I know it's been asked before by others, but I didn't think the answers were reasoned well enough so here it is again. Basically, if God knows what you're going to do, then the entire course of time has been mapped out through causality. I prefer to think that God is just REALLY REALLY smart, but can't predict everything. Kind of like that Futurama where Bender talks to "god."
2007-10-05 16:08:13 · 15 answers · asked by dPaladin 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
--WHAT ABOUT THIS:
----GOD COULD KNOW everything about to happen to everyone BUT choses not to!
--PLEASE NOTE what he said to the Israelites who started to worship gods of predestination or destiny & good luck:
AMPLIFIED BIBLE: Isaiah 65:11
11But you who forsake the Lord, who forget and ignore My holy Mount [Zion], who prepare a table for Gad [the Babylonian god of fortune] and who furnish mixed drinks for Meni [the god of destiny]--"
(Isaiah 65:11) “. . .But YOU men are those leaving Jehovah, those forgetting my holy mountain, those setting in order a table for the god of Good Luck and those filling up mixed wine for the god of Destiny.”
--AS YOU stated we have free will , and God has never limited us in exercising that freedom, despite the abuse humans have exercised!
--IT IS part of the "good gift" he has given to mankind:
(James 1:17) “. . .Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, for it comes down from the Father of the [celestial] lights, and with him there is not a variation of the turning of the shadow.. . .”
--A TRUSTING father would choose not to interfere unnecessarily in the outcome of decisions his children would make or prior to them being made!
2007-10-05 16:43:47 · answer #1 · answered by THA 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God exists outside of time and space which are a part of his creation. He can look from outside of time at the past present and future and control how He wants things to turn out. So our "freedom" is always limited by God's sovereign will. It's like a child may be free to play in the yard but they are not free to go out and play in the street. Our freedom operates within the limits that God places upon it.
2007-10-05 16:28:15 · answer #2 · answered by Martin S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Can people act outside of God's will?" Simple answer - no, because if you can do something that God hasn't either foreseen or taken into account, you would contradict God which, according to most faiths, is impossible. "Is freedom of choice if crafty illusion?" It would be, yes. You could have the Will to choose, but at no point would your choices be considered "of your own Free Will" in many respects. Blessings x @Beetjie: If you can do something God hasn't already known that you were going to do, then you prove that his "Omniscience" has stringent limits and really isn't Omniscience because he should always "know" what was going to happen.
2016-05-17 07:16:52 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does not control everything as we see it now....he is all powerful and has allowed his enemy to control the world for a brief time. He is able to see the end result of all matters be he can CHOOSE not to know the end result of certain things....why not........The real issue at hand is who in the univrerse has the right to rule over it forever and ever.....ans so.....you are allowed to make choices.......he would recommend though that you...... (James 4:7-10) “. . .Subject yourselves, therefore, to God; but oppose the Devil, and he will flee from YOU. 8 Draw close to God, and he will draw close to YOU. Cleanse YOUR hands, YOU sinners, and purify YOUR hearts, YOU indecisive ones. 9 Give way to misery and mourn and weep. Let YOUR laughter be turned into mourning, and [YOUR] joy into dejection. 10 Humble yourselves in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt YOU.”
Why on earth would he plead with people to do this if they are predestined to a course that has been layed out. Why does anyone stop for stop signs then?
2007-10-05 16:26:34 · answer #4 · answered by fasteddie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Did you see that movie about the guy who can see ahead 2 minutes? (Next) Now he was going to control the outcome based on that gift but that is not what God is like. He knows what will happen but he NEVER takes away free will.
2007-10-05 16:12:31 · answer #5 · answered by sisterzeal 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes and then no.
Just because God knows all our choices doesnt mean that He makes them for you. Nobody but YOU are responsible for that. And you will be judged for and by them.
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
2007-10-05 16:16:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is all knowing but chooses not to force us into anything. Its like a psychic who can see what happens but not actually control it. God could control it and does step in occasionally but He does not force us to follow Him because then we would be like robots or slaves instead of children (you can want your children to do something but dont make them). And God wants a meaningful relationship with us- which occurs when we choose to follow him in faith.
2007-10-05 16:15:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does the bible say that god knows what will happen at all times and all places? I don't think so.
The idea that god is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent is just a human idea. If god was those things, surely he/she could have found some way to tell humans without soothsayers, priests, imams, mullahs, pastors, rabbis and televangelists having to ge tin the middle to muddle things up.
2007-10-05 16:14:21 · answer #8 · answered by BAL 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
freedom (in the christian world) is an illusion, if we true freedom we could choose to be the greatest person on earth, get into heaven and then destroy the place freely.
2007-10-05 16:20:31 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Youre right, we arent given freedom, only the illusion of freedom. No one is free.
2007-10-05 16:11:23 · answer #10 · answered by Agnostic Rockett 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋