Free Will

Free Will: What does Quantum Theory suggest?

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Bet you didn’t think we’d be going here. Greg discusses how quantum theory supports the idea of free will.

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Free Will: An Aesthetic Model

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Greg continues his thoughts on free will by offering an aesthetic model for free will. This one gets pretty philosophical, but it’s worth toughing it out.

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Free Will: Is it a coherent concept?

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Greg is going to be spending the next several blogs talking about the idea of free will. In this first reflection, he discusses whether it is coherent to speak of a decision that is not…

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Sermon: Does God Play Favorites?

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In this clip from last week’s sermon, Greg begins to dive into the question of what it means to be chosen by God. Does he play favorites? Does God predestine some as “his chosen” and…

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Hearing and Responding to God: Part 1

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A reader contacted Greg asking about making “right decisions” assuming an open future and in light of the fact that God seems to rarely speak clearly. In this first response, Greg acknowledges that even with…

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When Free Will Meets Unfathomable Evil

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In the face of tragedy Christians unfortunately tend to recite clichés that attempt to reassure people that, however terrible things seem, everything is unfolding according to God’s mysterious plan. We hear that “God has his…

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A Cross-Centered Evaluation of Responses to Tragedy

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I’d like to pick up where I left off on my previous post about Draper’s article entitled “Aurora shooting inspires various perspectives on God and belief.” Toward the end of his article, Draper reports on an…

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Tragedy Strikes and Coherence Goes Out the Window

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I encourage you to read Aurora shooting inspires various perspectives on God and belief, written by Electa Draper and published on the front page of the Denver Post Monday. The article shows how differently believers…

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Why believe in free will? [Video]

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In this video excerpt from his April 29, 2012 sermon tracing the Pietistic influence on Woodland Hills Church, Greg explains why they—along with John Wesley—believe that God does not control everything, but rather gives human beings free will.

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If God shouldn’t get blamed when free agents do evil, why should he be thanked when they do good?

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Scripture tells us that every good gift comes from God the Father who “does not change like shifting shadows” (Ja 1:17).  I interpret this to mean that God is always good and that he’s always…

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URI Inauguration of David M. Dooley -Greg’s Speech: 4/8/10

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Watch Greg’s Speech at the Inauguration of David M. Dooley at the University of Rhode Island.

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What is the difference between “libertarian” and “compatibilistic” freedom?

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Question: I often hear philosophers and theologians talk about “libertarian” and “compatibilistic” freedom. What do these terms mean?  Answer: A person who holds to “libertarian” freedom believes that an agent (human or angelic) is truly free and morally…

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What about the Gospel of John and Calvinism?

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Question: The Gospel of John seems to teach that people believe because God draws them, rather than that God draws people because they believe. If this is true, how can you deny the Calvinistic teaching…

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How do you respond to Acts 2:23 and 4:28?

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Question: Acts 2:23 and 4:28 tell us that wicked people crucified Jesus just as God predestined them to do. If this wicked act could be predestined, why couldn’t every other wicked act be predestined? Doesn’t…

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How do you respond to Romans 8:29-30?

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Question: Romans 8:29–30 says that everyone God foreknew he predestined. You deny both that God foreknows and predestines individual believers. So this verse seems to refute your open view. Answer: First, as many exegetes have…

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How do you respond to Romans 9?

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The Deterministic Interpretation of Romans 9 Many people believe that Romans 9 demonstrates that God has the right and power to save whichever individuals he wants to save and damn whichever individuals he wants to…

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Why the 35W Bridge Collapsed – blog post 8/09/2007

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As all of you know, I’m sure, a little over a week ago the 35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed. This is the most traveled bridge in Minnesota. It was a tragedy, though the fact that…

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If every effect has a cause, how can there be free choice?

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The most common argument given in defense of determinism is that it’s implied in the nature of causation. Every event has a cause, and this cause accounts for the event being the way it is….

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Revelation 13:8 refers to “everyone whose names have not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life.” How does that square with open theism?

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Three possibilities exist in terms of reconciling Revelation 13:8 with open theism. 1) First, the “from the foundation of the world” clause can attach to either “everyone whose names have not been written” or to…

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Response to the September 11th attacks

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Was God Punishing Us? Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, many people have asked the question, “Why did God allow this to happen?” In response, some Christian…

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