If I have a choice between a kick in the head and a million bucks, how do I exert my God-given Free Will?

Question

Matthew: thanks for 'getting it'.

Yes, I have the theoretical ability to make either choice - but to what extent would any human being (apart from a billionaire who loves being kicked) exercise or manifest any free will at all in this?

missed_in_the_tailings: very interesting that you see free will here as being 'making the wrong choice'. And yet you still want to make that choice come out as optimum!

Thanks - most intriguing.

Answer 1

Are you saying that it's not really a choice? ...and therefore a threat to free will actually existing? Hmm...

Well, I'd say you do have the ability to make either choice, even though the one option is still particularly compelling.

Of greater argument against free will is the problem of God's omnipotence and future contingent propositions. That is, if God knows what's going to happen in the future, can I really do anything change that? Do I really have free will if it's all laid out already?

Answer 2

Hey S.A...!
Personally...I'd have to go with the money...and I guess I don't get the question.
Free will is free will, as long as you get it, I don't see the point in getting semantically tripped up about how to name is. Even though
the word "God" is theoretical to some,you know when you have yer free will and when you don't. If it's Frodo-Given free will, or Crappo given free will ,I'll
still have some,please.
Are you implying that money is evil and pain is Christian, and I should turn my kicked head around and get an additional kick in the ***, since my free will is a gift from God? I don't think you'd bait even a Christian like that...or would you?!?
I still keep thinkin' , since clearly I am an idiot, that it's about the free will and not about the choice. Your free will
gets snatched away when people decide that how you think is wrong...like picketers at an abortion clinic who decide God wants them to mount a jihad against a woman's right to make choices...like them interfering is going to help that poor young woman get to heaven.Christians should be the FIRST to encourage people to use their free will. Because:
1. It's God Given...no Christian should take it away .
2. It seemed to work for Adam and Eve

Was the lesson there that we should NOT use it?!
Maybe you should repeat the question. Now I need coffee and a cigarette, and it's all your fault Super Atheist!

Answer 3

Ah...
In terms of trade, there's a world of difference between a "free market" and "a level playing field."

So for any decision with consequences. The cool, neutral, perfectly informed free-will hardly exists.
It's biased by history, education, culture, pre-existing value system...

The only thing that really keeps "free-will" in play is the consequences of abandoning it.
If we really only are acting out that which is pre-determined by God, gods, the fates, or our genes plus experiental exposure, then "I", "We", are somewhat illusory as genuine sentient agents. Our self-awareness would just be along for the ride.
(Libet's experiments on intention? That still raises interesting discussion.)

So, I haven't an unbiased will, and the choices come with biases too.
But it's the only game in town.

We can, of course, attempt to check our own biases, but against what? Other people's?

Answer 4

It depends. Is it a "godly" kick in the head? This reminds me of the old line "you'd rather have a drink than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, wouldn't you?" While any idiot would say "yes, please, give me the drink," the "correct" answer is that you'd rather be poked in the eye than drink the eeeeeevil devil whiskey.

Why? Because drinking costs money, and everyone knows you're supposed to tithe, and therefore, your free will should choose the (free) poke in the eye in order to tithe more.

Answer 5

Lets see a kick in the head or a million dollars.. The choice seems obvious. Take the million dollars then you can afford to have your head kicked in as much as you wish.

Answer 6

Well, when your surrounded, free-will doesn't much come into play. You're out-numbered and all they want to do is kick and kick and kick, until either you give up and say uncle or your too brain-damaged to think for your self.

Answer 7

this is for matthew... i think that God probably has a lot of plans laid out, depending on the choice we make...doing God's will means we do what He wants us to do but that doesn't mean we have to do it. He gave us that choice.i think He gets dissapointed a lot because of the choices we make..

put it this way. He gives us choices,one of which is His choice for us.we don't choose the choice He chose (with me so far?). He gives us another set of choices, another one of which is His choice for us but again we ignore it..this happens over and over again and you wonder why our choices don't give us peace..and finally you agree with Him and choose the path He gave you..His plan for you...your life's mission...and there,at last, you find peace..

Answer 8

if you take more from life than you give it life gets you back
lady luck
a crule twist of fate
you can make money but something always breaks if you get greedy
personal life suffers
butterfly affect
if you do a wrong act
boomarangs always come back
2 haunt you

Answer 9

You are free to make your own choice so, go ahead and make it

Answer 10

Easy....... ask God if you can use your one time "free will" card and choose yourself. No, no....that doesn't make alot of sense to me. Uhm....................... uhm........................uhm..........
(pondering)...........uhm....................... ok, ok I got it.......... let'em kick you, get a good lawyer and sue'm for a million bucks..... better make that two million (lawyer fees).
Whatever you choose to do you'll probably base your decision on events of your past..... so I guess that's "free will"