Seems like Christians reconsile omniscience with free will by saying God knows but doesn't impose.
But if God declares "person X" will be a betrayer or "city A" will fall, do we have any free will to prevent these prophecies?
2007-11-05 03:05:27 · 16 answers · asked by Eleventy 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
reconcile, sorry
2007-11-05 03:07:26 · update #1
EXACTLY.
If there are fulfilled prophesies in the bible, then the future is fixed, just like the past.
And God creates some people specifically to inhabit hell.
2007-11-05 03:07:47 · answer #1 · answered by ɹɐǝɟsuɐs Blessed Cheese Maker 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ominiscience is merely fore-knowledge. So, if God knows a person will do something in the future, he knows that with the current information and employment of free will that a person has in the present. You can change the future and conversely, God will know what that change will be in the future once your choice has been made. And, you must not forget one thing -- God, being omniscient will use answers to lead you to where you will go.
2007-11-05 11:43:36 · answer #2 · answered by uneasy_06 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's the point though-
I don't believe God does label 'person X' a betrayer. Other people do-
We do have free will both to create and prevent prophecies, the world doesn't have to end. We don't have to hate one another.
Questioning things is vital and can lead to great good being done. I personally believe nobody is perfect, but we should all try and be the best people we can.
It is all to easy to wrongly label people- maybe somethings we do out of love will help in the long-term. I believe good is rewarded by furhter good, and selfish acts only begat further problems.
If you aim to help other people you can connect with the world, but if you only aim to help yourself , well then you can still help people. Look I don't know, if you try and be good though you can experience great things. If you do something bad, even if it feels great in the short term, you probably will regret it. Which doesn't mean to say the lines between good and bad don't blur sometimes.
I think the principle of Jihad (i.e. holy war and struggle within oneself) is a fantastic principle we could all learn from, much as how I disagree with violently punishing adultery. Look it's a question of balance and tolerance. Have your viewpoint and defend it, but don't be too aggressive in forcing things on other people. I think that's the message of Jesus.
2007-11-05 11:14:59 · answer #3 · answered by James J Turner esq 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think so. The way I see it, is if God told me I was going to have chocolate ice cream after dinner tomorrow, he's forseeing the future as it stands in that exact moment. But with that knowledge I still have the ability to change it, so after he makes that decree I employ my free will and decide to have mint chocolate chip instead. God's not wrong, with everything in my knowledge at that exact moment I was going to pick chocolate, but then with that additional knowledge (God's foreshadowing) I changed my mind.
That's just what I think. I'm not trying to reconcile God's omniscience with free will because I don't think God is necessarily completely omniscient (open theism). If he was, we wouldn't have free will at all and the above scenario would be impossible.
2007-11-05 11:15:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes we have free will but here's the catch because is who He is He already knows what your choice will be. He gives you the opportunity to choose what's right but he'll never make you. That's just like one of the disciples when Jesus knew the time was coming for his crucifixion he told him you will deny me three times before the cock (rooster) crows, the disciple said I will never you but what ended up happening- he denied him and when he realized it he cried. I said all that to say this God knows what you'll do in a certain situation because He made you, He knows all about you, He even knows how may hairs are on your head. God Bless
2007-11-05 11:36:39 · answer #5 · answered by madeam3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You could...if you wanted a giagantic rap in the kisser.
But on the other hand, how would you know that you actually changed it. Suppose G-d told you what you would do, KNOWING that you would do something else...which is what he actually wanted you to do in the first place?
Remember, G-d is our "father" and you know parents figured out how to get us to mow the lawn using psychology a long time ago.
The last person who tried to out-think G-d was Adam...and look what happened.
2007-11-05 11:10:24 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
god never says ,almighty god do all and no any change affect thee,even whole world is changed .when you will in such a level god is telling some thing to you,then you will be dumb.you will not be able to speak some thing to others.
2007-11-05 11:18:47 · answer #7 · answered by osho sai 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If God told me anything (except along the lines of my being about to die), I would take a gun to my head.
Let God stop that bullet.
2007-11-05 11:08:16 · answer #8 · answered by Lucid Interrogator 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gods name YHWH or JHVH or in a modern english translation Jehovah... actually means "causes to become". When he says something will be done... it will be done. if the bible says "person x" will betray... "person X" will betray.
2007-11-05 11:11:06 · answer #9 · answered by Kyrstin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, God never negates our free will. We can choose to do right, or disobey Him.
2007-11-05 11:08:23 · answer #10 · answered by WC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋