"...I believe that God forgives even murder."
Dumbest thing about the religion. Some fucko can go shoot up a school full of children, then right before he kills himself he just throws out a half-assed "God forgive me for what I've done and what I'm about to do." then just pull the trigger. Then the scumbag goes to heaven. Flawed system.
The world needs to meditate more.
What if he was a Calvinist preaching Predestination?
If the above is true, then he was bound to shoot up the school full of children, as well as feel despair the moment after. Can the system be truly flawed if it was rigged from the start? Is God's omniscience proof that free will is a paradox? Is determinism actually the default doctrine of Christianity? Is free will an illusion? Things to ponder on.
Christianity is not a determinist religion - not even Calvinisism is determinist. At most, Calvinists will believe in a soft determinism (compatabilism) or a determinism that everyone will be saved.
If the Christian God exists, he necessary gave free will - it’s a vote tenant
I suppose then that it's the Bible being contradictory as always. Many verses can be interpreted to be subscribing towards hard determinism or compatabilism.
This is a small example, and one I'm not entirely sure of myself regarding the circumstances, but consider the story of Joseph in Genesis.
Had Joseph never reached the palace as cupbearer, he wouldn't have been able to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams, as well as advising him to store grain for the great famine. None of that also would have been possible had Joseph not been casted out by by his siblings and subsequently bought by the captain of the guard. Would said guard's wife have made the false rape accusation against Joseph under different circumstances?
Following the emigration of the Israelites from Canaan to Egypt, Joseph exclaims to his brothers the following verse: "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." Genesis 45:5 KVJ.
It seems to me, that it is heavily implied that God had intended for Joesph to be abandoned by his brothers and sold into slavery, so that he may eventually work his way up to the position of vizier. With this power, he would be in a position to help sustain the Levant (and Egypt) during the famine that the Pharaoh had seen in his dreams. Was God aware of the fact that Joesph's colored coat would lead to his exile? Did he predetermine the dreams Joseph had so that he would eventually find himself in the position of vizier, a position influential enough to help the Canaanites?
