Without apologies or superfluous preamble, my “Script Theory” is, simply put, that God wrote a book, and that book is the Universe and all Life, past, present, and future—relative to this moment, your moment, any moment, in the 4D-Space/Time Continuum—and Free Will is an “illusion which cannot be denied by Man.” That is the Great Paradox.
My evidence relies on The Bible and Science. God’s Inspired Word. His attributes, Physics, Logic, and objective reality. The only a priori, albeit subjective, starting point is a belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Jesus Christ. Then again, perhaps this thesis may serve as a Proof of God. Then again, again, I’m no Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, or John Calvin. Linguistics herein inspired by William James and Will Rodgers. My opinion(s), and aware that these topics are of little interest to, and of no benefit for Christians and Jews who simply love the Lord God. Nonetheless, here goes:
Is God subject to, or, limited by Time? Does He have a clock on His wall? Does He predict or control what will happen in the Future, mine or yours? Is His knowledge merely omniscient foresight, i.e. He knows our hearts and can “Predict”? Or, does he know the future because He sees it(!)? Is He the Aristotelian Material Cause, Formal Cause, Efficient cause, and Final Cause, or isn’t He?
I say: He wrote this book. Every page, every line, every character, every subplot. He wrote The Beginning of this Big Bang-Six Day thriller. He wrote The End, and the Middle. Every descriptive passage. Therefore, or if so, He has the only copy of this book in his hand. And therefore, or if so, nothing is going to *change within the text. What is the alternative?
Did God create the Universe and from that spectacular moment—in Time—must watch its progress, perform occasional maintenance duties, tweak the machinery, get rid of some antagonists and poke protagonists? Is He merely a spectator with a really powerful remote?
Is God finite or is He infinite? If He is finite, then He cannot logically be omnipresent. If He is infinite, then He cannot be contained within the boundaries of the 4D-Space-Time Continuum. He exists outside, around—all around! He is everything, which happens to include the rotating expanding Universe. He exists, still, in The Beginning. He exists far beyond the Revelation-End. Therefore, He is looking at The End at this, any, every moment. Is that End constantly changing?
Is the Universe an Open End project, a helter-skelter circus of unchained creatures, flora/fauna, people, molecules and stars? If so, then “Chance” rules, despite Newtonian Cause-Effect classical physics. Both are observable, but Quantum-crazy Chance fails to achieve “Major Law” status. And yet it cannot be dismissed. It never goes away, and The End cannot be precisely determined.
I say: The 4D Continuum is Closed End. It’s a book, written and published. Set in stone. All the affairs of man and planets were predetermined by the Creator, the Author. *And therefore, if so, Free Will cannot exist. Does God know what Choices will be made, or doesn’t He? Does He simply know so much about or hearts and DNA that He can predict very accurately? And, maybe He can influence circumstances or hearts in order to get the desired outcome? That desired outcome is The End. He doesn’t know The End yet? Or, He knows The End in a fundamental sense but isn’t precisely aware of how “we” get there? Certainly he is in control of the play and its actors.
Does God’s attributes include any limitations? Is He omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, or not? Does He know what happens, precisely, in the future or not? If not, the why not?
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today–yes, tonight–before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today–yes, tonight–before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.” Peter was being his customary solemn tough-guy. Jesus punctured his ego balloon, for a reason of course.
Consider these three possibilities. One, Jesus is a really good prognosticator. He sees and knows what the rooster is doing at the moment and He knows Peter’s heart and DNA. Two, Jesus has the power to make this happen, influence all persons involved and poke the rooster at the appropriate Time.
Three: He wrote this book. John 1:1-5 ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome a it.”
Jesus could have told Peter what his blood pressure would be when the rooster later announces his guilt. He has seen it before, and sees it even now. He wrote the scene(s)! His Holy Spirit sustains the motions of molecules and guides fields and particles of Light.
Think about that, if you will. “Chance” is not involved. *Neither is Free Will. It will happen, as Planned. And it did. Could Peter have messed everything up by choosing not to deny Christ? If he could and did, what would that have done to the future “Catholic Church” or any denomination? The nature and future of this world? I suggest that no man—“World Leader,” or not—can affect the Future unless said affections were preordained by God. Consider Jeremiah 1:5. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” The adage, “Everything happens for a reason” is applicable. God’s “reasons” prevail, and they are the First Precedent.
God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit didn’t take chances when He exploded that unimaginably super-dense “particle” and launched His Book. He designed every single detail, measurable by man theoretically, but not practically. He designed the DNA of Einstein’s 4D Space-Time Continuum and breathed life into that explosion. He knew that Adam and Eve would sin. He knew that only one commandment would suffice. Ten were not necessary. Just one. He could have chosen a different commandment, such as “Don’t let one son kill another!” He chose the perfect one, the one which would “allow” them to doubt Him and disobey Him. The one which would alter the relationships of all Creatures. The one which would ignite the Laws of Thermodynamics. The one which would expose their only imperfection: They were not God.
The whole of Creation is imperfect, because it is NOT God. This a truth not because of Predestination, but rather because of logic—and ‘Who God is’. In “The End” God cannot coexist with an imperfect Creation for eternity, because that is anathema to His attributes. But God inserted into the DNA of Creation the only mechanism capable of reconciling that imperfection. He, The Word, the Son, would become incarnate, be born, and, would suffer the Cross. The Atonement. And Jesus paid the combined debt of all sin. He secured His right to present His children to His Father. Ephesians 1:3-14.
3”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he b predestined us for adoption to sonship c through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9he d made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11In him we were also chosen, e having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”
None of these things, nor any things, happen by Chance.
Finally, few Predestination proponents accept a totally “Scripted” Universe. It makes them nervous. Free Will fans might become apoplectic. Consider this possibility, if you will. What if a few seconds after The End, God says to all assembled that He scripted it all. And he explains that Free Will was indeed an illusion. *(No one is to blame for their choices and acts?) However, He further explains that he is about to offer eternal life plus a true Free Will—if each agrees to love Him, and worship only Him. And he asks, ‘You see me now. You see My Son. What will you do? How will you live? Will you do as you did in the World? Or will you become my sons and daughters?’
What if: Many will certainly praise The Lord God and be filled with the Holy Spirit forever. And yet many, according to their nature, will abhor this proposition and they will still hate Jesus Christ. Satan is in attendance. Can he accept this deal? I, personally, doubt it. No, of course not. Alas, I don’t know, because I am an imperfect, stupid, obnoxious, gun-toting curmudgeon and predestined innate sinner. But I sure have “Hope.” And I hope that I take the deal. Actually, I hope that Jesus already sealed the deal, and wrote my name down in His Book of Life. Done deal. Hope you do, as well.
“Scripted” doesn’t bother me a bit. In fact, I’d prefer it to Chance and Free Will.
Note 1. Statements marked with an asterisk will be explained in a subsequent “Addendum.” Essentially, they represent a personal resolution of the question screaming out in my mind: “If all this is true, forget worrying about Free Will, ‘Genius’—Of what value is prayer?!” Uh oh. Am I negating “prayer”? Making it a moot and futile exercise? Heck no! Okay, something is missing. Something gravely important. I Thessalonians 5:16-18: 16”Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
I think I figured it out, maybe possibly perhaps. The “Book” is, actually, a “Living Book.” Only God can and did write a Living Book. God can alter the Script. Does my opinion matter to God? Yes, and, No. To be continued…
Conservative_Writer 