2007-04-03 03:49:50 · 21 answers · asked by 1sleepymama 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
That's just one of many contraditions that you'll find. I don't understand it, either. It should be one, or the other.
2007-04-03 03:52:52 · answer #1 · answered by Justsyd 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You know, I don't know how people can say that it defies all to have both. I plan to go to the mall on Saturday and eat lunch. However, because I have free will, maybe one of my friends will have tickets to a game and I'll change my mind and go there instead, and do the mall on Sunday. How does that make both not co-existent? I still had a plan to go to the mall, but because of circumstances changing, I just moved my plan over. That doesn't mean that my plan didn't exist, nor does that mean that I've sinned in changing my plans to another day...it's life as we know it.
God has an ultimate plan - that doesn't mean he's going to interfere in everyone's life, we all have to choice - the obvious choice to believe or not. We decide our ultimate end in this choice -
at least that's how I see it. Co-existence of free will and planning.
For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction - right?
You make the choice (that's the free will part) however, you have to take the consequences, good or bad...
2007-04-03 11:01:21 · answer #2 · answered by CHRISTINA 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God has a plan laid out for us, one that will bring us peace and happiness and will not cause us pain. He lays it out before us and says "here, this is for you." We turn our noses up at it most times and decide we want to walk our own path because that's just how we are, rebellious. We CHOOSE (by using Free Will) to go in whatever direction we want, the path that He wishes us to take is still there and we can ALWAYS get back to it but it's up to us to ask for guidance to get there.
It's not a contradiction at all. Only narrow minded people see it as a contradiction. Open up your understanding just a tad bit more and you will see. When we choose to turn right instead of left we are exercising Free Will and maybe God had our path set up for us to turn left so the opposite turn will lead to stress, pain, frustration, anxiety, etc. When we finally get back to that predetermined path, things go smoothly and there is peace.
I've taken my own path MANY MANY times in my life and I know that it is a painful one. If it could go wrong it did go wrong but each time I realized what I was doing I started listening to Him again and got back where I was supposed to be and everything started working out again.
Free Will is a beautiful thing.
2007-04-03 11:12:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good point. You figured out the church hyprocrisy. The bible is quite adament that man is free, and has the will to commit evil. This is unrefutable. The church however preaches that god will watch over you, and be a protector. That everone has a guardian angel. Why? They do this to make people feel special, which keeps them coming back. Unfortunately, like with most of us, something bad happens sooner or later. Which shatters the delusion the church provided.
2007-04-03 11:00:59 · answer #4 · answered by Cysteine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well
Einstein said he couldn't believe God played dice with the universe
I don't even beleive in god as man in the sky or something.
There is a kind of spirit in things though.
We have free will, yet only things that are possible are possible, science works out the limits sometimes. Like how fast something can go, or what is required to lift something. The more intelligence, money or credit, and time, and imagination you have, the more is possible.
2007-04-03 10:56:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because free will can only work with a plan, not a decree. Plans can be scrapped, altered, or supplemented based on other factors (prayer, unplanned events, and of course our own will). Decrees cannot. You get to decide who God is to you but that decision affects how much power you give to the "Almighty." And you get to interpret your Bible and your life as a Christian based on that view.
2007-04-04 10:12:31 · answer #6 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are in no way free. If you are truly independent and do not rely upon anybody or anything then only you can be turned free. When you are thus not free, how can you term it as free will. Everything happens as per God's will.
2007-04-03 11:14:25 · answer #7 · answered by nagarajan s 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems to me to be an obvious contradiction. You can't have both. I guess people use the concept of free will to take credit for their accomplishments and punish wrongdoers, and they use the God's plan idea to justify why there is so much difficulty and injustice in life. Since when was consistency central to religious thought?
2007-04-03 11:10:43 · answer #8 · answered by Subconsciousless 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Universe and this world and its billions of people are God's version of solitaire. He hides the end result of the deal from Himself to keep it interesting. Maybe it is better than endless eternal Self-contemplation. Anyway, the scriptures say we can't really comprehend His thoughts and ways; He is not like us in that regard. Or, perhaps free will is one of His big innovations or experiments. Who knows? Certainly not me.
2007-04-03 10:57:06 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
dear ,God gave us freedom to act, to decide but he kept with himself the right to punish or reward us for our good and bad deeds and when we get the results we get them according to Gods plans. Thats very fair.and that is what you call DESTINY OR GODS PLANS.
2007-04-03 11:23:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because our free will and His plan work side by side...
It's called 'sovereignty'
Can anyone fully explain that? Of course not.....He is God and we are not.....I think I'll trust Him and not myself.
2007-04-03 10:53:16 · answer #11 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋