by claiming that god knows all the POSSIBILITIES, but not the outcome, so therefore god being all knowing doesn't mean we don't still have a choice.
but, if god only knows the possibilities and not the outcome, then he's not really all-knowing, is he?
2007-07-12 06:18:47 · 38 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
marcus: if he doesn't know the future, then he's not all-knowing.
2007-07-12 06:26:15 · update #1
the concept of "free-will" with a being that has a divine gun to your head is a fallacy. "you have a choice, but if you say no i will torture you for eternity". way to go God!
2007-07-12 06:23:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 4⤋
God does know all of the possibilities and all of the outcomes. The first key thing to realize is that there is no way we, as mortal humans, can understand all there is to know about God. I am hoping that all will become clear when I reach heaven. The debate over free-will and predestination and everything inbetween has kept theologens busy for centuries. With regard to your question, I feel there is something else that needs to be kept in mind. God does not see time in the same way we see time. Time is not a factor to God. What happened in the past, what is going on now, and what is going to happen in the future, from God's perspective, can all be seen at the same time.
I like to think of it (and this is not a really good analogy) like we have the view point of someone on the streets of a large city. What we see is very restricted. God is like someone hovering overhead in a helecopter. God has the BIG PICTURE. I hope that helps.
2007-07-12 06:51:31 · answer #2 · answered by cyclist451 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I praise him because he blesses each and every one of us. My family had a close friend a few years back. The guy decided to work on Christmas Eve day so that others could spend time with their family. That morning he was in a car wreck that severed his Aorta. If you know anything about the human body, if your Aorta is burst you pretty much die within seconds... well the crazy thing was this guy lived for about 45 min.! What's even crazier is that he was an organ donor. If he had died like he was supposed to when his Aorta burst the organs would have been useless by the time the Paramedics got there. That Christmas he saved the lives of 6 people. With his death he gave the gift of life to 6 people! 2 of those families were atheists but due to our church family and our friends gift of life, they have since come to God and become devote christians. He cares about everyone, and with that story I know there is a God so I will praise him forever.
2016-05-20 22:05:06 · answer #3 · answered by emily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've never heard a Christian say God isn't aware of the outcome of what some call "free will." Perhaps this is a bit of a straw man, though I'm sure there must be some Christians somewhere who believe this because you can find a Christian who will ascribe to just about anything. I suspect that those Christians who do say that, would also say that He's not really all-knowing.
2007-07-12 06:23:20 · answer #4 · answered by KDdid 5 · 4⤊ 0⤋
This is a subject that has been debated all down through the years since creation. God made Adam & Eve with a free will. He told them what they could do, and the one thing they couldn't do. God said they would " die " if they ate from the tree of good & evil. He didn't mean die in the literal sense, he meant they would lose their sinless status. God knew the possibilities, AND the outcome, but because He loved them, he allowed them to exercise their free will to make the wrong choice.
He could have made robots that would do His every bidding. He wanted to see how many would choose to obey Him because of their belief in what He said was the consequence of sin, and their love for Him & faith in Him.
2007-07-12 06:39:12 · answer #5 · answered by The Count 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It sounds like someone has been explaining free will incorrectly.
God not only knows all the possibilities, He knows the outcome as well, meaning He knows what you are going to do. He doesn't stop you, even if you are going to do something bad, because you have free will. He evens the playing field by making sure you are held accountable for your actions if they are evil.
(And by the way, although I understand the concept and the thinking on free will very well, I don't necessarily agree with the traditional Christian spin on it--I am just clarifying things for you.)
2007-07-12 06:25:33 · answer #6 · answered by Bronwen 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
"The question of free will is whether, and in what sense, rational agents exercise control over their actions and decisions. Addressing this question requires understanding the relation between freedom and cause, and determining whether or not the laws of nature are causally deterministic. The various philosophical positions taken differ on whether all events are determined or not—determinism versus indeterminism—and also on whether freedom can coexist with determinism or not—compatibilism versus incompatibilism. So, for instance, hard determinists argue that the universe is deterministic, and that this makes free will impossible.
The principle of free will has religious, ethical, and scientific implications. For example, in the religious realm, free will may imply that an omnipotent divinity does not assert its power over individual will and choices. In ethics, it may imply that individuals can be held morally accountable for their actions. In the scientific realm, it may imply that the actions of the body, including the brain and the mind, are not wholly determined by physical causality. The question of free will has been a central issue since the beginning of philosophical thought."
I'm guessing it's just because I'm Catholic, but I don't see free will as what you're claiming. God IS all knowing, but he gives us the oportunity to make our own mistakes so we can learn from them. Since he DOES know all, he knows that in the end our faith will pull us through.
2007-07-12 06:26:59 · answer #7 · answered by zytlaly 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God knows the outcome and the possibilities. Just because he knows what you will choose does not mean you do not have a choice. All intelligence is free to act in its own sphere, otherwise, if God controlled your every action or rewarded or punished every little good or bad immediately, you wouldn't be free to choose and you wouldn't learn to act on your own.
Think of it this way. If God knows you can go to college and you will get a degree, couldn't he just give it to you now and save you all the trouble of studying, taking exams and all that hard work? No, you have to learn it for yourself.
2007-07-12 06:28:28 · answer #8 · answered by Someone who cares 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
they have provided you with a nonsensical answer. If all possibilities are known, and the state of the present is known, each with absolute certainty, then the number of permutations are finite (though large) and known, and thus the outcome is known.
Free will is a stand in for not actually knowing everything. So as you point out, at best this god is all guessing, not all knowing. When you play in a casino, you need to ask yourself what the house's cut is, and factor in your willingness to depart with that before you commence to play.
2007-07-12 06:24:37 · answer #9 · answered by Izzy F 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
God KNOWS the outcome of all possibilities. How do you get that wrong after hearing so many explainations?
2007-07-12 06:32:10 · answer #10 · answered by Who's got my back? 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Just because someone explains something a particular way doesn't mean that's the way it works...
What is free will? To me, it is the ability to make a choice.
Can something be considered a free will choice if someone else knows, for certainty, what happens?
Sure, why not? What does someone knowing what is going to happen have to do with you making a choice.
As long as God doesn't tell you "sorry, you are not allowed to make a choice", but instead says "hey, the consequences of that choice is ...", you have the free will.
Doesn't matter that He knows what the choice is going to be.
At least, that's my view of things.
2007-07-12 06:24:37 · answer #11 · answered by Larry V 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋