Freedom Versus Predestination a Comparative Analysis Essay

Freedom versus Predestination: A Comparative Analysis Shane Furlong Humanities 4640 April 14, 2013 (Week 5) Freedom versus Predestination: A Comparative Analysis This week’s essay is a comparative analysis of the theories of freedom (indeterminism) and predestination (religious determinism). Our analysis will attempt to prove the superiority of the theory of freedom over the theory of predestination. First, we will examine the theory of predestination as it is explained in the text â€Å"Ethics: Theory and Practice† (Thiroux amp; Krasemann, 2012). The organization of the text lends itself to our analysis since it highlights differences between the two theories in its defining process. We will illustrate the theory of†¦show more content†¦The theory further goes on to claim that this is an accurate depiction of the three major Western religions. For an example of the theory of predestination, we will look at the life of Judas Iscariot as portrayed in the Christian Bible. According to the theory of predestination, from the day Judas was born, he destined for hell . Judas was born for the sole purpose of betraying Jesus Christ. He had no choice in the matter. After betraying Jesus, Judas went off and hanged himself. It was his destiny to be damned for all time. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled (Bible, John 17:12). It is my contention that predestination is not an accurate representation of the three major religions. For the sake of brevity, we will look at only one of the three major Western religions, Christianity. I will use the defining text of Christianity, the Bible, as my reference. One of Jesus’s disciples, Simon Peter, also betrayed Jesus on the night of his arrest. Although, Peter declared that he would never desert Jesus, he in fact denied knowing Jesus three times before the sun came up for the next day. According to the tenets of predestination, Peter, like Judas, was not a good person. He was not faithful to Jesus. In predestination there is no room for rehabilitation. We are either bornShow MoreRelatedInstitution as the Fundamental Cause of Long Tern Growth39832 Words   |  160 Pagesof scale, education, capital accumulation etc.) are not causes of growth; they are growth† (italics in original). Factor accumulation and innovation are only proximate causes of growth. In North and Thomas’s view, the fundamental explanation of comparative growth is diï ¬â‚¬erences in institutions. What are institutions exactly? North (1990, p. 3) oï ¬â‚¬ers the following deï ¬ nition: â€Å"Institutions are the rules of the game in a society or, more formally, are the humanly devised constraints that shape human interactionRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesLine 58 Understanding and Appreciating Individual Differences Important Areas of Self-Awareness 61 Emotional Intelligence 62 Values 65 Ethical Decision Making and Values 72 Cognitive Style 74 Attitudes Toward Change 76 Core Self-Evaluation 79 SKILL ANALYSIS 84 Cases Involving Self-Awareness 84 Communist Prison Camp 84 Computerized Exam 85 De cision Dilemmas 86 SKILL PRACTICE 89 Exercises for Improving Self-Awareness Through Self-Disclosure 89 Through the Looking Glass 89 Diagnosing Managerial Characteristics