Would it be fair to say that most Christians do not understand the concept of free will?

Question

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/freewill/

"The problem of free will concerns whether rational agents imagine or really do exercise control over their own actions and decisions."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will

I think it would help the discussion if they would familiarize themselves with the concept they like to throw around.

It's an illusion that you choose your actions. Your brain chooses your actions based on it's previous state and input from the environment.

Answer 1

Some understand it, others just claim that god is above logical possibility. Are you going award a Best answer this time? My old account got deleted, so I'm trying to make up a level or 2

Answer 2

Your references pay much more attention to free will's philosophical aspects than its theological ramifications, and since Calvinism is not addressed whatsoever, you are left with the philosophical spilling into the study of God and being interpreted as the same thing in an entirely different platform.

Yes, most Christians are completely unaware of what the arguments really are, and I've seen countless disagreements on concepts that are not at all disputed within Christianity. I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see what some of these people write.

Answer 3

I don't think most people really understand the concept of free will. And its a good thing they don't because if they did I think they would realize that free will is an illusion, a fault of our perception and resulting from our ignorance. In a universe where one thing causes another thing to happen, there is really no room for actual free will. But people would be very unhappy and probably see a lot less meaning in their lives if they thought they weren't determining their own actions. They might feel like their lives really didn't belong to them, and that's why free will is a very useful and adaptive illusion.

Answer 4

Are We Free? Do We Have Free Will? If God exercises providential control over all events are we in any sense free?

The answer depends on what is meant by the word 'free'. In some senses of the word 'free', everyone agrees that we are free in our will and in our choices. Thus, when we ask whether we have free will, it is important to be clear as to what is meant by the phrase.

Scripture nowhere says that we are free in the sense of being outside of God’s sovereign control or of being able to make decisions that are not caused by anything. (This is the sense in which many people seem to assume we must be free.) Nor does it say we are free in the sense of being able to do right on our own apart from God’s power.

BUT, WE ARE nonetheless FREE in the greatest sense that any creature of God could be free: we make willing choices, choices that have real effects. We are aware of no restraints on our will from God when we make decisions.

We must insist that we have the power of willing choice; otherwise we will fall into the error of fatalism or determinism and thus conclude that our choices do not matter, or that we cannot really make willing choices.

On the other hand, the kind of freedom that is demanded by those who deny God’s providential control of all things, a freedom to be outside of God’s sustaining and controlling activity, would be impossible if Jesus Christ is indeed continually carrying along things by his word of power (Heb. 1:3). If this is true, then to be outside of that providential control would simply be not to exist!

An absolute freedom, totally free of God’s control, is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself.

Answer 5

Yes, but that's true of most people. The debate of predestination vs. free will doesn't take into account the possibility of the two coinciding. Just because someone knows what you will choose, doesn't make it any less your decision.

Answer 6

You can't just say most Christians. There are a lot of atheists who believe in free will because they think they can choose their actions.

Answer 7

Oh yes. I'd very much say they don't understand the concept of free will. But then, they don't understand the concept of alot of things in real society because they're too mired in their 2000 year old book written by sheepherders that believed the earth was flat.

Answer 8

I'm not sure I really get your question. I think Christians FULLY grasp the concept of free will- it's the very basis of Christianity. God gave it; humans abused it; God bailed us out (if we want to get out) of the consequences of that abuse. God acts; that doesn't negate free will in any way.

Answer 9

Yup

Answer 10

No, it would not be fair to say that because they do have free will except they don't use it in many cases like questioning their bible.