Okay, here's my argument with that. If he knows what will happen, why does he bother to do anything? He could have avoided a whole fiasco by not offering the tree of life, yet he puts it in the garden, and allows Satan to roam there. Furthermore, why did he not just do away with Lucifer when he had the chance, before 1/3 of the angels got the idea to rebel? Surely he knew it was coming... If certain things are going to happen, and there is nothing that can be done about them, then what is the point of ever trying? If it happens, it's because it was going to happen. If it doesn't, it's because it was never going to happen.
2006-11-09 03:21:51 · 24 answers · asked by Odysseus J 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
waelnaz, um... You know, he didn't HAVE to create us at all. In fact, it seems he did that fully knowing what we would do. Why would you create something specifically designed to for eternal damnation? I dunno. It just seems to me that it's kind of silly to get angry at someone for doing something that you knew they would do.
2006-11-09 05:17:46 · update #1
He knows all the possible outcomes. You have choices to make in life, those choices determine what actually does happen. It is free will. You have to choose to do the right thing. If it was all predetermined, nothing would matter, because that would mean that your choice to do nothing was even predetermined.
2006-11-09 03:25:22 · answer #1 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Disclaimer: My Truth is mine, it works perfectly for ME. I do not expect anyone else to believe what I say unless in agrees with your common sense and reason (and then only if you choose to believe it). I will not be offended if you do not agree with me.
Tomorrow never comes.
One day at a time.
Live IN the moment.
These are all sayings explaining a Truth of concept. The future and the past are an illusion of perception. The past is for learning from and the future is for planning for but they have no more substance than a dream. This moment is reality……..right now is where life is and where choices are made. Here and now is where God lives and the future is dependant on the choices we make.
You can learn to “tell the future” somewhat accurately if you have learned from the past. The same choices, good and bad, often have the same or very similar results no matter who makes them or in what century. Learning from the past and choosing to make different decisions now so that you will have better outcomes in the future OR ignoring the past and making decisions blindly, continuing to repeat mistakes, is free will.
If you need to assign a personality to God I would say he/she/it expects the worst and hopes for the best but exists (lives) in the moment.
2006-11-09 04:08:14 · answer #2 · answered by thewolfskoll 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contrary to what people are answering, it's not tricky at all. If you accept the Abrahamic concept of a "personal," omniscient, omnipotent god, who "judges" people by their actions & beliefs, then the whole concept of "free will" becomes a house of cards.
It doesn't matter that god gives you "free will" if he knows what you're going to do. That would be a little like telling someone who fell off a cliff to keep off the edge. Or, inverting the scheme, the notion of "free will" is meaningless when the outcome is known.
Some defenders of the "free will" concept have proposed that their god DOESN'T know what's going to happen. That would deny one of his traits. Others, more laughably, claim god could know, but he doesn't bother to look into the future. Thus they attribute a kind of personality disorder to their god wherein he doesn't like to look at his own plans, or exercise his powers. Even scripture maintains that Abraham's god can see your whole life at once.
So in short, when all the not-so fancy footwork is over, you're going to find there can be no logical accommodation between that kind of god and "free will."
2006-11-09 03:46:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is a very good question, one that i have asked myself... God gave Adam and Eve a choice, they knew that they were not suppose to eat the fruit they chose too, so there choices had consequences.. Gods is not a coward, He did do away with Satan he bound him and threw him into a lake of fire forever, if he would have completely done away with his existence then what would there be for God to fight for? Nothing there would be no Sin, and no choices for people to make now... The point of trying is great, either we to our best to do what God would have us to do or we make the decision to be a failure like Satan himself and spend eternity with him in the bottomless pit of the lake of fire and brimstone.. Satan is a failure he is a master of deceit, he knows the Bible word for word, and he knows that he stands no chance that is why he trys ti bring as many people down with him as possible... There is no confusion, God is not confusion Satan is.... God is, was and will always be, satan has already failed and is nothing...
2006-11-09 03:43:22 · answer #4 · answered by Ash 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God created the tree of knowledge to fully love us. He wanted to express his overwhelming care so that we may trust him. But we didn't trust him. God allows Satan to roam and us to have free will in order for us to see the weight of our sin and therefore see the perfection of God's love and therefore glorify him with our life. Glorifying God is participating in a loving dance threefold. Us through Jesus Christ, by the holy spirit, with God. Just like God's threefold entity: father, son, holy spirit. Why bother if God knows everything? Because since we are fallen, which is mans own fault, free will ( the realization of sin) is the only way for us to love and glorify God even though he knows what we'll do.
2006-11-09 03:47:58 · answer #5 · answered by Teresa C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God exists beyond space and time. For Him, all of history is like an open scroll. Yes, He can see the end, and that's why He went through with it all. The end is worth the price. He knew Satan would fall, but He also knew that what would replace him would be even more glorious. We simply can't see as far as He can. Have a little faith in our Author. This story DOES have a happy ending!
2006-11-09 03:34:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
God sees everything at once. He can have his options swayed by powerful prayer, but considering that all is in Him and He is in all things, is it not merely God praying to God? For instance, at this moment, I am answering you, and you are questioning me. I do not know your mind, nor do you know mine, however, the question is springing from what source? The intelligence, the free will, yet it is probably a question that has been posed and answered before in a myriad of ways during myriads of times. This time, this moment, is marked out as question and answer, typed, not face to face.
clear as mud?
Also, before we enter the work of our lives, we have a share in the planning, and our small part in it. For instance, a very intelligent spirit will decide that he will spend his life on Earth as a mentally handicapped person, and live out his life in this way for the good of the souls of those around him. Another soul decides that in his life, for the sake of another soul caught up in alcoholism, he will die in a horrific car accident, and cause this soul to be saved.
When we arrive on Earth, however, any idea of Gods plan and our part in it is pretty much erased, or rendered into unconscious state. We forge our way through life, thinking nothing of it, of how we affect others with our words and actions, yet everything we say and do has an impact, and is part of God's plan to save as many souls as possible in the time given.
He has shortened the time because in that way, He will gain the salvation of more souls. However, no one knows the exact time in the future when life here will end and salvation be exacted. Only God knows this. He has an overview of such proportions, we would blow our minds if we saw it.
2006-11-09 03:27:30 · answer #7 · answered by Shinigami 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That, my friend, is the crux, is it not? The mystery of God.
It's true that God could have avoided the whole thing...but do you honestly think that it's all pain to Him? There is SO much good in the world.
He wanted to offer Lucifer the chance to change his mind. Since he didn't, that led us to where we are now. You have to follow the natural progression of time. If Lucifer had not rebelled, he would not have tempted Eve. If he had not tempted Eve, Eve would not have tempted Adam. If Adam had not been tempted, we would live forever in the Garden of Eden, and there never would have been a reason to send Jesus here.
Think about it.
2006-11-09 03:26:39 · answer #8 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Ah, you notice, if god can are anticipating the destiny, then we've not got any unfastened, will, because of the fact it somewhat is basically going to ensue in any case. So, if he has the flexibility to work out the destiny, why did no longer he ward off vehicle crashes, or 9/11, or the tuba?
2016-10-21 13:05:52 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God knows the future in the sense that he will make things happen.
Example:
You tell your son that in 7 days there will be a dog in the house.
During those 7 days, you go like crazy to find a dog, buy it, get papers in order and on the promised day .....BINGO, in you walk with a dog!
Your son believes: "My father knows what's going to happen."
Your son is accurate, not because you can foresee, but because you make it happen.
As respects why God didn't do away with Satan right away:
Satan challenged God. He said God was a liar. Genesis 3:5
Satan also challenged that man is co-operative with God only out of selfish interest.
Job 2:4.
If God did away with Satan right away, wouldn't that tell humans and angels that maybe Satan was right and God is trying to silence him?
2006-11-09 03:33:53 · answer #10 · answered by Uncle Thesis 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Cause if God drags us into hell without us doing anything then we will be arguing with him for eternity, on why he put us their so God put us here to be witnesses on our selves.
So when the day come and we are being hurled into hell we won't be able to argue cause our sins will be clear, and we wont be able to say why why why . That's our nature God created us and knows what he created, he created all this to win the argument at the end.
2006-11-09 04:23:28 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋