The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

I shouldn't be surprised by this anymore, but another Republican either already in or currently running for Congress has made an outrageous claim about rape. Earlier this year, Missouri Republican Senatorial candidate Todd Akin said that women can't get pregnant from what he termed "legitimate rape," because their vaginas had a magical power about them, which could block the passageway of the rapist's sperm and prevent pregnancy. Now it's Indiana Republican Senatorial candidate Richard Mourdock's turn to make such an asinine statement. When asked about abortion during a debate, Mourdock said: "The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother. I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen." So, according to this man, women being raped is...

I know I've written about this before, but read a Facebook status today saying something along the lines of, "Life is good. I knew God had a better plan for me." It seems like 40% of Christians believe exclusively in free will, 40% believe in predestination and 20% believe in both. I have no sources to back up these numbers and I honestly have no idea how accurate they are, but it's just a rough guesstimate. I understand the free will argument. I don't believe in it, but understand if one believes in predestination. I can't for the life of me understand the two concepts co-existing with one another. But, also bothersome to me is this illusory self-designated predestination. "He has a plan for me" or "He has a plan for you". Really? Isn't that a tad narcissistic to think like that? Things are going well for me, so that translates to God having a good plan for me? What about the child born with AIDS? The raped woman? The abused homose...

There are many things about organized religion that confuse me, especially the Christian faith, as that's the religion I grew up learning the most about, living in a country where the majority practice this particular faith. One debate I've always had problems with on a logical level is with regard to predestination vs. free will and also mixing in "God's plan" to the equation. I know people whom believe in predestination. I know some whom believe in free will. I know others whom believe in both. I know some that believe God granted us free will, yet he/she/it has a plan for every one of us. Breaking this down, I can understand if a person believes solely in one or the other, whether that be predestination, free will or that God has a plan for us. However, I have difficulty in understanding how we can simultaneously have both or all three. If our destiny is predestined by a higher power, of what difference would free will make in our outcome? If I was predes...