--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Because humans are capable of choosing…" description: "\"Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause that created them must have a will.\" — Nancy Pearcey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png" --- # Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause… ![“Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause that created them must have a will.” quote by Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png) > “Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause that created them must have a will.” [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human free will implies a purposeful creator; the ability to choose suggests intentional design. **In simple terms:** Free will points to a purposeful creator. Key Takeaway Consider the link between choice and purpose. Themes philosophy theology free will causality Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - ethical decision making - debates on determinism - personal responsibility - spiritual contemplation Key Concepts intentionality design existence logic Questions to Reflect On - Do you see free will as evidence of design? - What alternative explanations exist? A Different Perspective Not all philosophical traditions accept this causality. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Capable Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable-choosing-3751111/) [Cause Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-created-3751110/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Choosing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing/) [Choosing Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choosing-cause-3751109/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Humans Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans-capable-930133/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) ## Related quotes > [Cause if I was what y'all created then I'd hate myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drake/cause-if-i-was-what-y-all-created-then-i-d-hate-myself/) [Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drake/) > [“Humans are capable of a lot more than they know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-reed/humans-are-capable-of-a-lot-more-than-they-know/) [Amy Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-reed/) > [“Humans are capable of being what ever they do want to, the softer you will be as much u want & harder also ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-daniyal-sakhawat/humans-are-capable-of-being-what-ever-they-do-want-to-the-softer-you/) [Malik Daniyal Sakhawat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-daniyal-sakhawat/) > [Anyone who thinks humans are not capable of so fouling their own nest that the land and the waters can no longer be productive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/anyone-who-thinks-humans-are-not-capable-of-so-fouling-their-own-nest/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [“Moreover, despite the astonishing things that humans are capable of doing, we remain unsure of our goals and we seem to be as discontented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/moreover-despite-the-astonishing-things-that-humans-are-capable-of/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [Being evil is something that only humans are capable of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-goodall/being-evil-is-something-that-only-humans-are-capable-of/) [Jane Goodall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-goodall/) > [A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/a-book-is-proof-that-humans-are-capable-of-working-magic/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“That's the sort of thing I'll never know, or comprehend--what humans are capable of.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-zusak/that-s-the-sort-of-thing-i-ll-never-know-or-comprehend-what-humans/) [Markus Zusak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-zusak/) > [Humans are capable of so much creativity and goodness and at the same time they are destructive and cruel. (Leta)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/humans-are-capable-of-so-much-creativity-and-goodness-and-at-the-same/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Who are we to know what achievements humans are capable of, what beauty we may create?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-abell/who-are-we-to-know-what-achievements-humans-are-capable-of-what/) [Anna-Marie Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-abell/) > [“Humans were more than capable of murder all on their own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/humans-were-more-than-capable-of-murder-all-on-their-own/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [For all our failings, despite our limitations and fallibilities, we humans are capable of greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/for-all-our-failings-despite-our-limitations-and-fallibilities-we/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“We humans are capable of incredible things. Our emotions can either be our biggest strength or our biggest weakness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-marie-abell/we-humans-are-capable-of-incredible-things-our-emotions-can-either-be/) [Anna-Marie Abell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-marie-abell/) > [Choosing a job or business is the same thing. I'm not the best one to advise someone how to make billions of dollars; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-roy/choosing-a-job-or-business-is-the-same-thing-i-m-not-the-best-one-to/) [Rachel Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-roy/) > [Our world is drowning in a sea of self-centeredness. You can make yourself quite unique right away by leaving this ocean of selfishness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bytheway/our-world-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-self-centeredness-you-can-make/) [John Bytheway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bytheway/) ## More by Nancy Pearcey > [Pro-lifers have long been castigated for bringing private values into the public square. But actually it is the pro-abortion position that is based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/pro-lifers-have-long-been-castigated-for-bringing-private-values-into/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Redemption is not just about being saved \*from\* the consequences of sin, it is also about being saved \*to\* something- to resume the task…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/redemption-is-not-just-about-being-saved-from-the-consequences-of-sin/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Author conveys contemporary respect for Methodist preachers who rode the circuit of frontier settlements to put themselves at risk for the Gospel near the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/author-conveys-contemporary-respect-for-methodist-preachers-who-rode/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [Literary theory has become a parody of science, generating its own arcane jargon. In the process, tragically, it discourages love of literature for its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/literary-theory-has-become-a-parody-of-science-generating-its-own/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Many of us don't even know what it means to have a Christian perspective on our work. Oh, we know that being a Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/many-of-us-don-t-even-know-what-it-means-to-have-a-christian/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“People are not relativistic when it comes to matters of science, engineering, and technology; rather, they are relativistic and pluralistic in matters of religion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/people-are-not-relativistic-when-it-comes-to-matters-of-science/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [Knowing the truth has meaning only as a first step to living the truth day by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/knowing-the-truth-has-meaning-only-as-a-first-step-to-living-the/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [The most consistent versions of materialism deny the reality of anything beyond matter - no soul, no spirit, no will, no mind. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/the-most-consistent-versions-of-materialism-deny-the-reality-of/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [During the first 13 centuries after the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, no one thought of setting up a creche to celebrate Christmas. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/during-the-first-13-centuries-after-the-birth-of-jesus-in-bethlehem/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [In many cases students are never exposed to competing ideas within their families, churches, or Christian schools, and as a result they go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/in-many-cases-students-are-never-exposed-to-competing-ideas-within/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“The sword of the Spirit has been muffled up and decked out with flowers and ribbons," author writes, conveying the sentiments of a Congregationist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/the-sword-of-the-spirit-has-been-muffled-up-and-decked-out-with/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“No matter how hard people work to suppress their knowledge of God, creation itself keeps challenging them. “Human life is a continual wrestling match…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/no-matter-how-hard-people-work-to-suppress-their-knowledge-of-god/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [The loss of objectivity in moral thought does not lead to liberation. It leads to oppression. Secular ideologies preach liberty, but they practice tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/the-loss-of-objectivity-in-moral-thought-does-not-lead-to-liberation/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [“Christianity explains why truth is not merely a human construction. The world is not a creation of my own mind. It is the handiwork…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/christianity-explains-why-truth-is-not-merely-a-human-construction/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) > [Because a human is a someone and not a something, the source of human life must also be a Someone - not the blind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/because-a-human-is-a-someone-and-not-a-something-the-source-of-human/) [Nancy Pearcey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) [Explore all 132 Nancy Pearcey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/) ## More Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. Borysenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-z-borysenko/) > [Everybody is different. Some writers can write reams of great books and then J. D. Salinger wrote just a few. Beethoven wrote nine symphonies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-joel/everybody-is-different-some-writers-can-write-reams-of-great-books/) [Billy Joel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-joel/) > [People are capable of great, great change during the span of one lifetime. And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. I was capable, but I never like being told what to do, so I was always in the bottom class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-was-terrible-student-i-was-capable-but-i-never-like-being-told-what/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [ \[The Community's\] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-guerin/the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give-me-confidence-but-i-derive-my/) [Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-guerin/) > [The mathematical facts worthy of being studied are those which, by their analogy with other facts, are capable of leading us to the knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-poincare/the-mathematical-facts-worthy-of-being-studied-are-those-which-by/) [Henri Poincare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-poincare/) > [“If you not yet try How to know you can or not?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sopharat/if-you-not-yet-try-how-to-know-you-can-or-not/) [Sopharat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sopharat/) > [I'm attracted to the garden, without a doubt, but I always try and image the wolf that's there, too. And that wolf would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-light/i-m-attracted-to-the-garden-without-a-doubt-but-i-always-try-and/) [Michael Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-light/) > [A man, as a man, could arrive at all the dignity that a man was capable of obtaining or receiving; but it needed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor/a-man-as-a-man-could-arrive-at-all-the-dignity-that-a-man-was-capable/) [John Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor/) > [Playing is much, much harder than composing in my opinion, becoming a player. If you want to be a player for all your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-powell/playing-is-much-much-harder-than-composing-in-my-opinion-becoming-a/) [John Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-powell/) > [How difficult the task to quench the fire and the pride of private ambition, and to sacrifice ourselves and all our hopes and expectations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-adams/how-difficult-the-task-to-quench-the-fire-and-the-pride-of-private/) [Abigail Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-adams/) [Browse all 3,861 Capable quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause that created them must have a will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Pearcey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-the-first-cause-that-created/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capable" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-the-first-cause-that-created/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e3/nancy-pearcey-3368_capable_because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-t_1222780.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Because humans are capable of choosing, the first cause that created them must have a will.” — Nancy Pearcey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nancy Pearcey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearcey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Because humans are capable of choosing,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-the-first-cause-that-created/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearcey/because-humans-are-capable-of-choosing-the-first-cause-that-created/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```