Free-will. Exactly what is it and what is all the fuss about? Admittedly, I haven't really looked into this topic of heated debate much (it seems dreadfully endless), but as I understand it, it's really nothing more than freely and consciously choosing between alternatives in whatever.
So, who supports it, and who doesn't--and why?
2007-08-14 23:19:37 · 24 answers · asked by RIFF 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Lucid- so if free will is an illusion but is selected anyway by chemical reactions in the brain, what governs the selection? Are you implying or saying outright that all thought, intuition, anger, love, hate-all these are just chemical reactions? There's no non-physical basis for all these things? Sounds kind of reductionist and physicalist and much too simplistic doesn't it? Or, is this science's way of saying, concerning these things, "We just don't know"? I hear Sam Harris will be looking for the neural basis of faith once he sells enough books to pay for his doctorate in Neuroscience. All sounds rather "sci-fi" to me.
2007-08-15 18:28:37 · update #1
Atheists have tried to use the existence of evil as a "proof" for the non-existence of God. Essentially they are saying that there can't be a good and almighty God if evil exists.
Christians respond by saying that God has given us free will. Since the fall of humankind, sin has existed and will exist until the return of Christ and the end of the world. In God's kingdom there will be no evil. Right now evil exists. That does not mean that God is not both good and almighty.
If you look closely, atheist are not being honest in their debates. One day they are saying that "There is no God becuz evil exists." The next day they are saying that "There is no such thing as sin." Well - which is it? If there is no such thing as evil, then you can't try to use the existence of evil as a "proof".
A few atheists have argued that consciousness is an illusion and that we have no free will. We are only brains, they claim. They say that our thoughts are only the result of chemical reactions which follow natural laws. Therefore we have no free will, they claim. It follows that evil does not exist. If we have no free will, then it can't be wrong to kill and torture. If our thoughts are only the result of chemical reactions, then we can't help thinking and acting the way we do. We could not be responsible. And the insanity goes on..........
According to Christianity-
There is a GOD.
We do have free will.
We are responsible for our actions.
There is good .
And for now evil exists also.
2007-08-14 23:35:33 · answer #1 · answered by Hawk 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I more or less agree with you. I think people today born in a free democratic society have a hard time grasping the concept because they've always had it. But the people of yesteryear born as the subject of a Monarchy or even back farther where they were nothing but slaves might have an inkling. How about the women who lived in old testament times. They weren't even thought of as human beings. They weren't counted in population census', and were considered merchandise or cattle. Men did whatever they wanted with them. Women didn't have the choice of natural selection or choosing their own mates. I'm sure they understood what free will was.
2007-08-14 23:34:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hello,
Free will is rather a simple concept. God could have let us live in a Garden of Eden type Scenario where we followed him, loved him, with no problems or temptations or threat of a lousy afterlife etc. Even if he was a benevolent "dictator" like that then one could argue that God was not perfect and had a big fault for keeping us as slaves in a cage (even though under nice conditions). He escapes such criticism however with the gift of free will so we cannot therefore accuse him of such. We have the liberty to say yeh or nay to him.
Cheers,
Michael Kelly
2007-08-14 23:34:50 · answer #3 · answered by Michael Kelly 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was very young, I realized that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa were all cute little stories. In my early 50's I finally came to the conclusion that the "guy in the sky" was just another story that tradition came up with because cold hard facts of life are pretty tough. The idea of some kind of afterlife somes to me to be a denial of the inevitable.
2007-08-14 23:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by Mark G 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Freewill is a religious term that stems from the three western religions. A secular equivalent might be Rational Choice Theory, or the Rationalist School of Albert Ellis.
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2007-08-14 23:27:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think free time is better.
However, no one is forcing anyone to do anything. That's free will. You are free to obey the law or break the law. There are consequences for your actions but that is not a lack of free will.
The same goes for most religions. I guess some believe in destiny. I don't. I'm christian and I don't see destiny except in some very specific things that furthers God's interests. However in general people are free to believe and obey or not.
I do think God sees what is happening at any given time for any given time but that is not destiny or pre-destination if you will. He is watching but we are still making our own choices.
So there you have it.
2007-08-14 23:46:42 · answer #6 · answered by Emperor Insania Says Bye! 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How can one say that persons could have the the main suitable option to be in any faith that they want, and nevertheless want atheism to unfold? Atheists have faith human beings could have the the main suitable option to coach any faith, yet wish that reason could a technique or the different instruction manual maximum persons to choose for atheism voluntarily. And missionaries are questionable no longer for wanting their faith to be unfold, yet for spreading it by using forceful and cheating means. How do you herald atheism and not smash custom and traditions that have been in an area for generations? Atheism does no longer smash cultures. the classic Greek custom, as an occasion, hasn't been forgotten, its paintings, literature, shape, and confident, myths too, are nevertheless an thought to sought after human beings, 1000's of years on account that those gods have been easily believed in by employing any important team of folk. a custom should not be exempt from being weighed on the scales. There are some tribes with traditions of cannibalism, human alternatives and formality mutilation, could we tiptoe around them, too?
2016-10-10 06:37:22 · answer #7 · answered by eidemiller 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Free Will" is a critical thing for Wiccans I thought I'd toss in my 2 cents worth - if I may.
For example, ethics protecting another's "Free Will" is the main reason why MOST Wiccans/Witches/Pagans refuse to preform specific love spells.
A different usage recognises that we - as human - have the "Free Will" to make choises in our life. Shame some Fundy elements refuse to recognise this.
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2007-08-15 00:12:28 · answer #8 · answered by Rai A 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As Lucid says, Free Will is an illusion, and a human conceit.
When presented with choices, a human (and any other half-sentient creature) will always choose the one that's optimal for them at that instant.
That optimum is a sum of many inputs, and may appear to be a free choice, but in fact it's entirely deterministic.
After all, if it were not, it would be random.
CD
2007-08-14 23:33:54 · answer #9 · answered by Super Atheist 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
If God exists, free will doesn't.
Free will exists therefore god doesn't.
Obviously if you're totally brain-washed in InvisibleSkyPixie ways you'll find it hard to access your free will but the reality is the final choice is always yours - there are no Pixies or Devils to thank or blame for anything you do or for what ever happens to you.
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Oh and, everything we choose to do, we chose to do because we will get a bit of happy as a result.
I've been trying to disprove that for over 50 years without success.
2007-08-14 23:31:09 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋