People talk about God having a plan for us and also claim that he gave us free will?
This confuses me. If everything is already mapped out then any free will is just an illusion. On the other hand if we do have free will he cant have a plan for us as our fate would be determined by our own individual choices.
How do you reconcile this?
2007-12-29 09:25:41 · 15 answers · asked by Celestial Teapot 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The answers so far seem to indicate that believers don't have free will as they follow the plan? Is that correct? If so why bother praying? It must be pointless.
2007-12-29 09:33:57 · update #1
Was it God's plan to blow-up a political candidate in Pakistan...?
Great plan, eh?
Calvinism, the epitome of divine plan thinking, died back in the 19th century... It's just to bad the whole idea of God-belief didn't go down with it.
God is a hoax and religion is a sham.
[][][] r u randy [][][]
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2007-12-29 17:27:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
God does have a plan and that plan is simply to love you and help you grow and understand until you are able to love, to love others and yourself. Do we have free will, yes, God has given us free will or choice, so we can choose to follow God's plan or not, most of us will go back and forth a bit until we figure things out. So why pray or ask for help if God has a plan and we have free will, because God and other beings of light (angels) can not interfere with our choices (hence free will) unless we invite them in and ask for help.
2007-12-29 17:40:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Do you know computers?
Is there a rom and prom chip?
One chip is programmed for a plan and purpose.
The other chip, is a free will of man chip.
The Soverignty of God and the free will of man do coexist.
God's plan will be fulfilled and our free will is intact.
He uses us.
I believe that our fate is determined by our choices.
We are blessed by God and we can lose these blessings, but not our eternal life.
Forgive the grammar, I obviously have never been to college.
;)
2007-12-29 17:35:30 · answer #3 · answered by 1angel 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
We have free will. God has a plan for the redemption of the world in general terms but he/she does not have a plan for each person. However by submitting to God, a plan will be created so that then there is a plan for us but we always have the freedom to 'tear it up'.
2007-12-29 17:47:12 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
God's plan usually involves trampling on our freewill.
Look at 9/11. The hijackers prayed, the passengers prayed. Whose prayers, if any, were answered? The passengers had NO free will.
And yet, we are told this was all part of God's big plan.
2007-12-29 17:35:46 · answer #5 · answered by Wassana L 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God has a plan...we are free to accept or reject his plan in favor of our own! Not at all like the plans parents make for their children...I know in some ways I lived up to my mom and dad's plans for me, in others I didn't...all a result of my choices!
2007-12-29 17:31:57 · answer #6 · answered by KAL 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe that it is simultaneously both. He has a goal for humanity and He has also given us individual choice. Our Choice is whether we want to fall in with accomplishing what He wills or not. He has given us the where -with -all to be convinced but ultimately we have to do this in freedom and not by coercion. Live your life with an open mind and you will discover in due course what you aught to decide.
Peace
2007-12-29 17:44:16 · answer #7 · answered by ziffa 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God does have a plan for us, but we have free will to make decisions on our own.
2007-12-29 17:55:03 · answer #8 · answered by ♥ℓιℓмιѕѕρяιѕѕ♥ 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All of the above. God gave us free will, but in the end we are all a part of a massive cosmic puzzle, with each piece falling into place. It is a bigger concept than any human mind can grasp.
2007-12-29 17:36:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
God does have a plan for us, but our free will allows us to choose whether we go His path, or man's.
2007-12-29 17:29:02 · answer #10 · answered by Tasha 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋