Do People Have Free Will?

Do People Have Free Will?

            Do people have free will? The everyday average non-Christian person would say yes. Why? It is really and basically because they have no one else to say that governs their lives except them. Without God, I guess that you could say that you do have free will. But, as a Christian in Christ, we are obligated to say the one thing that no one else wants us to say: no, we do not have free will. Why? Well, let's take a look.

            Before we dive into this, let's get something straight. What does free will and predestination mean? What is their difference? The definition of free will according to the Webster's Dictionary, is this: freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention. This is not far from the Bible's definition. Free will is something that we say we have, and no one can stop us from making the choices that we want to make. Predestination according to the same source says this: the doctrine that God in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation. That isn't far from the target of the Bible either. Predestination is the fact that God has chosen us each and every one personally who will be saved, and who will not. The only thing that would need to be removed from that definition, is the word "consequence". God does not fall under "consequence" of anything. In looking at these two from their definitions, they no longer sound the same, but as two different words with two different definitions. The difference, is one is God led, and one is man led. Free will is man led. Free will is what we have decided for ourselves and no other. Predestination is God led, and is on His terms and no other. For most, that should be a turning point in itself on the matter. But, we may need to look deeper into the situation to shed a little but more light into the situation.

            To go in deeper into this subject, let's look in places where predestination and free will contradict each other. Before and during the fall is one of these many examples. Many people have lost their way and left God because they looked at the Fall (Genesis 3), and wondered how God could have ever let Humanity fall into such a steep and deathly valley. Armenians' believe that it was man's own heart that had brought them to destruction. But if that is so, how could God have let them fall under sin? If He is almighty and all powerful as Scriptures such as Job 32:8 and Psalms 91:1 say, then why couldn't He have stopped it? This all has to do with God's sovereignty, which is not the same thing as predestination, but it's closely related to it. The only way that this must be argued, is that the sovereignty of God became manifest, and His predestination fell into play. That leads to the one word question that every Christian loathes, because they cannot give a straight answer on the spot. The question is: why? Why did God put us all through this trouble if He had already predestined us to fall? It was so that we could give Him glory. That I know makes Him sound selfish, but think about it. What is the one time that we are the most satisfied in ourselves and the most happy? When we are praising Him. What is the one time that we are at peace in the midst of the storm? When we are praising Him. What is the one time that we are most loving and merciful to our neighbors and the most relaxed? When we are praising Him. God knows this. He wants us to be happy, and sinless. So, He is taking this route so that He can show His glory and sovereignty to us, so that in later days when He returns, we have more of a reason to praise Him, and that we will be even more satisfied with Him, and ourselves. So, the example of the Fall, shows us that though it hurts, there is more and better things to come out of it. 

            The big example we could give, is the world around us. We look around us and see so much sin and destruction, and wonder why God is not doing anything about it. This is a very good observation, and there is an answer to it. Let's look at Habakkuk's troubles to help us here. We don't know much about Habakkuk, except that he lived around the time before the Babylonian invasion. His book can be laid out in three parts: his complaint to God about no one caring about the rising of the Babylonians (or as they called them in this particular book, the Chaldeans), and why he was doing nothing. Next, God would give his answer, and in the end, Habakkuk ends with praising to the Lord.  Why is all of this being told to you? To prove a point. Habakkuk here had the same concerns as was stated above, why was God letting the wicked go free (Habakkuk 1:1-3)? Everytime God would answer Him that he was raising them up to destroy Israel in a plan to show judgment upon their own iniquities (Habakkuk 1:5-11). This sounds harsh doesn't it? Well, if you look at Israel's past, you might say they deserved it. So many times had they gone away from God and worshipped idols. So many times had they sacrificed precious children to idols of stone. God had had enough, and decided to punish the Israelites, so that they may see their wrongs. What does this have to do with the question given above? Everything. It shows that even though it may seem evil, it has a purpose. God's purpose. It may seem harsh, but it is true. Though, when you do look into the future of Habakkuk and Israel after the exile, there was so much more rejoicing in the Lord when they returned to their homes and lands. They loved Him more, and respected Him more to the best of their abilities (until of course Jesus came, and then it was a disaster. But, that's another story for another time).

             So, do Humans have free will? The answer after all of this is still not. Habakkuk and the Fall are two prime examples why. We all know what this implies though. In accepting this, things will arise that we have to accept as well, that will be hard to swallow. The biggest issue among these, is that God has already chosen who will be saved and who will not. This is the hardest to accept, but it is still true. But, to make it easier look at it this way, without God having decided, if we were to chose on our own anyways in sin, none of us would have dome to him (Romans 3:23). The fact God even chose some of us so that some of us could go to heaven, is more than amazing. It would have been amazing even if He only chose one of us! The fact that he gave us a chance is something spectacular in itself. So, though some of us may have not been chosen (and that's between them and God), let us be grateful that most of us are. Now, that does not mean that we should not go out and spread the Gospel. This is for two reasons: 1.we would be going against Jesus' orders for the Great Commission, and 2. though we know that some of us are chosen and some of us are not, we don't know who is and who isn't. Even the ones who we have tried to convince over and over and they still will not accept the truth, we still do not know if they will accept it or not. So, please. Continue the Great Commission, and spread the Gospel, so that others may be saved, and God's will (not ours) may be fulfilled.

 

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

A Little Something on Space Travel

7/3/2014
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A Little Something on Space Travel

                Today in our generation, space travel is a little less than out of the ordinary, but still is frequently talked about. With many space stations in the sky, and with many a talk about the stay on the moon, we are fairly acquainted with the subject. But, do you know the history behind it all? Well, let's talk about it. Man has always been fascinated with the heavens. But, it was not until the early 1900's did we ever have the means to the idea of sending someone or something into space. The first artificial satellite that was sent into space was the famous Sputnik, sent by the Russians. This little act by the Russians was the kick off of the Space Race, the race between Russia and America. We didn't want them to have enough power to do something we couldn't. Russia put the first man in space, the first satellite… should I continue? But once, and only once, did we beat them. We were the first to set a man on the moon. The famous Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. He was the guy who uttered the famous phrase, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Because of this, we won the Space Race, because the Russians couldn't send a man any farther than we already had. But, now we are friends with them (or more like uneasy acquaintances, but that's another discussion), and we help them as much as they help us in getting farther into space. They are the ones who helped us put the biggest space station in the sky. What is a space station? A space station is a laboratory for astronauts and a home for them all in one. The best space station is called the International Space Station. The people who live on this space station have lots of jobs ranging from a mathematician to a doctor. Life on a space station is one exciting life, though there are some oddities to it, all because there is no gravity. I think you can guess how fun it is sleeping, and using the restroom. But, anyone can be an astronaut, because the jobs needed up there are many. So here's the question, will you become one? If you decide to, research the job, because you're going to need to know as much as you can if you want to see the glory of God's creation in close-up. 

I encourage you to visit the sites listed below.

Here’s an interesting NASA site:  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/index.html

First image from:  http://www.bobthealien.co.uk/shuttle.htm

Second image taken from:  http://science.howstuffworks.com/space-station4.htm

Another interesting site:  http://www.infovisual.info/05/096_en.html

Tidbits On Stars and Galaxies

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6/26/2014

 

 

Tidbits On Stars and Galaxies

 

            When you look up at the sky in the night, you'll sometimes see stars. But one of the odd facts about this is, is that you never see the same star twice in a row in the same place on two different nights. Why? This is because the Earth is continually spinning and moving, making it look like each star like its moving, when really we are the one's moving. But, there are always groups of stars that are most likely found in of the Earth's hemispheres. In the Northern hemisphere, you can most likely always find the constellation Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. In the constellation Ursa Minor, is the famous Polaris, or the North Star. Continuing on stars, there are many kinds. One of the most spectacular ones is the kind that the star Sirius is. Sirius is a binary star, which means that it has another star orbiting around it. It's kind of like when a planet is orbiting around a bigger star, yet this is more on a smaller scale.

The star that is orbiting around Sirius is a white dwarf star. White dwarf stars are stars that are in the process of dying. Just like us, stars have a spanned lifetime.

When a star does finally die, it can sometimes create a black hole.  A black hole is when a star implodes on itself. The core of the star implodes, forcing other stars out into the sky. But, the core stays behind, pulling on everything in sight. A black hole's gravitational pull is so strong, that it can overpower even the strongest of stars or planets.                  A supernova, is when a star explodes (not implodes) on itself. When this happens, it reaches far out into space, leaving residues that make that part of the sky colorful. The Crab Nebulae is one of these supernovas, and can be seen through a telescope. All three of the types of stars listed above, are variable stars. All of these variable stars can sometimes form what we call galaxies. Galaxies are stars formed in huge groups. We are in the Milky Way galaxy.
The Milky Way galaxy is one of the three types of galaxies: elliptical, spiral, and irregular. We are in a spiral galaxy. It's humbling to think that all of the stars that we see up in the night sky make up a whole ENTIRE galaxy. All of the constellations, star groups, types of stars, and the death of stars, all make up the place we live in. These constellations and such are not only used for science of course, but they can be used to tell stories of the past. Though people use them for horoscopes in astrology (different from astronomy), even the stars can tell you a story which is not your own, and more fascinating.  Every star has its own story, and when those stories collide with one another, it makes a bigger story, which turns into the story that God had always planned for us and for others…

                                              The story of the universe.

Some interesting links I encourage you to investigate:

http://stardate.org/nightsky

  http://dillknobobservatory.net/?page_id=593

http://my.execpc.com/60/B3/culp/astronomy/Winter/Bears.html

Check out the sites the images came from  as well:

The first image taken from this cool site:  http://hubpages.com/hub/AstronomyBeginnersGuideStars-Greensleeves

The second image taken from:  http://www.herongyang.com/astrology_horoscope/Polaris_The_North_Pole_Star.html

The third image taken from:  http://astrobob.areavoices.com/2011/12/18/the-sun-is-absolutely-not-the-brightest-star/

The fourth image taken from this nerdy site:  http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/stars_binvar.html

The fifth image taken from a site with enough information to give me a headache:  http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/05/10/why-youll-never-escape-from-a/

The sixth image taken from:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Crab_Nebula

The seventh image taken from:  http://www.universetoday.com/21563/milky-way/

The initial image taken from:  http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/space/universe/stars-article/

 

Simple Facts About Pluto

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6/19/2014

Simple Facts About Pluto

                Pluto is the only planet that we do not know a lot about.  It was found in the Kuiper Belt, which is comprised of objects in space (most of them rocks and debris) outside of the orbit of the planets around us.  It is seen as the marker of the end of our solar system.  It was discovered after years of research because astronomists saw that Neptune was being pulled with gravity by something.  Of course, they learned later on that it wasn't Pluto doing so, but this question did lead to Pluto's discovery.  Some, because of the facts surrounding the discovery, think that Pluto is not a real planet.  One of the main reasons is because Pluto's moon, Charon, looks too big to be a moon.  Also, some think that it is just a comet, because of its orbit.  But, the answer to the question varies from person.  Both sides have equal standpoints that make sense, so it's really hard to choose.  Which one will you choose?

Pluto

Kuiper Belt

 Here's an article I enjoyed:  http://pluto.jhuapl.edu/mission/whereis_nh.php

1st image taken from this article: http://www.metalsucks.net/2014/04/17/allegaeon-wrote-25-second-track-former-planet-pluto/ 

2nd image taken from this article:  http://moviewriternyu.wordpress.com/2014/01/07/pluto-trying-to-buy-its-way-back-to-big-boy-planet-status/

3rd image taken from this article:  http://planetfacts.org/kuiper-belt/

 

Simple Facts About Uranus and Neptune

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6/5/2014

Simple Facts About Uranus and Neptune

                Uranus and Neptune are two more gas giants in our small, yet fascinating solar system. They are very similar to each other, like Saturn and Jupiter, but they each have their own special qualities to not be another set of twin planets. Here are some interesting (yet simple) facts that might interest you about these beauties that God created for us to enjoy.

                Uranus has a blue-green appearance, because its atmosphere is made up of helium and methane. When you look at him in the sky, it looks like he is rolling around the Sun, because his north and south pole on his sides, and not his top. That's also the reason why it looks like a loose wagon-wheel in the sky. When Uranus was discovered, it was the first time a planet had been found in an extremely long while, over hundreds of years in fact! It was actually an ordinary father and his daughter, named William (father) and Caroline (daughter) who found it. At first they thought it was a comet, but when they studied its flight pattern, they noticed that it followed the orbit like that of a planet. They were singers who were part time astronomers, but became full-time astronomers when they found Uranus. In light of their study of the planet, they found out also that it takes over eighty-four years to make a full rotation around the Sun, but a full day can happen up to seventeen hours.

                Neptune was discovered after long research and study. They noticed that Uranus looked and acted like it was being pulled by something with a gravitational force, hence they found Neptune. Methane in the atmosphere gives Neptune that fantastic blue color that we all can see through a telescope. It also can be considered either the eighth or the ninth planet from the Sun, because sometimes it crosses with Pluto's orbit. It takes Neptune 164 years to rotate the Sun, and over sixteen hours to make a full day. The Great Dark Spot (which is no longer on Neptune) was a spot where a huge storm the size of Earth, raged on day and night. Neptune's biggest moon is Triton. Triton interestingly has geysers, which spout forth different kinds of chemicals.

Image taken from:  http://www.space.com/18924-how-big-is-neptune.html

Simple Facts About Saturn

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6/3/2014

Simple Facts About Saturn

                Saturn is one of the most beautiful planets there are out in this part of the solar system. But, it would not be an ideal place for human colonization for two reasons. One, because it is a gas giant, being mostly made of helium and other gasses. Two, because of the violent storms that have raged on for years. Jupiter is a 'twin' according to astronomists and scientist out there, because it is a very similar planet to Saturn. Most of its basic features are pretty much identical to Saturn. One of the only major differences, is that Saturn is a little smaller than Jupiter. Saturn's rings are made of rocks, which have been pulled by Saturn's gravity, and his shepherd moons. A shepherd moon is a moon, which pulls together and 'herds' the rocks around it. Basically meaning, it 'herds' the rocks that make the rings around Saturn, and keeping them from flying off into space. It would take thirty Earth years for Saturn to orbit the Sun. That's a lot! But ironically because of its winds and storms, it spins faster than it rotates. That is why it looks like its being squeezed, with a round body and a flat top. There was a space mission that went to Saturn called the Cassini mission. It took the Cassini thirty years to get to Saturn, take pictures of him and his moon Titan, and then finish what it came to do. Many good things have come out of this mission, and we have learned a lot from it. We learned more about Saturn's haunting beauty, and his magnificence. 

Image taken from:  http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-saturn.html

 

All About Saturn

Shannon Flynn
March 31, 2014
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All About Saturn

 

                Saturn is a planet that everyone thinks they seem to know. But the fact is, there are things about him that may astonish you. Saturn is a very surprising planet, and it has been surprising to scientist for years. So, why don't we take a closer look at him, and see what he's really like?

            Saturn's structure is pretty amazing. It consists of mainly helium and hydrogen. This makes it a gas planet. Gas planets are most of the time enormous, like Saturn's brother Jupiter. You would be able to fit approximately 1,072 Earth's inside Saturn. That's a lot! Saturn's inner heat is up to 22,000°F. That's 13,300°F more than our inner heat. Going on that note, Saturn radiates 82% more of this heat than the sun. How cool is that? Saturn's magnetic field, 550 times stronger than Earth. Ironically, although we are weaker than Saturn in that aspect, Saturn is weaker than Jupiter. And what fascinates scientist the most, is that Saturn's magnetic field is perfectly aligned with its axis. How?  Well a magnetic field is not a circle ball, but in a way that you can understand, it is invisible lines and waves around a planet that keeps the solar flares from the sun from reaching into the atmosphere, and scorching everything in sight. Usually, a magnetic field and a planet will not be perfectly aligned, which Saturn is an exception to that rule. The surface of Saturn is fascinating as well. Because it is a gas planet, it has very violent winds and storms that range from day to day. What is cool about these storms, is that astronomers have noticed that certain storms happen in a certain part of Saturn's seasons. Also the average temperature on Saturn on the surface is -288°F, which is obviously a lot colder than Earth.

            Saturn's outer planetary structure is what most people think they know about the most. But the thing that are about to be said will not only fascinate you, but surprise you. Obviously, Saturn has rings. A ring on a planet is basically nothing but debris, dust and space rock that has been attracted into an orbital fashion around a planet by its gravity. But Saturn's rings are surprising in their structure, and do not follow the usual structure of a ringed planet. Saturn's rings are surprisingly flat, only tens of meters thick. Also, the rings are very bright, not charcoal black like most planets. The main rings, are rings A, B, and C. Ring A is very translucent, and you can see the Saturn on the other side if you put it up next to him. And while Ring B is the densest of all the rings, and Ring C's density varies on what angle you are looking at it. There are other rings, but for the sake of time, they cannot be talked about now. Likewise, another whole paper could be done about Saturn's moons, but the talk of them will be kept in short. Saturn has three types of moons: irregular moons, regular moons, and ringed moons. Some of Saturn's many irregular moons are: Mimas, Tellys, Dione, Rhea, and Hyperion.  An irregular moon is basically a smaller and more icy version of our own. There are in total 26 of these irregular moons, which there are hundreds of these regular ones being found by the year. The biggest (and the most well known) of these regular moons is Titan. Titan is larger than two planets. Being like its big daddy, its average temperature is the same that of Saturn's, which makes its water frozen solid.
            When Galileo noticed Saturn in the sky with his telescope in 1610, he must have noticed that he had an interesting and sad legend behind him. Being that Galileo had grown up in the 1600's, he must have heard and knew the story extremely well. He knew that Saturn was the Roman god for agriculture. Here was where the corn god, Cronus, dwelled. Cronus' father Uranus, was threatening to kill his Cronus'  children, when Cronus told his father that that wouldn't happen. Quickly, he tried to hide his children, but in the end had to kill his father with a sickle, which is why he became the corn god. Later on, he raised his children, which one of them became the god of Earth: Zeus. But, what does this have to with the planet Saturn? Galileo must have thought the same question as he looked at the magnificent and terrifying giant in the sky. The Romans had a pretty good imagination to think of such a story, but it does fit in with the question. What does the mythical story  have to do with the planet? Every bit of it does. When the Romans looked up in the night sky and saw this beauty, they noticed how terrifying and beautiful it was, just as the god Cronus was. He was gentle and sweet, but very protective of his children. Even to the point of defying his own father and killing him. That has meaning to it, but there was one thing I think the Ancient Romans missed. The fact that the planet exists in the sky, in that such of a way, means that there must have been a more beautiful and terrifying creator behind it. Sadly, what the Romans had missed, was that the Creator, was giving them a glimpse of what His glory was like. And in my heart I think Galileo knew that; just by taking a closer look at this magnificent beauty we all call Saturn.

 

Image taken from:  http://nineplanets.org/saturn.html