If God knows everything, he is omniscient, every choice we will make, everything that will happen in ours lives...how can we have free will? How is it free will if God all ready knows what choice we will make - because he is omniscient? Thoughts and opinions please.
2006-12-07 02:47:37 · 20 answers · asked by The Pope 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
How can God be Omnicient - know everything we do, everything we ever will do - and we have free will. How is God knowing what we will do - every time we do it - free will?
As the Pope I all ready know the answer to the question. I want to see if you do.
Thoughts and opinions.
2006-12-07 02:52:32 · update #1
Obviously, you cannot have free will if every action you will take is known. You can have the "illusion" of free will, but that would only be due to the fact that you (we, not you personally) have limited knowledge.
2006-12-07 02:54:59 · answer #1 · answered by Samurai Jack 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
There are two theological answers.
One is that there is no such thing as free will. Many churches were founded in the belief of pre-destination. There are those who still flirt with this understanding in preaching of salvation as "names in a book". The traditional view of the Book of Life was that these were the names of the elect, predestined and predetermined. Nothing could be done to change the list, adding or deleting names was forbidden.
Second is the ideal that omniscience includeds the ideal of free will, elevating the power of God to have knowledge of all the outcomes resulting in all of the free choices, remaining soverign in all potential realities.
2006-12-07 10:56:43 · answer #2 · answered by rogueknight17 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We know we have free will because God is perfect and holy and if we didn't he would not allow us to do anything bad like kill, steal, lie. Yes he is omniscient knowing what we have done and will ever do and he let's us do it because of our free will. But everyone will get back to them what they have done in this life, i.e. karma.
2006-12-07 11:55:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are not robots.We make choices,good or bad, every day. We suffer the consequences of our choices. God is a loving Father who knows us very well. he wants us to depend on him for everything because he knows what is best for us.
2006-12-07 10:54:49 · answer #4 · answered by B"Quotes 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Just because someone knows the choices you'll make doesn't mean they control the choices you make. You are still making the choices, so you are exercising free will...it just happens that God knows what choice you'll make before you do.
2006-12-07 10:53:02 · answer #5 · answered by willow_raevynwood 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
God does have the ability to see ahead.
Don't think He always exercises it.
You have the ability to drive a car.
Are you therefore ALWAYS driving a car?
You have the ability to swear.
Are you always swearing?
God has the ability to see ahead of time.
Don't think He always exercises that ability.
BTW there is no rapport between free will and omniscience.
Think it through.
2006-12-07 11:58:39 · answer #6 · answered by Uncle Thesis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any writer of fiction can tell you that their characters don't always go along with the Plan. Sometimes you have to work around them. This can happen even though you know how the story is going to go. I think it's kinda like that.
2006-12-07 10:58:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Knowing something will happen and causing it to happen are two different things. I can see car driving down a freeway about to crash into another car - I know it's going to crash, but I didn't cause it. God gives you free will - your choice.
2006-12-07 10:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by padwinlearner 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No. An omniscient god and free will cannot co-exist. Free will is the ability to think and choose and act according to one's own prerogative without being compulsorily bound to do so by any external force.
In total opposition to this concept is the omniscience of God. God knows everything, every second of your life, every thought, every action, every bat of your eyelash. God's knowledge is perfect. God is infallible. THIS KNOWLEDGE forcably prevents you from doing ANYTHING which would contradict the flawless and absolute knowledge of God.
You will NEVER do anything that God has not forseen... therefore you are bound by this knowledge. You cannot escape it. Whatever you do, there was never EVER anything else you were going to do.
2006-12-07 10:49:46 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
How would an all powerful, all seeing, all knowing God, have anything at all to do with whether you have free will or not. I think it is obvious that you DO have free will, That's my opinion anyway
2006-12-07 10:56:02 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋