PREDESTINATION, n. The doctrine that all things occur according to programme. . . . not be confused with that of foreordination. The difference is great enough to have deluged Christendom with ink, to say nothing of the gore.
Interpretation
Predestination is the belief that everything happens according to a divine plan, distinct from the concept of foreordination.
In this quote, Ambrose Bierce critiques the concept of predestination as a doctrine that suggests that all events are predetermined and thus may lead to confusion, especially when contrasted with foreordination. He emphasizes that the distinction between these two theological ideas has sparked extensive debate and conflict throughout history, highlighting the complexity and contentious nature of religious interpretations.
In practice
During a theological seminar discussing the implications of free will versus determinism.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
There's little of the melancholy element in her, my lord: she is never sad but when she sleeps; and not ever sad then; for I have heard my daughter say, she hath often dreamt of unhappiness, and waked herself with laughing.
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
The efficacy of a prayer depends not on the words but on the sincerity of intention.
Man selects only for his own good: Nature only for that of the being which she tends.
All things are in a state of flux.
I have made my own choice, which is vegetarianism, but it's not the choice I'm imposing on anybody else.
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