One explanation for the existence of evil on Earth is that if there is no evil on Earth there would be no free will. I can agree with that. But what about in heaven? If there's no evil in heaven, then, by that argument, there can't be any free will in heaven either. Heaven suddenly doesn't sound like a very wonderful place.
If we didn't have free will, we wouldn't be human.
2006-12-23 18:09:30 · 15 answers · asked by Incoherent Fool 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You can't have it both ways. If your explanation for the existence of evil on Earth is so that we humans can have free will, and if there's no evil in heaven (it's supposed to be an absolutely perfect paradise, right?), then there won't be free will in heaven.
I don't think limiting our choices to only "good" ones is considered to be free will. Neither is free will just choosing between God and Satan. It's the everyday choices we make. Do I lie or tell the truth? Do I give to the poor or keep my money? If we don't have the ability to make those choices in heaven, we would become prisoners because God would be making all of these decisions for us.
2006-12-24 04:52:14 · update #1
There was free will at the top of the ranks in angels, thats why we have heaven and hell now. In the garden of eden the apple was the only sin, to know the difference between good and evil, so adam never lied to eve? this is tough.. I can only imagine in heaven we no longer know the difference, so a memory wipe of some kind, that does'nt seem fair either, it would be like a different person gets your reward for a hard fought life. There was one man in the bible that went directly to heaven on a tornado, so it's possible to be good enough on earth to enter heaven directly, you would think no matter how secluded you were a single thought must have come out somewhere. Sorry guess i cant answer this one.
2006-12-23 18:18:16 · answer #1 · answered by shadycaliber 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Who says no evil = no free will? I think you've mis-spoken something you heard or read but didn't understand.
Evil exists because jealousy and greed exist. Satan wanted to be God and wrought man's fall. Spiritual blindness has kept us from attaining freedom from evil ever since. We do not have a full, perfect knowledge of God and His Love and ability to supply all our needs, so fear manifests in us and brings jealousy and greed with it into our hearts.
In the beginning, Adam chose to save Eve from destruction by joining her in disobedience. Although even this was an act of faith on Adam's part - he trusted God would not abandon him even if he disobeyed Him - it placed him and all his descendants in Satan's hand. Satan's actions stemmed from jealousy, put fear of losing Eve into Adam's heart, and men have know fear ever since.
In the end, we will know God fully and have total assurance of His love and fulfillment. There will be nothing to fear, and no lack. We will have no reason to forsake or rebel against God. You will be perfectly free to do so if you wish, but no one will want to. Once we have fully seen the fruits of God's love and the consequences of selfishness - what other choice could an intelligent being make?
2006-12-24 02:30:54 · answer #2 · answered by rumplesnitz 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have free will because of the very first sin against God. When man ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge between good and evil. Free will is the spirit divided between good and evil. God will destroy all that is evil. We must restore our spirits through Jesus in order to become right with God once again. That is the Truth and the Way.
2006-12-24 02:21:43 · answer #3 · answered by rezany 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Nope. The way I learned it, in heaven (and the other place, too), what's good and bad is so obvious there is effectively no free will. It would be like being asked to chose between having a million dolllars or getting the flu. No contest.
2006-12-24 19:15:33 · answer #4 · answered by Melanie Mue 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is the best question I've ever seen :D
It is my belief that if God is all, then God is evil and good. But I believe, it is harming others that is what evil is, therefore, in heaven, no harm can come to others.
Furthermore, on a more Christian level, only the people who are GOOD get into heaven, and so no evil comes with them. But then Satan was a fallen angel...
2006-12-24 02:13:26 · answer #5 · answered by T.M.Y. 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Not at all. It simply means that heaven is full of only the people who would freely choose to only do good. Sort of like all the people on earth would be if the free will defense to the problem of evil made any sense.
2006-12-24 02:13:14 · answer #6 · answered by Zarathustra 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The free will was we chose to follow Jesus .Once in heaven all those choices are over and done with.Lucifer chose to go bad when there was no redemption.Too bad for him.Hell was created for Satan and his angels.We needed free will to make those choices just as we use it to make bad choices with out it we would have been robots and a robot can't truly love.The "Yang" of it was we had to endure evil.
2006-12-24 02:15:51 · answer #7 · answered by AngelsFan 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
You can have free will and still just do good. If you were donating to charity you have the free will to choose which charity to donate to. Free will does not mean there has to be evil. I suppose someone in heaven would have free will as well, but heck why would anyone chose to do bad there anyway?
2006-12-24 02:13:54 · answer #8 · answered by Roman Soldier 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No, it doesn't.
It means only that an infinite number of GOOD choices will be available ... and no BAD ones.
We still get to choose. God still gets to make the menu.
2006-12-24 04:35:30 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nobody said there is no evil in heaven. Stop making stuff up. people are there and they are not perfect. They all wear a robe of righteousness that protects them from the consequences (you will find this in Revelation) Humans will always be flawed and always have free will. We use the earth experience to build character one way and the heaven experience to learn in other ways..we will always be works in progress. Spending time in an environment of unconditional love with a teacher that knows everything in a society that is united sounds good to me. David committed adultery and murder and God still worked with Him - did He suddenly change the rules? He said I am the same yesterday, today and forever.
2006-12-24 02:21:20 · answer #10 · answered by Pilgrim 4 · 3⤊ 5⤋