Free Will

[barfbag]

Do we have free will. I think we have literal free will, but to what extent is questionable. If there is an all knowing deity, then what we choose is either predetermined or at least already known.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

If there is an all-powerful God (and I believe there is), he would know everything and control everything. He would know and control the future.

Of course we don't have free will.

That said, we feel like we have free will and we still go through decision-making processes, so that should be good enough for all of us.

[afleitch]

We have the level of free will our evolution has afforded us.

[Free Speech Enjoyer]

I certainly think that, to a certain extent, we have free will.  We are free to act in the context of our choices, which are determined by a host of evolutionary, historical, natural, mathematical, and physical factors.  I think free will is possible even when taking God into account.  If this all-powerful God exists, for example, who's to say that He is unable to conceal knowledge of the future from Himself to give us free will?  And even if He doesn't, how does mere foreknowledge of events make someone unable to act on their desires?  As with all beliefs I justify on faith, I am not afraid to have an opinion on this without absolute certainty.

[© tweed]

"freedom is what you do with what's been done to you"  - Sartre

"we have no choice but to have it"  -- Jens Stephen Schellhammer on free well

[barfbag]

If we don't have free will and God controls everything, then what would the point of existence be? It's comparable to the problem of evil where it can be argued if there was a God, then why is there evil. The answers go from there is no such thing as evil, but things happen we don't like which is what we consider to be evil to evil exists in order for us to recognize a greater good. If God were in control directly, then what point would there be in self-awareness or the mind? We'll never know the answer to this. Perhaps we're giving God a flawed presence by almost always applying religion and spirituality to a higher power. Does God prefer one religion over another? I believe God is all being or Being if you will, but is only behind our choices as a first mover for the universe. This is not to say God doesn't have foreknowledge because for there to be a God, God is all knowing, all powerful, and all present.

[All Along The Watchtower]

As opposed to the will that is not free.

[TJ in Oregon]

As opposed to the will that is not free.

You need to see a lawyer or financial planner for one of those

As for the question, I see the idea of free will as that we actually have to power to have made the opposite choice from those we have made. I believe we have free will and find the notion of a having God without free will somewhat a bit sadistic and confusing. How can one have sin at all if we aren't able to consent to our actions? How can one sin without consenting to it? If we can, it doesn't make for a very just God, potentially giving us eternal damnation for something we never had the ability to consent to or refuse. A huge part of explaining Christianity is that God loves us so much he gives us the freedom to choose our own course of life; that is to say we each have a human soul, a purpose in life that isn't scripted and a reason for vigilance. Without free will, we're just tools, ants under God's magnifying glass getting burned, hoping we're scripted in the right camp for eternal salvation. And without it there's no point in having this thread since we can't help what we do anyway.

[barfbag]

As opposed to the will that is not free.

You need to see a lawyer or financial planner for one of those

As for the question, I see the idea of free will as that we actually have to power to have made the opposite choice from those we have made. I believe we have free will and find the notion of a having God without free will somewhat a bit sadistic and confusing. How can one have sin at all if we aren't able to consent to our actions? How can one sin without consenting to it? If we can, it doesn't make for a very just God, potentially giving us eternal damnation for something we never had the ability to consent to or refuse. A huge part of explaining Christianity is that God loves us so much he gives us the freedom to choose our own course of life; that is to say we each have a human soul, a purpose in life that isn't scripted and a reason for vigilance. Without free will, we're just tools, ants under God's magnifying glass getting burned, hoping we're scripted in the right camp for eternal salvation. And without it there's no point in having this thread since we can't help what we do anyway.

Sin would still come from original sin in Christian theology but you've made a great analysis. I love it.