I have always believed infate and I don't think anyone can change 'whats meant to be'. What are your views on it?

-- jayneb (jaynebirtles@hotmail.com), March 05, 2001

Answers

Who do you think decides 'what's meant to be'?

-- sam smith (ssmith@hotmail.com), March 05, 2001.

do you think praying can prevent fate?

-- jayne (jaynebirtles@hotmail.com), March 05, 2001.

Dear Jayne:

I do not believe in "fate" as you do. I think that human beings can do whatever they want to with their lives, as long as the world will let them. THat is why I can believe in Hell; God destines every human soul for Heaven. Now, I also believe that God knows everything in our future. But that is because He is outside of time. Time is one of His creations, not something He is bound by. In the Ever-Present NOw, God knows all. But we can do what we want. We can say "no" to whatever God has planned for us. I've talked this over with my friends, and we could all agree that, whether everything in our lives is a product of fate or not, everything in our lives is significant.

-Hannah

-- Hannah (archiegoodwin_and_nerowolfe@hotmail.com), March 05, 2001.

read St. Augustine's "Against Fate." One of the things that Christianity (and, I believe, Judaism as well) argued against in the beliefs of the pagan Roman empire was the notion of fate.

Human beings had free will from the start. Adam and Eve were not "fated"to sin against God, they chose to, and so they (rightfully) had to accept the consequences of that action. One *could* say (depending on definition) that they were "destined" to fulfill their role, provided the use of the word "destiny" does not imply an abridgement of the free will of the individual.

Look at Jonah, God had a mission for him (destiny), but he couldn't just take control of Jonah, and make him do it like a marionette. He had to convince Jonah to do it of his own free will (fulfilling his destiny). Jonah eventually said yes, but he could have continued to refuse if he wanted to. But three days inside a whale is good leverage at the bargaining table!

..............................

-- anthony (fides_spes_et_caritas@hotmail.com), March 05, 2001.