Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Predestination Vs Free Will

何謂Free Will?

一般定義為Free will is the ability to make choices without any prior prejudice, inclination, or disposition.

表面是沒有coercion(強迫,威壓), free will 看來該是如此.

但如此解釋(定義)會有兩個潛在問題.

1) 若我們的選擇是不偏不倚,是中立,是neutral.
是沒理由的,是without rhyme or reason的,是一個pop out.

可能嗎?

答案是:不可能.

2) 如果沒有偏心,欲望或是motivation,完全沒有選擇的理由,那麼選擇是如何決定?

例: Alice in wonderland

Alice在十字路口如何走.





例: neutral-willed mule


一邊放 oats ; 一邊放 wheat. 如果兩邊的東西對mule來說, 欲望同等.
Mule 肯定會starve餓死or paralyzed (僵化).

所以沒有"決定"是不可能有"選擇".

So we must reject the neutral-will theory not only because it is irrational but because, as we shall see, it is radically unbiblical.

選擇一定有經過思維,一定有決定(determine)

Another definition of free will is “the ability to choose what we want.”

Jonathan Edwards 的經典著作– "On the freedom of the will".

Edwards’s law of choice is => “The will always chooses according to its strongest inclination at the moment.”

Natural ability Vs Moral ability

整個predestination的debate在此:
Does fallen man, in and of himself have a desire for GOD.

答案是:NO
Edwards 是emphatic “NO”

Augustine 謂fallen man有free will 但沒有liberty
Fallen man被捆綁,沒有moral ability追求基督的自由.

Original Sin – 指的是對First Sin 的Punishment.

原罪不是“罪”的某一個行為(Specific act)is a condition of sin.