Do you believe in predestination?

A difficult subject this:

PREDESTINATION - (in Christian theology) the doctrine that God has ordained all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others. It has been particularly associated with the teachings of St Augustine of Hippo and of Calvin.

Your views would be appreciated. 

There was a Christian preacher on TV talking about predestination. He sited the story in Genesis 27 onwards where Rebekah, Isaac's wife, cheats Esau of his inheritance. Isaac was blind and called forward for his son Esau to be blessed. Rebekah encouraged Jacob, (the twin brother), to go forward instead dressed like Esau, (who was rather hairy), and Isaac mistakenly blesses the wrong son.

The story goes back to when Rebekah was pregnant with twins. She prays to God and, "The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her,“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” Genesis 25:22

Hence the theory that by encouraging Jacob to cheat his older twin brother of his inheritance, Rebekah was fulfilling God's prophecy and predestination that Jacob would become ruler.

Now, I have difficulties with this:

First of all, I do not believe that God would encourage cheating and stealing of one's inheritance. To do so would make Him no different to Satan.

Secondly, to believe in predestination would mean that we are all destined to do what we do - good or evil. We have no free will. We are robots pre-programmed by God. 

I don't believe God plays games with us. He has given us free will to do as we choose and He will not interfere with our choices, however wrong and evil they are. He will often nudge us, and give us opportunities to change our ways; but He will not force His will upon us. To do so would mean taking away our free will.

To believe in predestination would mean that Judas had no choice to do what he did. Neither had Pilate a choice, or the Sadducees, Pharisees and all the people throughout the ages who have done many wrongs to society and humanity. They are all guiltless because they were programmed so to do. I think such logic, and the preaching of such logic, is faulty.

I do not believe in predestination. But I believe an all-knowing God knows in advance what choices we will make in life.

What do you think?

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