by Mindtrap James LeBlanc
Introduction
All positions which hold to an exhaustive divine decree (EDD) are eventually confronted with the accusation that it makes us into puppets, or robots. Many are quick to dismiss it, and some are perplexed by the accusation. So I want to try and explain it.
Puppets
Taking a moment to step back and consider our experience with puppets. Something adults do is to “suspend disbelief”. Basically, it is to pretend along with theater. In the case of puppets, we pretend that they are individuals. This allows us to accept the back and forth of ventriloquists, or to enjoy a sock puppet show. A child may actually believe they are real. In pretending, we end up ascribing individual will and motivations, we get impressed with whit of the puppets jokes, we may even be moved to tears by its selfless sacrifice on stage. All from immersion into a good story.
In pretending, we are purposely ignoring some truths, and accepting the implausibility of some fictions. We treat the puppet as an individual, when the truth is that a performer is the real source of talent. We may weep at love or sacrifice, but they don’t actually exist. Like the Monty Python “It’s only a model” line. These higher truths falsify all that come before it, and in a moral context have significant implications.
Grounding of the objection
The thing about suspended disbelief, is that there is no obligation to play along. The man who says “it is only a model” destroys the fictitious premises which create a thing to be impressed with, and simply asserts the greater “truth” which is the reality of the situation.
Applied
So the accusation that EDD makes us all puppets, is to apply the greater truth of EDD and refuse to pretend along. EDD creates direct threads between all the objects, and God. Which in eternity past God through his divine decree dictates each and every action. Pointing out the strings is what defines the puppet. EDD asserts the string exists, and the puppet analogy is to point out the strings and how change the context from those pretending.
Objections
Most objections to the puppet analogy generally fall into the category of attempting to establish a difference. Sure we may pretend puppets have consciousness, but people have REAL consciousness. We may pretend that puppets are originating jokes, but we really do originate jokes. Ultimately, these all fail because they aren’t really pointing out a difference, so much as they are listing other things connected to God by the strings of EDD. Another objection is to attempt to constrain the conversation to within the story level context. This is insufficient, as it just ignores the greater truth, rather than even contradict it.