I have never understood where anybody can see free will in what God does. He gives you a choice, either obey me or go to hell. 2 choices, thats not free will, that is controlling. so where do you get that he gives us free will?
2007-10-28 16:29:45 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
to get free will all you need to do is go to your local church-pay ten percent and then go to he77----just seems its not free-the question should be is a free will baptist an oxymoron----smile and enjoy the night
2007-10-28 16:35:13 · answer #1 · answered by lazaruslong138 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, that's one doctrinal position, but it isn't the only one. My take on free will (agency) is that as children of a loving God, he gave us the opportunity to make choices. All choices have consequences - some good, some bad.
Some believe that there was a 'war in heaven', partly having to do with free will. Evil elements were opposed to it (not good management plan - some will get lost along the way), while Good elements were in favor of it, even if some were lost due to having chosen unwisely.
But, whether you believe that or not, it's pretty hard to deny that there appears to be both good and bad in the world today. Free agency is simply the opportunity to choose between the two. It's not always easy to tell what is good and what is bad. So God provided us with some basic guidelines to help us make those choices.
This life - or phase of existence - that we are now in is just one of many levels of development. But, it is a particularly important one. Choose a path that is good, honorable, loving and kind. You won't go to 'hell' for doing that.
2007-10-28 23:40:16 · answer #2 · answered by SafetyDancer 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Cindy,
you are asking a valid intelligent question. But lets define our terms. Free will is how we operate our choice, but our choice is in volition. that aspect of us, is we are free moral agents. That is we have the ability to chose to obey God or not obey.
the free will then exicutes our moral choice.
In the confinds of your question, you ask, if we obey we go to theven if not we go to hell, how is that free will. That is exactly why it is free will, you act with the knowledge of what will transpire for either choice.
consider the bank robber. He says, I can rob the bank and be gone before the police get there, and I can hide from them. He choses to act, knowing the consequence.
In the same way, the atheist wager states, if there is a god maybe he will look at the life and decide it is not so bad. The atheist in some cases knows very well that christians are telling them that one sin will put a man or woman in hell, yet they gamble, like the robber above that they can escape.
free moral agency is chosing to serve or ignor God. God has given us that choice and we are free to do anything we want in this world. On our death, we stand in judgment if we acted unwisely
2007-10-30 11:22:47 · answer #3 · answered by magnetic_azimuth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We were blessed with it inside of us, because we are not programmed to give a specific answer all the time despite of the fact of how we might feel, we have free will. Free will does not determine the choices that are given to us; Free will is the right to choose among the choices we have.
God is the only One that can give everlasting life, so if you choose to love and obey Him, you gain everlasting life through Him, as a reward for your faith in Him and for staying faithful to Him. In fact, you have the choice of not following neither God or Satan, but, the result will be the same; you will lose your privilege of living forever.
There are many choices: Choose God and gain everlasting life; Choose Satan and lose the privilege of everlasting life; or be on the fence and still lose everlasting life; or you can also choose not to follow anyone but in the end choosing anything else but God, will still result in losing the privilege of gaining the reward of everlasting life through God. So He isn't controlling, rather He is just giving you the truth of what the end result will be, based on your free will to choose the path you take.
2007-10-29 02:37:51 · answer #4 · answered by Admeta 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you make the choice to either worship follow him or the alternative. if its control then do you think the world would be where it is now with all this violence. its violent because we have free choice & people make there own dicisions.
if not then anything even close to the word evil or negativity wouldn't suffice. & dont let those jesus freaks or others out there tell you your going to hell over every little thing you & use coercion at the same time because then that is control of religion as well as your free will.
(Praise Be To God)
2007-10-28 23:36:28 · answer #5 · answered by Sexy Yes U Can Bless Me 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will is from God so that we are not robots. It is always within God's limits. We have a lot of choices here on earth, but what comes to the eternal life, your choice is between hell and heaven. You get to choose. You have your free will until you die.
2007-10-28 23:36:32 · answer #6 · answered by Nina, BaC 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is NOT what GOD offers us. HE offers us an opportunity to have a relationship with HIM. Now, here is where your choice comes in, if you CHOOSE to reject HIM, HE will NOT drag you into heaven. HE will offer you an opportunity to make a good decision verses a bad decision.
Is it "controlling" that my only choices were to be killed or not be killed depending on whether I look both ways before I cross the street? Same principle, 2 choices. Look both ways before crossing the street or don't look both ways and risk death! You believe their should be a third choice in my example? What might that third choice be?
GOD bless
2007-10-28 23:49:55 · answer #7 · answered by Exodus 20:1-17 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
what I understand from your question that its is only one choice which is obeying God as no one will choose to go to hell but what is happening that most of the people choose the other choice. isn't this strange?
2007-10-29 00:09:54 · answer #8 · answered by Mickey 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your free will gave you the choice to have the attitude that you have about God.
2007-10-28 23:36:38 · answer #9 · answered by guitarrman45 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hell can be symbolically thought of as a religious gun being held to your head, demanding your obedience through the coercive threat of do or die forever and ever.
That's not true free will.
That's an ultimatum.
Hell is a religious
theory that has not
been around very long.
It's a fear indoctrination
sales technique typically
used by religion recruiters.
2007-10-28 23:35:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
what do you mean by "pass"?
I understand your complain, I used to feel that was adequete, but its not really free will if you will be punished for not chooseing the "desired" choice. More like, you will do what you want now and then pay later.
2007-10-29 21:13:22 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋