If god is omniscient we don't have free will. We only think we do.
Could it be that Christians don't want to ponder the idea that if god had the foresight of all evil that would ever occur and allowed it all to happen... he might be responsible?
2007-08-11 05:39:36 · 11 answers · asked by Memetics 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
OK asker, lets play a roll playing game here. For but a moment, I am God, I know all. I know all the interworkings of your brain, I know you are happy with life, I understand your feelings, your thoughts, your emotions, your reactions. I even know the contents of your wallet right now, 22 dollars, no drivers licence or credit cards, either. Further more, I know your situation, I know you're walking around detroit late at night much against your common sense, but you chose to do this regardless. Suddenly your greatest fears are realized, a criminal emerges from the shadows and puts a gun to your head. He demands your wallet immediatly or the police will be cleaning you off the sidewalk tomorrow. Time freezes, you need to make a choice, you could be suicidal, ready to die, but I am God, and I know you're not. You could be stubborn, not willing to give up your wallet, but I am God, and I know you're not. You could be so poor that 22$ is worth the chance this is an empty threat, but I am God, and I know you're not. You could be completely and utterly fearless, but I am God, and I know you're not. You slowly hand the man your wallet, and walk away. You made the choice, but I knew it before you made it.
2007-08-11 06:37:18 · answer #1 · answered by Wafflecopter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hey, great question
Still God being omniscient does not exclude our free will.
Our free will was a gift from God. Even if he knows all the pain and suffering it was bound to cause He created us that way out of love and kindness, so that we too could show true love and kindness. That does not make God responsible.
This is one big subject to disscuss here in the R&s, i contemplate it all the time
Paz de Cristo
2007-08-11 12:49:26 · answer #2 · answered by Emiliano M. 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have volition, not free will. That's the great lie of all current main stream churches. You cannot 'make a decision' for Christ. He's God, He certainly doesn't need your vote.
Sure we can freely make decisions, but those decisions are bound by laws. You can decide to jump over a 4 story building on your own power, doesn't mean you can do it.
We are just vessels, made of clay (earth, that's why our bodies return to it). Some vessels of mercy, some fit for destruction. It's His creation, His do do with as He pleases.
Don't judge Him as men judge other men. You cannot judge the plan of the Creator God, any more than a program on a computer can judge it's author. (any allegory is insufficient, but you get the idea)
2007-08-11 12:52:00 · answer #3 · answered by biblegracespirit 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of the greatest Christian minds in history have already contemplated this issue, and determined that your concerns are unfounded. God doesn't have "foresight". That would mean "knowing the future". But God doesn't have a future. "Future" is a time-related term, and God exists outside of time. No past, no present, no future. God sees the fullness of time continuously, from all eternity to all eternity. From His viewpoint outside of time, He eternally sees every event that occurs in time, from the creation of time until the end of time. Therefore, He sees every free will decision made by every human being throughout time. However, observing someone making a decision doesn't have any effect on the freedom of that decision. If I observe you making a choice, from my viewpoint in linear time, do I control the choice you make? God is the eternal observer. He sees every choice you make, including those which, from your perspective in linear time, are in the future. But His seeing you make such choices has no effect whatsoever on the freedom of the choices you make.
2007-08-11 12:48:07 · answer #4 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
we dont know how our life is going to play out so by us not kn owing we can do anything, just becuz God knows your decisions doesn't mean we have no free will. you can do anything you want right know therefore you have a free will. if we didn't have free will we would all be perfect for we are God's perfect imperfection we wouldn't have made a CHOICE to sin.
got this off of wiki
* Free will requires the potential to do anything one chooses. (premise, or by definition)
* Thus, free will requires the potential to do evil.
* Thus, removing the potential to do evil would remove free will.
2007-08-11 12:46:47 · answer #5 · answered by poorsap 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No I do not agree. we still have free choice just because God knows what we might choose does not take away our choice.
2007-08-11 12:51:30 · answer #6 · answered by Mim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that we are free to make certain decisions.Like if you decide to try kill someone God has a plan for your plan will not succeed.
2007-08-11 12:48:31 · answer #7 · answered by Bobby Cow 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope, that doesn't make any sense. Stop trying to confuse God with someone else.
2007-08-11 12:44:47 · answer #8 · answered by sassy_sexy_honey 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
free will does not exist until one is freed from sin by Jesus christ ... otherwise ur a slave to sin and have no true free will .. so u need to decide what ur believing in ... god enslaving u by his presence .. or sin blinding ur eyes and chaining ur heart ...
2007-08-11 12:43:09 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
another contradiction disguised as a paradox. like the trinity.
2007-08-11 12:42:24 · answer #10 · answered by witchfinder general 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋