Ok, help me understand. Is it freewill or God's will?
a) Disturbed teen goes into church and shoots people with an assault rifle. God is totally not responsible for this, because it's clearly a case of freewill, right?
b) Volunteer security guard shoots said disturbed teen to keep him from killing more people. She says God was with her, she's sure, because "he had all the firepower" (no, not joking that's what she said). Not freewill. God directed her. Correct?
So, do humans have freewill or not? If so, God cannot get credit for b. If not, God gets the blame for a.
Which is it?
2007-12-11 22:18:16 · 18 answers · asked by Brendan G 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
You still don't get it, do you? Okay, if something bad happens then it is because humans have free will. But if something good happens, it is because God had a hand in it and it is due to his will. Unless of course God is testing your faith or maybe punishing you , then he might allow something to happen for one of these reasons. Too bad God did not use his free will in case a) to stop this teen from shooting those people, like maybe turning his gun to putty, have the Holy Spirit show himself to the kid, and have him repent on the spot. Great conversion story. But God knows the future so he likely realize that the teen still would not repent. Maybe God was allowing this to see if the preacher guy would cast that devil out of the teen. Gee I sure do hope that the preacher guy will repent of this so he will not go to Hell for not doing what he was called to do.
2007-12-11 22:43:09 · answer #1 · answered by just because 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The problem you are struggling with is more complex than your example demonstrates. People do have freewill as a gift to us from God. That gift does make God partially responsible for the actions that we choose to take as He was the one who enabled the choice. That does not take the responsibility away from the person who made the choice as they still functioned within freewill as a individual who has to account for the use of the gift.
To further complicate the issue, God has promised to not allow us to go through anything that we can not handle without an avenue to assistance. That means that He must first approve any action that takes place and that additionally makes Him responsible for allowing the action that took place while still not absolving the person who made the choice in the first place.
Bottom line:
People have freewill as a gift from God but are responsible for the choices that they make.
God is responsible for the choices made by people acting in freewill as He gave them that option and He first approves those actions that are taken in freewill.
Hope that helps.
2007-12-11 22:29:19 · answer #2 · answered by gilliamichael 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Let's see...
If we have free will, god is neither omniscient nor omnibenevolent. If we have free will and god is omniscient, and allowed the shooting to take place then god is evil and not omnibenevolent. But if god is not omniscient (or even if he is), and did decide to interfere on account that he's omnibenevolent, where does that leave free will?
God's will, hmmm...If god acted through the security guard, then he took away her free will and that of the others her actions effected.
So, I'm with you on this one. It just doesn't add up.
Don't get me wrong though, I'm certainly glad someone stopped the lunatic!
2007-12-11 23:30:13 · answer #3 · answered by ☼ɣɐʃʃɜƾ ɰɐɽɨɲɜɽɨƾ♀ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is only classed as God's will when you are faced with a criminal offence like the person who is dead cannot be brought before the courts, but the person who killed in self defence as part of her job, must have an alibi to protect themselves from litigation by saying it is God's Will that directed me to kill another human being.
Well that's what I think anyway. Good on her she deserves a medal or two.
2007-12-11 22:32:10 · answer #4 · answered by Drop short and duck 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God has given us freewill and shows us the way to good and bad. One has to justify his acts beneficial to other human being created by God. Shooting because she was disturbed does not mean that she has done something justified in spite she committed sin. She could be disturbed cos of her own silliness.
2007-12-11 22:41:27 · answer #5 · answered by nazbak 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
That nutter decided to pull the trigger becuase he was obviousley pychologically damaged and to say god gave the guard"holy firepower" is ridiculous and a way of absolving the guard for killing another human being,gods will and free will are not dependent on each other one is real and the other worships a god...
2007-12-11 22:29:50 · answer #6 · answered by SkinAnInk 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Freewill lies in the capacity of the human being to make descision.
God's Will as expressed in the Laws of Nature works indepent of the freewill of men.
For example, the Will of God as expressed in one of the Laws of Nature is "Whatever you sow you must reap". The sowing is the descision made by men while the consequence, that is, reaping is brought about by the adamantine Will of God.
2007-12-11 22:31:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Free will of man or God's sovereignty? Both. Both work cuz of God's foreknowledge. If you ask a Rabi when looking at Scriptures this question there is no contradiction...they are simply one and the same...both. Man has a free will and God is sovereign. Can we fully understand this? Probably not. We are finite while God is infinite.
Mankind has become futile in their thoughts and their hearts have been darkened for they suppress the truth...they profess to be wise but become fools...therefore God has given them up to uncleanness.
2007-12-11 22:40:58 · answer #8 · answered by j1mcguire 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Why are you concerned about this? The craphead who murdered those missionaries was carrying about a thousand rounds and an assault rifle.
You knew that, right?
That's what she meant by "firepower". Say it with me now, "assault rifle". Good job. "a thousand rounds in the back pack". Great! You got it!
So now you're trying to ask an assanine question about who's will it was to off this bastard?
(Do you think it was BOTH of them who willed it? Hmm? Maybe a little team work?)
2007-12-11 22:30:19 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 3⤋
Humans have free will
God is always trying to steal credit from humans, like Mozart, and Da Vinci
2007-12-11 22:32:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋