Free-will or predestination--is their a continuum?

You have a great response. I'm not sure if it's to the original poster or to me, though--mylot's always been a bit vague that way. Frankly, I want to forget about this discussion, I allowed my passions to overwhelm me, and did become both offensive and defensive. It just got my goat, that others weren't recognizing the exact same behaviour... But again, my pride speaks. God, let us all assume that "He" is real, is a perfect being by that age old definition, thus, no one, regardless of what book they want to quote, can possible know "Him" or "His" ways--except to do their best to live by Love and truth, and the highest of ethics and faith. DR...

LOL... Silly me, I confused this post (my own) with that of another one I participated in. You can completely disregard my last response--with exception to the "thank you"--I'll stand by that. LOL... dr...

LOL and I just realized that I posted a second reply to this discussion one year later! I guess the second reply will get deleted eventually. now I have to go back up and finish reading how I felt about this a year ago.

Thank you for the response.

"In the end, all will be known" you said... I like that. It's the basis of hope for a lot of belief systems is it not? Great response.

Yes, thank you all I can add is that in my world I have found some humans that are bad humans... Some people are in need of being told the truth! If they want me to smile and treat them with warmth and unconditional love then they are going to have to figure out a way to stop violating the laws of the land. You know the law of the Land,is written on the heart of the universe...

On a personal note, I want to apologize for taking like 5 years to get back to you, my inbox--obviously somewhere, somehow, I gave someone or some entity my email address that I shouldn't have--and I'm spammed with dozens of letters a day--they collected hardcore (as they continue to do) as I was without a computer/internet for a few weeks. You've probably noticed the trend of me replying to a lot of old postings on your part--I'm just now getting that far along in getting this inbox cleaned out. (There's over 4,000 still--was close to six...) Anyway, thanks for that. Yes, I live for those never easily answerable questions, because they make things interesting--as opposed to worrying about new trends, videogames, "going out" or "partying", football, "so you think you can dance" what have you--the many upon many trivialities my peers engage in... Don't, by the way, take any offense by that statement, nothings wrong with any ONE of those things, I'm just frustrated by our culture of TVism. Thanks again for another awesome post. You've gone a long way in helping me come a long way, been forgiving when I've been a chump and have helped me to consider a lot of perspectives on things. Gratefully yours, Rev. David A. Reedy...

I wish I could so quickly, and easily see it that way. Perhaps years of researching script theory, various social dynamics, quantum physics, and the touching upon Jungian theory... complicates things a bit. Choices or not, I find that when I make a decision that the external world changes, producing both elements that coincide with my new thought, and those that resist, this is the aspect I think that boggles me, well it's one of a couple at least. Thanks very much for your input, I look forward to learning some more from you--let's always be civil (but I suspect that goes without saying), but be sure to always feel free to question--to get me to question... Thanks again... dr...

It is humans who make it complicated, just by trying to understand. It is what it is...but we cannot leave it alone and let it be what it is. Of course we will be civil...