The Agnostic writes:
I'm interested to hear what (especially religious) people have to answer to this. Do they suggest that God doesn't judge people on their behaviours? Do they think that determinism is wrong, and why so?
It's not so much that determinism is wrong. Rather, there is more to it than just determinism. Biblically speaking, a person is born a "slave to sin". That is to say, they have no free will in the area of morality ("free will" being a will that can have its desires satisfied by expressing itself unto action (via mind/body) in this, that or the other direction).
Such a person, when faced with a "choice", will always tend towards evil - due to the fact that their nature is enslaved (or addicted) to sin. In other words, people are born with all the free will of a heroin junkie. That the reason for this 'determinism' is essentially spiritual rather than genetic/environmental is a side issue - what is important at this point is that the person has no free will.
Next up we have conscience. Conscience can be considered as the influence of God upon sin-addicted man. Not an overwhelming influence it must be said - calls of conscience can be suppressed. But an influence nonetheless. That a man doesn't believe in God (or believe his conscience is from God) is neither here nor there. Conscience calls irrespective of what man thinks.
Looking at things simplistically then. A sin-addicted man comes up against a moral choice. And Conscience calls - telling a man what man ought to do. Man's Addiction to Sin also calls - enticing man to sin. Man is not faced with a free willed choice here: man is being pulled in one direction by Gods will. And is being pulled in ther other direction by mans addiction. One of two things can happen.
- the man doesn't sin. If he does not it is because the power of truth (revealed through conscience) held the man from sinning. Man was convinced by the truths action upon him.
- the man does sin. In order to sin, man must first suppress Gods truth. He must shut off the light which tells him the truth and in the self-enabled darkness his addiction can be fed.
Note: all that is required in order that man not sin is that his sin-addicted will not be expressed. If not expressed then the man remains exposed to and convinced of Gods truth and sin cannot occur. On the other hand we can see that an expression of mans will is required for sin to occur. In order for sin to occur man must will to suppress Gods truth revealed. By burying what he knows he ought to do, man wills himself handed over to the power of his addiction to sin. And his addiction will pull him into sin as sure as night follows day. Mans will has effected his sin - meaning that he can be justly punished for it (in the case where he remains unsaved).
Edited by iano, : No reason given.