Quote: 'Maintaining that humans had no free will, Priestley argued that what he called "philosophical necessity" (akin to absolute determinism) is consonant with Christianity, a position based on his understanding of the natural world. Like the rest of nature, man's mind is subject to the laws of causation, Priestley contended, but because a benevolent God created these laws, the world and the people in it will eventually be perfected. Evil is therefore only an imperfect understanding of the world.'
(I'm typing this just as the bells at the Church of England -Anglian- church across town have started chiming in hopes of luring more than the usual 20 or so older people to attend.)
About 4 miles from where I grew up is Birstall and in te market square I was used to seeing the big statue commemmorating Joseph Priestley as being the discoverer of oxygen.
I've never read much more than that about him until this morning chancing on his name and following links and OH MY! What an amazing guy he was!
If you want to feel as inferior as he made me feel and learn of all the religious dissent and riots in 1800s UK have a read of the wiki about him.
Joseph Priestley does not know what freewill is. He is limited and he did not have the advantages we people have today to do more for our lives. He just did what everyone did say God is to blame and not even try to go and have deepstudy in freewill.
