of an eye) be changed from a God-hater (who would NEVER come to Christ to be saved) into a God-lover (who always comes to Christ to be saved). There does not exist (nor ever has there existed) anyone who comes to Christ to GET born-again. First a baby is born, then it cries! First a Christian is born-again, then it cries out for help from God in all humble adoration. That is the baby Christian's gospel. Knowingly teach anything else that contradicts this truth and be anathema (cursed forever - See Galatians 1:8 in the Bible).
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Wow! What kind of Christianity is that? I have rejected the typical "silly" Christian message many times. But something about this message has me thinking almost non-stop about this free will thing.