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On free choice of the will

By Augustine of Hippo, Anna S. Tr. Benjamin, L. H. Tr. Hackstaff

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| Paperback | 9780672603686

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Some of the non-faithful always argue that if God is so good and perfect as said in the Bible or by some other witnesses, for example, the prophets or the saints, why he does allow the unhappiness or evildoing happened in the world. Obviously, sin is unacceptable by God as He imposed the punishment ... (continue)

Some of the non-faithful always argue that if God is so good and perfect as said in the Bible or by some other witnesses, for example, the prophets or the saints, why he does allow the unhappiness or evildoing happened in the world. Obviously, sin is unacceptable by God as He imposed the punishment on the sinners so as to maintain the order of the world. Why doesn't God create human beings with good will only? Then no one will sin and everything will be in the state of order. It is also what I could not understand even if I am a Catholic.
After reading this book, I got some second thoughts on this and grasped more insights into the topic of free choice of the will.
“God loves all human beings, so He gives them the free choice of the will.” I believe this statement is what Augustine wants to tell all of us. In the book, he gave a very thorough and profound explanation of the reason for the provision of free will from God to human beings. He also highlighted the governance imposed on the use of the free will of human beings. As he mentioned, “free will” is something vital to human beings that only having the
free will, human beings can act rightly and seek enjoyment and happiness in accordance with their own needs and preferences. It does not mean that human beings can do anything at their will, they still need to be under “control” – The eternal law and the temporal law which governing the fair distribution of the resources. Such "control" can ensure that every creature can get the resources in accordance with its needs and also protect others from one’s inordinate desire.
God also gives “reason” and “understanding” to human beings which inspired us to grasp virtues. Such virtues can help us in doing good and can release us from inordinate desire. God foreknows everything, even the choice of the will of human beings of doing good or bad.
To maintain the order and the perfection of the world, God imposes punishment on the sinners – those choose to do evil. The punishment is not only for maintaining the order and perfection but also reminds the sinners that evildoing will only lead them to the Hell fire. By punishment, the sinners can repent of their sins and can be saved from the more serious sins.
He also assigned His son – Jesus Christ to become flesh and dwell among human beings to reveal the truth, kindness and mercy of God, and most importantly, to redeem us from the hands of evils. He did all these things just because He loves all the human beings.
So, we can conclude that free will is one of the most precious and genuine gift from God to all human beings.

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Antoinette said on Aug 13, 2010 | Add your feedback