Determinism??
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I know that I have posted this elsewhere; but it seems to fit here.
IMO, God created mankind because He wanted a creature able to receive and return His love.
The price God paid for a creature able to love Him was He got a creature able to reject His love.
Love must, by its nature, be volitional.
God was faced with a choice between preventing both sin and love or preventing neither sin nor love; because love cannot exist without the possibility of its rejection; which is the essence is what sin is .
To make love possible; God chose to temporarily permit sin to exist; since the alternative is a world without love.
I would like those who believe that God's election is independent of freewill to explain why God permits evil in the world.
IMO, God created mankind because He wanted a creature able to receive and return His love.
The price God paid for a creature able to love Him was He got a creature able to reject His love.
Love must, by its nature, be volitional.
God was faced with a choice between preventing both sin and love or preventing neither sin nor love; because love cannot exist without the possibility of its rejection; which is the essence is what sin is .
To make love possible; God chose to temporarily permit sin to exist; since the alternative is a world without love.
I would like those who believe that God's election is independent of freewill to explain why God permits evil in the world.
Determinism
The two basic kinds of determinism Naturalistic and Theistic
Naturalistic determinism is most readily identified with behavioral psychologist B. F Skinner. He held that all human behavior is determined by genetic and behavioral factors. Humans simply act according to what has been programmed into them.
All who accept strong froms of Calvinistic theology hold to some degree of theistic determinism. Jonathan Edwards related all actions ultimately to God as first Cause. "free choice" for edwards is doing what one desires and God is the Author of the heart desirres. God is sovereign in control of all and so ultimately the cause of all. Fallen humantiy is totally without freedom of the affections , so they can do whatever they want but what they want will forever be in the control of their corrupt world directed heart. Gods grace controls actions as God controls desires and their attendant thoughts and actions.
The two basic kinds of determinism Naturalistic and Theistic
Naturalistic determinism is most readily identified with behavioral psychologist B. F Skinner. He held that all human behavior is determined by genetic and behavioral factors. Humans simply act according to what has been programmed into them.
All who accept strong froms of Calvinistic theology hold to some degree of theistic determinism. Jonathan Edwards related all actions ultimately to God as first Cause. "free choice" for edwards is doing what one desires and God is the Author of the heart desirres. God is sovereign in control of all and so ultimately the cause of all. Fallen humantiy is totally without freedom of the affections , so they can do whatever they want but what they want will forever be in the control of their corrupt world directed heart. Gods grace controls actions as God controls desires and their attendant thoughts and actions.
ok, a solid definition of determinism might get this thread off on the right foot. Who will 'determine' that? 
Determinism is the opposite of free will.
Naturalistic determinism is a belief that the way things are directly or indirectly determines the way things will be without any need for decision on any one's part.
Theistic determinism is the belief that nothing happens outside God's will; and everything that happens is directly attributable to God's action or intervention.
That is not my intent! When we acknowledge Jesus as Lord (owner) having purchased us by paying the penalty for our sin; we are immediately saved from the consequences of sin. We enter the process of being saved from our desire to sin; and in our resurrected state we will be saved from the propensity to sin.
A
I've got a problem and maybe you can help me here. "Arminianism" and "Calvinism" speak in completely different lingo. I'm a Calvinist. Judging from the three words you used, you're an Arminianist (and, nothing personal. I don't like the term Calvinist, but hey, at least people get what I believe by using that term), so, yo, really don't get your lingo.
Can you give this same lingo in words I understand? And, no, it's not definition so much, because I can find the definition of these words. I just don't know what you think of these words, over the overall feeling you're thumbing your nose down on me for being a Calvinist. (Just a feeling. Not a fact.)
If we can use more neutral words and words folks understand, than we can debate. If we intend to use inflammatory words that don't get to the heart of the matter, there is no purpose in debating... just a bunch of "I'm right and you're wrong" manure that happens way too often on here anyway. (Rather why I don't bother the free-willers too often.)
Can you give this same lingo in words I understand? And, no, it's not definition so much, because I can find the definition of these words. I just don't know what you think of these words, over the overall feeling you're thumbing your nose down on me for being a Calvinist. (Just a feeling. Not a fact.)
If we can use more neutral words and words folks understand, than we can debate. If we intend to use inflammatory words that don't get to the heart of the matter, there is no purpose in debating... just a bunch of "I'm right and you're wrong" manure that happens way too often on here anyway. (Rather why I don't bother the free-willers too often.)
A
ok, a solid definition of determinism might get this thread off on the right foot. Who will 'determine' that?
Determinism is the belief that no one can do anything apart from God forcing the action, so, screw it, do whatever you want. It's not what Calvinists (reformed) believe, but it is what many Arminianists (God saves everybody) believe we believe.
A
For his glory. For his love. He used the serpent. He used the good and bad of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Pharaoh, etc., for his glory and the good of those guys (sometimes) and against them (at least Pharaoh and his people.) Why? Why do you think God let's evil into the world? (I suspect we're in the same ballpark for why. lol)