How do we benefit from having free will?
Couldn't an omnipotent God have provided us with any strength, appreciation, happiness, or knowledge that we gain from experience making decisions?
Is the only benefit of free will (to us) trials, tests, hardships, and the possibility of hell?
2007-11-30 02:55:57 · 25 answers · asked by Eleventy 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
So all the benefits are God's, not ours?
2007-11-30 03:00:47 · update #1
Couldn't God make a perfectly happy puppet?
2007-11-30 03:03:52 · update #2
God could've provided us with the strength, appreciation ... that we gain via our free will.
But the point of our life seems to be about learning and growing. I know lots of theists would disagree with me, but God Himself learns and grows because of our free will.
Imagine an omnipotent deity taking cues from US and changing as we change. That's how much God loves us and wants us as co-creators of history/reality with Him. I could get into that more, but this answer would weigh down cyberspace with its massiveness. (Besides, I haven't spelunked this idea all the way to its end. It is serpentine.)
God could've made us happy puppets, but in that instance, you're right on: the fact that we are children with free will and not puppets, or at worst, slaves, w/o free will is what God wants. Think about your parents. Would they have traded you in for a mannequin of you? Or made you their slave with no choices of your own?
Puppets and slaves can't choose to love you. And for whatever reason, love that isn't freely chosen isn't real love. If you could cast a spell on your hot neighbor to fall hopelesslly in love with you, would you be happy with that, knowing that it wasn't a freely chosen, but a forced love? It wouldn't be real.
The benefits of free will to us, as I see it, is growing (via tests, hardships, trials) more in love all our life, and probably into the afterlife too. That's what God wants for Himself and it just so happens that this is what is supremely best (I know that's redundant, but you know what I mean) for us as His children.
Free will and the possibility of hell, I could write tomes on too. If you ever read any of my other answers, you know I am loathe to throw out my opinion about who's going to hell and who isn't, but I will say this: If a person can really understand clearly what God is offering (and I think very, VERY few of us do) and still choose sin and hate and laziness, then that person is going to hell of his own free will.
What about all those people who think they are rejecting the real living God, who are only rejecting the caracature fundamentalists and others make of Him? If they are rejecting a caracature instead of that real living God, are they still going to hell?
Still another gnarl of thought to be untangled....
2007-11-30 03:20:41 · answer #1 · answered by Acorn 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
God has a plan for everyones life. Free will is a way to reach the benefits of it, without having being controlled. Making the correct decision will minimize strife. But yo have to be lead by God.
You have the free will on rather or not you want to be led.
God is sorting out the believers and the fakers...
he wants his home to be full of the believers.
Those who had free will and chose to do the right thing will be rewarded.
I have problems in life. But leaning on God.... I also have solutions.
I can honestly say I dont have a hard life, because I use my free will to make the right decisions.
2007-11-30 03:00:44 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
There is no hell or heaven as describe in most religion rules.
There is a different history about humanity.
The free will permitted the human go out his home... and now free will can possible he to return home again. For that each one must understand clearly what is life meaning.
Free will is the greatest mark of God creation.
2007-11-30 03:05:05 · answer #3 · answered by vahucel 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Mmmm. I have the free will to eat ice cream- my favortie flavor- when ever I want. That is not a trial, hardship, etc.
There are many beautiful benefits of having free will. All the trials and tribulations that come our way are because of our own actions. We create our own lives- good or bad.
2007-11-30 03:00:35 · answer #4 · answered by goddess4peace 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
"Free will," relative to "God's will," makes the phrase an oxymoron. To a Judeo-Christian-Islamic adherent, free will may be exercised as a "gift" from their god for as long as it does not contradict or violate their god's will. In truth, there is no "free will" for anyone who practises a religion that worships the Abrahamic god. It's their god's will they abide by in pain of everlasting punishment. Sick.
2007-11-30 03:19:31 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow! That sounds exactly like a conversation I had with a friend not too long ago. My answer will be... read a book called Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch.
VERY thought provoking.
The most refreshing aspect of this book is it does not come from a churches doctrine.
2007-11-30 03:05:25 · answer #6 · answered by foolofjoy 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Free will is considered a gift because how would you like someone else making all your decisions. Go into a communist country and tell me how you like being dictated or spend a year in jail and see how free your will is in there. You like not having free will then I suggest one of those two places to you.
Free will is a gift and should be appreciated by all.
2007-11-30 02:59:12 · answer #7 · answered by Happy2bAlive 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Who knows.
I want to know why we all had to be cursed by Adam & Eve, now we're born into sin.
In heaven, Satan and the demons sinned, and left. End of story. The rest of the angels weren't cursed... what's the deal!
Back to your post... The issues of free will, sin, and evil are all big logical errors in the Christian religion. You cannot iron out why God likes evil so much... though many have tried over the millennia!
2007-11-30 02:58:39 · answer #8 · answered by vérité 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Free will is the only thing that gives life meaning. Therefore it is God's greatest expression of love to us.
2007-11-30 03:13:12 · answer #9 · answered by A Human Bean 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would much prefer having no free will if it meant suffering was eliminated. You wouldn't have to feel like you had no free will. But then again, we don't have free will anyway so the question is moot.
2007-11-30 03:06:09 · answer #10 · answered by Meat Bot 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋