I believe that I am what heredity and environment made me. But I know that I can make myself better or worse if I try. I know that because I have learnt it, and the learning has been part of my environment.
My claim, as a Determinist, is that it is not so good to punish an offender as to improve his environment. It is good of the Christians to open schools and to found charities. But as a Determinist I am bound to say that there ought to be no such things in the world as poverty and ignorance, and one of the contributory causes to ignorance and poverty is the Christian doctrine of free will.
Take away from a man all that God gave him, and there will be nothing of him left.
Take away from a man all that heredity and environment have given him, and there will be nothing left.
Man is what he is by the act of God, or the results of heredity and environment. In either case he is not to blame.
In one case the result is due to the action of his ancestors and society, in the other to the act of God.
Therefore a man is not responsible for his actions, and cannot sin against God.
If God is responsible for Man's existence, God is responsible for Man's acts.
A religion built upon the doctrine of Free Will and human responsibility to God is built upon a misconception and must fall.
Christianity is a fabric of impossibilities erected upon a foundation of error.