Determinism (Fatalism) and freedom

Determinism (Fatalism) and freedom

Fatalism and freedom are distinct aspects that have been widely used in theological philosophy. To start with, determinism is considered as the belief that “what will be will be,” since all past, present, and future events have already been predetermined by God or another all-powerful force, such as “Fate.” From a religious perspective, the concept can be understood to imply predestination. From biblical point of view, the concept of predestination is widely covered at the expense of determinism. It is therefore prudent to note that there are distinction between fatalism and predestination. On the other hand, freedom or free will is a concept that refers to choice or self determination where the concept of fate is invalid. Proponents of freedom argue that given any situation, a person could have done other than what he did.

Theological fatalism or theological determinism is an attempt to demonstrate a logical contradiction between an omniscient God and free will, where free will is defined as the ability to choose between alternatives. Fatalism asserts that certain events are unavoidable, no matter what anyone does. It is of the opinion that every event predetermined and hence no need to question their occurrences.  Fatalism doesn’t specify what does the determining. In practice, it will not be anything like the laws of nature and the past, however. It will almost always be some sort of divine or supernatural figure or at least someone intelligent who has purposes. It is on this premises that Christian faith is essential as people tend to believe that some events are preordained and hence logical reasoning is not important at all.

Nevertheless, freedom or free will gives a different account of the different occurrences that happen in the universe. Philosophers argue that there is nothing pre-determined but everything happens as a result of personal choice. Opponents of fatalism argue that although God is omniscient, He is also infallible. They also assert that individuals will have a role to play and make choices of what they wish to achieve. What is of critical importance understands that God knows of our choices even before we make them. God’s knowledge of the future does not in any way limit the freedom of His people. Logic reasoning and questioning are critical aspects in free thinking as opposed to fatalism. Questions do not mean the absence of faith, rather they are there to strengthen faith; and after all, in our god-given creativity we also enjoy the gift of curiosity. Questions mean we are seeking the truth, rather than resigning ourselves to chance.

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