Is the existence of free-will compatible with the existence of god?

Question

How free is our free will if God gave it to us and can take it back at any time? We are automatons then?
" If a god exists there can be no free will. If god created you, everything surrounding you, and knows the outcome of all your decisions (as the Biblical god must, as the future is predicted) then you don't choose one solitary thing. No free will with an omniscient god, it's just common sense."

That's exactly what we are J.P. There's no ghost in our machines.

The function of our brain is governed by chaos theory and that's explained by mathematics which we have not developed yet, maybe in the next 100 years or so.

Answer 1

The Lord is omnipotent, but the living entity is not. The Lord is omniscient, but the living entity is atomic. Because we are a living soul, we have the capacity to desire by our free will.
God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity.
God has innumerable energies, 3 of them are the spiritual energy, marginal energy and material energy.
We, the living entities, belong to marginal energy, because we have the free will to choose to which energy we want to be subordinated, either spiritual or material. We never can be independent, God is the only one independent, that why God is great and we are not.
In one sense you can say we have no choice, either we are under His material energy or spiritual energy.
Actually, if He take away our free will, then we will become automatons.
Yes, He knows past, present and future of every one, but He can change everything if you choose to surrender to Him.
We decide to come to this material world for our own choice, God warn us not come, because He knows we are going to suffer, but He does not interfere with our free will.
Is like if you have a multimillionaire father and you leave his protection, you have to struggle for you maintenance, but if you choose yo come back to him, no more struggle, he will take care.

Answer 2

As it happens, free will is only capable if there *IS* a god. Otherwise, our brains are subject to entirely computable laws of chemistry, physics, biology, and neurology. This means we are nothing more than highly complex neural computers with some nifty peripherals.

It's amazing to me how many of my fellow atheists are willing to rule out a deity and yet when you point out the consequence of doing so, suddenly balk and start acting like the Christians... "But that's not what free will means," or "But we make choices all the time," as if choice and free will were the same thing.

We are nothing more than biological machines, nothing more than partitions of the single chemical reaction that is the entire biosphere. Deal with it folks.

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Uncle J: For perturbation theory to be used as proof or evidence of free will is simple ignorance of perturbation theory. Perturbations over the quantum field do occur in a random way, however, the very fact they are random means that the act of observation is not causal to the result, only the collapse of the superposition of quantum states into a single eigenstate.

In short -- quantum theory just posits another effect, but it's still computable (though stochastic). This does nothing to support free will.

Answer 3

Nowhere in the Bible does it mention free will. Many believe in free will, but the Bible does not teach it. We do make choices and mistakes, but I like what Charles Spurgeon calls that as "free agency"
-God is in control and is Soverign- And whatever happens is for the Glory of HIM! He works all things together for HIS glory- but I do not believe in free will. I know God made me who I am and that "apart from HIM I can do nothing" --the only good in me is Jesus Christ living in me. Now this does not mean I am a puppet- Because God does not tempt us to sin, and yet we still sin don't we? He allows it to happen, remember when satan had to ask the Lord to tempt Job and destroy his livestock and family? In the end it showed the great faith Job had and God was glorified and he BLESSED Job immensly- This is a lesson of great faith even when Job's life was perishing before him. He convicts us when we do sin, and draws us to Him through it all- so with every trial and tribulation, God is glorified in the end- as we draw closer to the "throne of grace" ---our faith is strengthened and God's will is carried out- and it is GOOD. For God is GOOD!

And as Romans says:
Romans 8:29
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
--Also Remember it was God who hardened Pharoh's heart the first time...and it says God hardened his heart again....then it goes to say "his heart was hardened"

Answer 4

Free will is real whether God is there or not to sort it out. quantuum theory involves says that total certainty is not possible eliminating rigid determinism

Answer 5

God does not take the gift of free will back.

But to truly follow God, you must surrender your free will to Him in order to do His will.

Answer 6

I don't see how God's knowledge or lack or knowledge about our decisions prevents us from making those decisions. So my answer is yes, they are compatible.