If God is All-knowing, then why did he bother with the whole apple tree business when he would have known that they were going to take an apple anyway? It would have been much simpler to cut out the middle man. On that note, surely the idea of an All-Knowing God would negate free will? As God is All-Knowing then he would know everything that will happen, which means everything to do is predestined as he already knows what will happen. So we have no free will because we have no choice but to follow the path God knows will occur. Thoughts? What is the Christian view on free will?
2007-06-05 18:15:44 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Fun question! There are two traditional Christian views: free will and predestination (Armenianism & Calvinism). You've stated the problem quite well and I agree, the whole issue can be quite confussing. Traditionally, Christians have answered the problem in two different ways.
One is what is known as predestination, in which it is believed that God has already predetermined who will choose God and who wont. Hyper-calvinists took it further to believe that every action has been predetermined by God, both good and bad. There are certainly scriptures within the New Testiment for this school of thought to draw on, which brings us to the next school of thought.
Those who hold to free will understand the scriptures differently. The basic understanding (which is what I adhere to, personally) is that God is purely good - therefore having no evil in Him. When He created man, He did so with the purpose that man would love God freely in return. We were created to have a relationship with God, not because God is selfish but because God is so giving. In order for us to love God freely we must have the ability to choose, which subsequently means we must also have the ability to not choose God. To not choose God is sin because God is good. Therefor, in our having free will to choose, we must have the ability to sin.
The problems I personally have with predestination is that it requires God to choose who will have a relationship with Him and who wont. For God to deliberately choose for a person to not know Him goes against His character since He is also love. Also, 2 Peter 3:19 says "God is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
The debate over free will vs. predestination has been a long debate that has spanned the centuries. I'm sure you can find tons of information on the subject with a very short google search or just head to your library. I hope those answers add some clarity to your question.
2007-06-07 05:49:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Roman Catholics have that Mary had an "Immaculate Conception," which means she has no Original Sin. This is, in fact, one of only 2 "infallible" pronouncements by any Pope - the other being Mary's bodily assumption to Heaven. I think the Orthodox Churches accept this idea (not sure), but, Anglicans, and Protestants do not. The concept of Original Sin is mostly a Catholic one as well. All agree however, that Jesus was free from sin.
2016-05-17 22:01:09 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christians differ on the idea of free will. Personally I believe Calvinism to be the worst heresy ever perpetrated on the Church. A God who would predestine any to everlasting damnation is nothing less than a monster. I also don't believe the literal idea of the Fall to be truly Scriptural. All was in God's foreknowledge, including Redemption in Christ. Free will is there as part of God's Creation of man as a conscious moral agent. When I sing the Exultet on Easter I always include "O felix culpa", O blessed fault, O happy sin of Adam, that merited Christ's redemption. We have choices, but they are only free when we submit to God's will, the alternative being death and bondage. A bit of a paradox, I grant you, but a lot more joyful scenario.
2007-06-05 18:20:50 · answer #3 · answered by Fr. Al 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gees, your question gives me a headache! I really cannot answer it. Sometimes I ask the same question. But I believe that I do have free will, to choose to live my life as I see fit. That is what free will is about. We are not just robots, following God's laws and living the perfect life. God may know all, and maybe things are predestined, I don't know, but still God has given me the ability to screw up all on my own. :)
2007-06-05 18:21:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think God knows you individually so well that he knows what choices you'll make when presented with a situation. Therefore, you are still making your own choices, God just knows what those choices will be. I heard someone equate it to a quote from the Matrix that went something like "You've already made the choice, now find out why" Make sense?
2007-06-05 18:22:26 · answer #5 · answered by Calista 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does not undermine human free will. We can chose whatever we want but every action of ours will be evaluated by God who gave free will.
Don't suppose that free will doesn't come with HUGE responsibility.
But God being God is a God of Justice, executes it because he is the only Judge and Authority over Creation.
that's why the Adam race (human) received judgement afterwards.
2007-06-05 18:21:15 · answer #6 · answered by Philadelphia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You question is a long debated one...but on it rests the Truth of ALL
God is all knowing yes
And he has created ALL
(He has even created the propensity for sin in an individual so that if an individual sins, it was already placed "in him" by His creator)
He Created Lucifer (whom he knew would fall...in fact...gave him the spiritual "make up" of one that would eventually fall as Satan ...because he "Created" Lucifer that way)
There are Many Seeming Paradoxes....including the question of Free Will.
It is in These questions that the MIND OF GOD exists and yet, who can know the MIND of GOD?
God Created Light.....and Darkness
Good......and Evil
And knows (even dictates) the fate of ALL
And yet...HE tells us to Choose
I do not know the PLAN....but I Choose GOD. Though I do not understand....I still Choose HIM. Because I believe my choice is important.
2007-06-05 18:30:40 · answer #7 · answered by Seraph 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can't speak for Christianity as a whole, but personally this is something I've spent a lot of time considering. The conclusion I've come to is that free will is a misnomer. We are the product of our environment and the sum of our experiences, therefore we have no choices it is our past that determines what we will "choose" But even if your choice is predetermined by your nature, free will is knowing you have an option. I hope that made sense.
2007-06-05 18:28:43 · answer #8 · answered by wolfmankav 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
What? When you wake up tomorrow, you have a choice about what you do. Just because our Father in Heaven already knows what we will do does not change the fact that we have a choice.
Tomorrow, you could stay home from work, go to Starbucks, lose your temper behind the wheel of you car... or not. You are in control of what you do.
This question almost reminds me of the complete lack of personal accountability we experience in our society. It's the "I spilled hot coffee in my lap and it's McDonald's fault" syndrome.
Christianity teaches that we are responsible for our actions.
2007-06-05 18:26:40 · answer #9 · answered by rndyh77 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Two choices:
1. God exist and knows everything. He knew when he created man that people would go to hell. And he was okay with it.
2. God is a myth like science and history often show, and the whole story is made up by man.
I am going with choice # 2.
2007-06-05 18:23:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋