What is it, exactly? I'd say it's being able to act within one's capabilities, without being subject to the will of another. In a Judaeo-Christian context the "others" are ultimately God and the devil. The Messiah was clear that all who sin are servants of sin, and that we cannot serve God and mammon. How, then, can one who sins, and is therefore subject to the will of the devil (as Paul evidently was before his salvation) choose to serve God, since the devil is as jealous in his way as God is in His way? Along these lines, I'll address a post from the thread that was locked: That would be a good question if what I said was a truth I had created. Don't mind if I do. You're confused. I said something I know to be true; and even though you can't find anything wrong with it, you don't like it. So suffer.
It is completely on topic, especially in regard to Christianity. If God is omnicient, then you don't have a "choice" about whether or not to sin. You either will or you won't, but it will occur exactly as God pre-destined it. You have no choice in the matter and cannot choose another result.
No. Wrong. Free will is not impinged upon by omniscience and anyone that says so is misinformed. Faced with a choice between A or B, I am free to choose as I please. God, being omniscient (having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things) does not control my choice in any way.
Control is not the issue. Possibility is the issue. For you to have free will, you must actually have more than one possible choice. If an omniscient being exists (It doesn't even have to be God. It could be an omniscient turtle.) then there can never be more than one possible outcome. Hence, there is no actual choice, and no free will to choose.
A choice between A or B is two possible choices, as I read things. How can a being "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things" limit my choices? Perhaps you are confusing omniscience with omnipotence.
Predictably, you have it completely upside down and backwards. Nonsense. A man who is doing what he wants to be doing has free will whether he could be doing anything else or not; and whoever tries to convince him to do something else is trying to usurp that man's free will.
Make that case. Too bad that in any universe that contains an omniscient being, a man cannot do anything other than what that omniscient being already knows he will do.
Not if only one of those options is possible to choose. You actually have that backwards. It is only your complete lack of choice that allows a being to know the outcome. Here... try a thought experiment. We will assume an omniscient God. You have a closet that contains two shirts; one black and one blue. Today, God knows that you will wear the black one tomorrow. Is it possible for you to instead choose the blue one tomorrow? Oh I would never do that. They are also mutually exclusive. An omniscient being is by definition completely impotent to change even his own mind.
We have free will other wise God would not allow sin. Temptation comes you have the free will to Obey God or give in to the temptation and sin. People seem to confuse God's a-foreknowledge with pre-destination. God knows what choices you will make but God does not predestine you to sin that is your choice
Did that in the OP. Of course in your case pretty much like trying to explain why Earth's rotation is slowing to someone who thinks conservation of momentum is a myth. Whether that's true or not, only fools think it's a problem.
Free will is to ability to decide and chose either to sin or not, to be good or not, to believe or not etc. Because God love us so much He gave us free will so that we can understand Him better and worship, love Him without fear and with open mind. Because of free will there exist sin without sin how can one know that one is truthful? Even atheist has the free will to chose take away free will then we will just live by instinct in accordance to nature, we will need not worry about war, money, beautiful cloathings, cars, etc. One can fully chose either to follow God or Satan and there are always consequences, chose God then one gain eternal salvation, chose Satan then one will burn in hell. That is the choice and the RESPONSIBILITY for having free will.
It's possible to chose one, two or none. The point is there are choices to be made. An omniscient God does not limit those choices. An omniscient God knows that you will wear the black shirt because that's what you choose to wear. Of course it's possible to wear the blue...in which case God would know of that too. Okay.
You asked "What is free will?" I would say: Take three glasses A-B-C and put them in front of you. Then decide wether you like to take A,B or C and then take this glass. That's free will. Very easy. http://youtu.be/ISUOm53fbFo
Notice the addition "and sin" in the title, though. Sin is purely a mythological concept, so if taking a glass is a sin then a mythological being has to know about it.
Oops - my free will is without sin? Doesn't make any matter - destroy one of the glasses if you like to do so. http://youtu.be/_EgL0QNJ6Sw
Interesting ... We seem to be in agreement on this. Does this mean that you too, believe that freewill is more or less an illusion ?
It's not off topic...its shows that free will is impossible with an omnipotent/omnisceint god. Thanks for playing, this thread is now useless.
