I don't get to choose who I am born to, how they will raise me, or what religion they will teach me. At what age do I get to choose for myself?
2007-01-29 10:15:51 · 27 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Anthony-- I would have to agree.
2007-01-29 10:22:33 · update #1
TK421--that's a good point, man
2007-01-29 10:24:16 · update #2
For that matter you don't get to choose your genes, the environmental factors, or chains of events that lead up or contribute to everything you do. Maybe free will never begins?
2007-01-29 10:21:15 · answer #1 · answered by Mickey Mouse Spears 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Arminian will tell you that free will begins at the age of reason. Before that time, it's a free ticket to heaven since you're not accountable for your sins.
The Calvinist would tell you it doesn't matter when free will begins because you are never innocent -- rather you are guilty of original sin before the age of reason, and have a sin nature after that point. You therefore stand condemned before the Lord either way. No, you don't choose to be born, neither do you choose to be born again! This is God's prerogative, not yours
2007-01-29 18:31:22 · answer #2 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Most christians are seriously deluded when it comes to the "free will" issue.
If their god exists (doubtful), and really is all-knowing as they claim, then there is no such thing as free will. If god knows everything, then he already knows what every person will do in every choice they'll make -- since the outcome is already known, the person has no choice but to do as god knows they'll do, hence there is no free will. For free will to exist, god would have to be able to be "surprised" by your choice -- to not have known ahead of time what you would do. So either there is no free will, or god is not all-knowing. You can't have both.
Much more reasonable to just accept the overwhelming evidence that there is no such thing as mythical, magical gods. Then "free will" is very simply a discussion between you and your parents :)
2007-01-29 18:23:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Traditionally, in the Baptist religion, you can choose at which point to be baptized and saved. 10-100 years old. Free will to choose another religion and study other religions should occur before making that choice. The Baptist religion teaches a lot about falsifying other religions at the same time.
2007-01-29 18:23:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
well ok let's see shall we? ok, so birth doesn't count you can't choose or "will" that one... only your parents could... (aren't you kinda glad they decided to go ahead and have you though?)... anyways, um, yes, well you can't choose for other people, like how they will raise you and stuff, but then that would be control not free will... you could have chosen to disobey them, to not listen to their teachings, and to do whatever you wanted regardless of the consequences.... free will is, after all, just that... you choose to do what you will.... nobody can stop you from doing it but it doesn't mean their won't be consequences... like, i can't stop you from eating too many tacos but if you do you will most likely get a stomach ache... so yeah, you're already at that age, bud, so congratulations!!!!!
2007-01-29 18:35:41 · answer #5 · answered by ¡Sarita! 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It depends on your beliefs about reincarnation. If you believe in this concept, you would have to understand that you *do* choose who you will be born to and what type of life you will live to gain the most knowledge and pay your karmic debt.
If you dont believe in reincarnation, then it's all out the window. That being the case, you have to turn 18 or run away from home!
2007-01-29 18:22:08 · answer #6 · answered by MyPreshus 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
much of our lives are decided by fate but even as children we try to decide about the rules i remember more then once i just decided that i wasn't grounded today or what i was and was not going to eat just because these decisions were not up to me doesn't make it any less freewill, as i've seen if you want the freedom to choose you also have to be willing to suffer for it
2007-01-29 18:37:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that there is no such thing as free will since all possibilties past ,preasent and future have been premade by fate or as some like to think,
god
2007-01-29 18:28:13 · answer #8 · answered by curious 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it started when u had a life. for example, if your parents said "take out the trash", you could do the usual and take w/ out thinking of all the other possibilities, such as taking it out w/ a smile or throwing it down and cussing out your parents, just remember there are endless choices and you can do anything but you don't control the consequence.
2007-01-29 18:24:28 · answer #9 · answered by Titus M 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Free will isn't choosing your own life, parents, environment, etc, it's choosing to do what you desire with the life God has given you.
Use it wisely.
Free will started with the God-given authority to Adam.
2007-01-29 18:28:12 · answer #10 · answered by Doug 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋