Free Will, Destiny and the Existence of Sin

Paper Summary:

This paper supports the thesis that, in both Judaism and Christianity, free will is the heart of human sin and that without free will there could theoretically be no sin. The author points out that Judaism and Christianity agree that man has at least some degree of free will; however, this is where the similarities end: The degree of free will is a point of contention among Judaism and Christianity. The paper discusses that Christians cannot achieve salvation under their own accord and need the divine assistance to do so; whereas, Judaism holds each person responsible for their own conduct and the consequences of their actions.

From the Paper:

"In contrast, when Moses pleaded with Pharaoh to let the Jews free from slavery in Egypt, he asked for divine intervention. This is the first place where free will is clearly taken away from a human being, who is virtually helpless in his own destiny. When God began sending increasingly more severe plagues, the passage reads that God hardened Pharaoh's heart and he refused to free the people. This passage suggests that even if Pharaoh had wanted to free the people after the first plague, he did not have the ability to do so as God was controlling his tongue. Why God chose to do this is the subject of many scholarly debates. Perhaps it was to demonstrate his power over Pharaoh, or perhaps to punish Pharaoh. However, this still represents the first time in the Bible where a human being did not have the ability to make a choice under his own volition. The existence of this example suggests that for the most part, early Jewish faith believe that humans earn consequences or rewards for their actions. However, in some cases, the ability to choose may be stripped away for a time."

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