To Christians (On Jesus' Offer)

[Dimmesdale]

I don't get it.

If Jesus invites all of us to a life of peace, and humans are at least basically good, why would anyone reject it, if they have the basic understanding that it is for their own good?

Even if you raise the question of free will (which many Christians do not), this still evades the issue as far as I am concerned. This is a mystery, if there is any.

[The Tanager]

[Replying to Dimmesdale in post #10]

Sorry for my late response. I agree with you that the will and intellect are not identical. But I also don't think the will simply follows emotion (if that is what you mean). I think the will can take into account reason, emotions, etc. in making it's choice. We will then often try to intellectually justify our choices or strengthen our emotions to help us go through with our choice.

I still feel like I may be missing something of what you are getting at, though.

[Dimmesdale]

[Replying to Dimmesdale in post #10]

Sorry for my late response. I agree with you that the will and intellect are not identical. But I also don't think the will simply follows emotion (if that is what you mean). I think the will can take into account reason, emotions, etc. in making it's choice. We will then often try to intellectually justify our choices or strengthen our emotions to help us go through with our choice.

I still feel like I may be missing something of what you are getting at, though.

If we intellectually justify our choices based on emotion, than that at least points to the fact we were not fully rationally convinced of the opposite proposition, OR there WOULD have been an emotional complement, on the other side, just as strong (at least, in our "opinion").... We either thought it was "BS" or something beyond our power. Our own selfish story had to take center stage. And we thought it was a good thing, all things considered.... Will in and of itself is a Reason all its own, sometimes, to our eyes, the Best of Reasons (whether we are ignorant or not, we can contend). But yes, will and intellect are not truly the same things, they just ricochet off of each other, and play into one another, I think.