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Author Topic:   God's judgement and Determinism
Hyroglyphx
Inactive Member


Message 62 of 106 (442818)
12-22-2007 6:05 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by The Agnostic
12-20-2007 6:42 AM


Genetic predisposition vs genetic determinism
Genes and environment determine your personality. Personality and situation determine your behaviour. Your genetic makeup is inherited from your parents and outside of your control. So is your upbringing and so is the environment you are born in. The situation you find yourself in may be arbitrary at times and at other times a consequence of your personality interacting with the environment. This leads to the following conclusion:
Your personality and behaviour are not voluntary choises.
Are you then essentially saying that murderers are born and manufactured without any of their own cognizance in the matter to map out their own destiny?
We're just screwed, without any hope at all?
I have no doubt that genes lead us to certain dispositions, such as personalities, proneness towards diseases and syndromes, etc. Coupling that "nature" with "nurture" will also prove to be pivotal in how a person develops and interacts with their peers.
But I don't believe for a second that we are essentially doomed for failure because we have "bad" genes or a bad upbringing. These are exactly the same kinds of arguments that crazed eugenicists make towards the general notion of eradicating such ill-conceived behavior from a gene pool. Quite frankly, that's dangerous, grossly misinformed, and deluded.
As for how God deals with us, the Bible is sure to mention that we are accountable for what we know. Since His word is written on the hearts of mankind (conscience), we are held accountable for what we know to be true, even if the compunction with it wants us to believe otherwise.
Amazonian tribe members who has never received the Word are not accountable for what they don't know. Like every person, they are accountable for what they do know is morally righteous or unrighteous.

“First dentistry was painless, then bicycles were chainless, and carriages were horseless, and many laws enforceless. Next cookery was fireless, telegraphy was wireless, cigars were nicotineless, and coffee caffeineless. Soon oranges were seedless, the putting green was weedless, the college boy was hatless, the proper diet -- fatless. New motor roads are dustless, the latest steel is rustless, our tennis courts are sodless, our new religion -- Godless” -Arthur Guiterman

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by The Agnostic, posted 12-20-2007 6:42 AM The Agnostic has not replied

  
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