(July 30, 2015 at 12:38 am)Alex K Wrote: While it may be the view most consistent with a omni... God, I am completely baffled that predeterminism is supposed to work as a religion. Why does it work as a faith, psychologically? What is the incentive, what is the reward, the appeal? Can someone explain that to me?
It works similarly to other forms of Christianity. The question of whether God has chosen you or not is largely indicated by the things you do. (Note, "indicated" means just that, as you do not have a direct proof that God has predestined to heaven any particular person, nor a direct proof that God has not predestined a particular person to heaven.) If you strive to be a good Christian, you might succeed, and in so doing, that would mean that God selected you. If, however, you do not strive to be a good Christian, that would be an indication that God predestined you to hellfire and damnation.
You see, it is not as if there were a litmus test to see if you have been selected by God or not. So one sees the same sorts of indications as one sees in other forms of Christianity. And of course there is heaven and hell to motivate people, as well as the social pressures from those around one, just the same as any other religion.
Perhaps, though, you are concerned about the issue of free will. Think for a moment, though, about the people who say they are determinists. Do they really do anything much different from those who say we have free will, other than affirm a few different statements?
"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
