Can you give evidence to your claim that we can choose our beliefs?
There is the obvious evidence that we all agree that people change their opinions -- sometimes multiple times on the same subject over a period of a few years.
That is not even debatable.
I contend that we cannot. I am not convinced that the Danial prophecies are true for many reasons.
And I maintain that you are welcome to your opinion and that who knows if 2 years from today when you have had enough time to view the details of the matter in the book of Daniel in sufficient detail -- as did that one science professor - you too would be a Christian as has been the case with other atheists that did that very thing.
I cannot choose otherwise unless I have different evidence.
People in Christ's day got the same evidence and one group voted to kill him the other to accept Him as their Savior so as not to end up in the lake of fire predicted by Rev 20, and instead live forever in the big huge wonderful universe.
Everyone may choose as they wish.
BTW: Your assumption about how much objective-decision making is going on within a depraved nature - (for all members of mankind have a sinful nature) - is one of the assumptions you make that is in question.
Eph 4:
17 So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, 18
being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart;
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Sinful mankind has a depraved nature and by definition then a defective understanding of reality - as well as compromised ability to do right.
Romans 8:4-10
But God supernaturally draws all mankind to himself - even though our understanding is defective, compromised and disabled to an extent. John 12:32
One way that is done is by God the Holy Spirit "convicting the WORLD of sin, and righteousness and judgment" John 16
7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8 And He, when He comes, will
convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me;
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I listened to a radio program interview of a leading atheist who was president of an organization that helps former Christians become happy fulfilled atheists, making new social connections, providing a help-call-in line etc. That person was being interviewed by a non-Christian Jew who was a believer.
He asked the lady "what is the single most common call that you get from atheists on your help line?".
She answered that one topic, one call comes from atheists far above any other and it does not matter how many decades the person has been an atheist -- that is an unaccountable fear of hell, and their sense of impending doom.
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If the atheist is right - he/she will finally ultimately attain to their grand reward of a 6 foot hole in the ground.
If the Christian is wrong they get the atheist's absolute ultimate top reward... the 6 foot hole in the ground.