If God is omniscient, then He knows what I will do tomorrow, and in fact what I will do forever.
Therefore how can there be true freedom of choice. If He knows what I will do next, I can’t possibly do anything but that, I have no choice as to what I do.
If God knows what will happen at the end of the world then it pre-destined and there is nothing anyone can do about it, so how is there free choice?
2006-09-15 01:35:35 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Oh but there is a choice always, He might know what is going to happen, but He doesn't STOP you from changing it. That is your choice, you either can accept it or you don't. You aren't predestined to a life in hell, you accept a life in hell because you refuse to accept Christ. Simple.
2006-09-15 01:39:57 · answer #1 · answered by pooh bear 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Wow - there's a big question!
Having read Conversations with God (not a religious book!) - a short form explanation I read was that (and science backs this up):-
You're conciousness (sense of who you are) is a part of the whole consciouness (which is God, spirit, whatever). You're will and desires are god's wills and desires because they are the same thing. You can choose to be, do and have anything you choose! The reason this is possible is because everything that has happened, happening now and ever will happen already exists - you choose it with your thoughts and emotions! Hence things like coincidence, accidents (no such thing) and syncronicity. Sometimes it feels like things are fated to happen because they work out so perfectly. However, God has made so that what ever thought or experience you choose, it will ALWAYS work out, whilst still giving you free will (because it is ever expanding (like the universe)). You are god experiencing itself (it is not a person or gender). A simplified way to explain this would be like when you are playing a computer game on DVD or whatever and you have the choice to move this way or that, do this or that and the game responds to you, as you make your choice. NOW, the information on the game is already there before you start! ALL OF IT and what appears to you is a result of the choices you make!
I hope this makes it a bit clearer!
The Conversation with God book series are amazing, as well as the film What the Bleep do we Know! (scientists, philosophers, authors etc - docu-film) - Absolutely amazing.
God isn't running your life - you are running your life as god and it is there to help you - should you wish to ask and create your experience consciously.
Bye for now!
2006-09-15 01:45:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Actually, if you think about it logically, there is no such thing as free will, or freedom of choice - with, or without, God.
Who we are, how we think, what decisions we make, etc., all of this is determined by external influences, stuff like; who our parents were, where we went to school, what our friends liked, whether we had siblings & so on. How much control did any of us have over those things as growing children? How much control do we have now as adults? How can we make a truly free choice, without knowing all the possible outcomes of that choice?
I think the only way for a being to actually have free will is for that being to have infinite knowledge, i.e. Omniscient!
Free will is one of those things that Religion has missold us. Like endowment policies a few years ago.
2006-09-15 01:47:32 · answer #3 · answered by fruitbat7711 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There can't be - pure and simple.
It's what's called the difference between subjective and objective free will. You think you have free will but the bit G knows better.
Whether or not he pushes things at times - well, God knows!
Personally, I think that the whole of the history of the creation was finalised at the moment of creation. Nothing can therefore really be changed - we just think it can.
BtW, why on earth do so many people immediately talk about JC when everybody welse is talking about God? We're talking about a superior entity here, not a rebellious heretic and blasphemer (according to the jews and romans)
2006-09-15 02:26:28 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He sees the end from the beginning. It's like if you watched a movie till the end you would know what happened, but that does not mean you would control what the ppl in the movie did. The Bible says God sees the end from the beginning. He has seen our last day on earth and well as our first.
2006-09-15 02:00:56 · answer #5 · answered by wisdom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just to have to get in on this. If you decide anything, that is your choice and therefore your free will. Take a drive get into a crash - like God wanted that for you? I am not a subscriber to any faith but I do think doing as little harm in this world as possible is not incompatible with any faith I am aware of
2006-09-15 01:52:45 · answer #6 · answered by william john l 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time is and invention of man. Man's existence is linear.
To God everything has already happened.
Imagine you're watching a movie that you have already seen. The person in the movie is living your life, making choices and doing stuff. But in the end you know the out come. That's how God watches us.
2006-09-15 01:42:30 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You've made the common mistake of thinking that knowing about something is causing it.
I may know that my friend is wrong about something, but that doesn't mean I have caused it to happen.
God knows what everyone is going to do. He forgives them anyway. He tries to bless and help them realise that some of what they do is harmful to them and others. He tries to show them a better way.
He gave his son because he knew that there would come a time when we would belive on him and be saved. He knows that there would come a time when each individual will choose between him and the evil of the God of this world.
He hasn't predestined. He simply lives outside of time as we know it so he has access to all of it. After all, time is one of his creations and that means he is greater then time.
So he watches, and waits (he has unlimited patience), and gently encourages at times. He loves and cares and when we hurt ourselves and others he longs to put his arms around us and make it ok. But he knows that he would be wrong to overrule our free will choice. He gave us dominion over ourselves and respects that.
2006-09-15 06:13:39 · answer #8 · answered by ManoGod 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because God knows what you are going to do does not mean that you don't have a choice in what you are going to do. He just knows what your choice will be.
When you love someone, you could keep them in a room locked up and control every thing that they do from what they eat to what they see. You would know what they are doing and what they are going to do because you've limited their ability to choose for themselves. BUT, would that truly be a healthy love in every sense of the word? No. Would that make that person love you in a healthy love? No.
Controlling someone is not love. If God kept us all safe and happy by totally controlling our lives from beginning to end, would He be showing us His love that way?
Have you ever heard, when you love someone or something, you let them go. If they come back to you it was love.
God waits for us to come back to Him.
2006-09-15 01:46:59 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Our free choice is to love God or to leave Him. If we choose to leave Him, we are put in this material world, and here we are completely under the control of material nature. We are not free. Everything that happens to us is according to our karma, our past activities. However, we always have freedom that if we want we can choose to surrender to the Lord again, and then He can liberate us from our karma, and we can attain complete freedom as His eternal servants.
Of course, God knows all past, present and future. But He always leaves this free will for us: to love Him or to leave Him. Just think, what do you want? Of course, Lord knows, what you will choose, but that does not mean you are deprived of your freedom to choose. If you remain in this material world, everything is pre-destined for you by your karma, but if you turn to the Lord, you can change your destiny. There are many examples for that given in the scriptures.
2006-09-15 01:44:17 · answer #10 · answered by H. B 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Easy. God created millions and millions upon millions of people with the sole purpose of damning their eternal souls to hell. God knew that all the other 'false' religions would spring up (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism) and he wanted them to flourish so he would have fun tossing those 'non-believers' into the lake of fire. I mean why send your only begotten son EVERYWHERE in the world? Why not just send him to Israel, save a few believing gentiles and the Jews, and let the rest of the world BURN BABY BURN! See, God has a very, very, sick sense of humor. He likes to make people suffer and even tormented his own 'chosen people' on several occaisions just for the 'hell' of it.
Proof you ask? Why the hell did God plant a tree that he didn't want anyone to eat from in the middle of the place where he started life itself? Answer: So he'd have an excuse to make us sick, suffer, and to have us all die.
What a mighty and WONDERFUL god those Christians serve!
*sarcasm*
2006-09-15 01:45:37 · answer #11 · answered by bleedcoltsblue 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋