Compatibilism
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Compatibilism, sometimes called soft determinism, is a theological term that deals with the topics of free will and predestination. It seeks to show that God's exhaustive sovereignty is compatible with human freedom, or in other words, it claims that determinism and free will are compatible. Rather than limit the exercise of God's sovereignty in order to preserve man's freedom, compatibilists say that there must be a different way to define what freedom really means.
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Basic beliefs
Compatibilism, in contrast to Libertarian free will, teaches that people are free, but defines freedom differently. Compatibilism claims that every person chooses according to his or her greatest desire. In other words, people will always choose what they want-- and what they want is determined by (and consistent with) their moral nature. Man freely makes choices, but those choices are determined by the condition of his heart and mind (i.e. his moral nature). Libertarian free will maintains that for any choice made, one could always equally have chosen otherwise, or not chosen at all.
God's involvement
God is said to influence our desires, and thus is able to have exhaustive control of all that goes on.
This is a section stub. Please edit it to add information.Moral responsibility
In general, people agree that the one with uncaused action is held responsible for an action. Not the ball that was caused to roll, but the person who was not caused to push is held responsible for the rolling of the ball. However, according to this worldview, the same does not apply to humans. Although a man is considered unable to choose against his desires, which are caused by his sin nature or God's intervention, the moral responsibility of sin lies with him. He chose to do it, therefore he is held responsible. Not what caused him to choose, but he that chooses is held responsible.
This understanding of moral responsibility absolves God of authorship of sin; man, as caused by fall, is naturally "inclined to all evil" (Heidelberg Catechism, Q.7). Whether God decrees the fall of man or not, God is not thought force this evil inclination upon man; but rather, He "gave [man] over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper" (Rom. 1:28; NASB). The evil nature of man was not created or caused by God, but is some outside force which God allowed to exist. The Biblical doctrine of reprobation teaches that the sinful man is condemned because God withholds his acts of saving grace from him. Scripture uses the phrase "pass[ed] over" to describe God's act of reprobation (rf. Rom. 1:24, 26; NASB). God is active in, but not the primary cause of, sin. The Westminster Confession of Faith teaches that God's will is necessarily efficacious, but is effected by means of "secondary causes" subject to His sovereign control (See WCF Chapter 5, "Of Providence", for thorough treatment of secondary causation).
Scriptural support
- Matthew 7:15-20
In this passage it is said that Jesus recognizes that even "bad fruit" cannot produce good fruit. They will choose and produce according to what they are (their nature). Thus, if we are still in our sins we will choose and produce bad fruit accordingly. The same is with those who produce good fruit.
- John 8:34
- Romans 8:7
- 1 Corinthians 2:14
Argument(s) against libertarian freedom
Compatibilists argue that if all of our choices are uncaused, they would then be completely arbitrary, unpredictable, and not really moral actions at all.
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