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From: Bible Bob <biblebobnospam@biblebob.net>
Newsgroups: alt.fan.uncle-davey
Subject: Re: A riddle that was set me...
Reply-To: Bible Bob
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Date: Sat, 15 Oct 2005 21:03:41 GMT
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On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 19:08:44 GMT, Grinder <grinder@no.spam.maam.com>
wrote:
>Uncle Davey wrote:
>
>> A participant on www.usenetposts.com/forum asked a
> > riddle, as follows:
>
>>> This is what just came to my mind which I would like
> >> to discuss with all of you:
>>>
>>> Is human will free? If it is not free, then people
> >> cannot be held responsible for their sins, as they
> >> don't have the capacity to abstain from sinning. But
> >> if human will is free, then God is not all-knowing and
> >> almighty, as people might choose to behave this way or
> >> that.
>>>
>>>Now, what is the solution to this?
>
>> And my reply was the following:
>>
>> First you would need to define "free".
>
>[snip]
>
>> There is freedom to make choices between possible alternatives.
>
>[snip]
>
>> That's how I would answer your riddle
>
>I see you didn't really trouble your answer with the conflict between
>our free will and God's omniscience.
>
>If God already knows what we're going to pick at any give choice, how
>are we free to choose any of the possible alternatives? Either:
>
>a) We can choose any of the alternatives, including those different than
>what God *knows* we're going to pick -- thus invalidating his omniscience.
>
>b) We can only choose the alternative that God has forseen for use, thus
>making free well an illusion.
>
>I've outlined this conundrum a dozen or so times to theists who hold
>that God is omniscient, yet we have free will. So far, I have only
>received complimentary dance lessons.
Grinder,
I see no genuine logic in the above. There is "no different" than
what God knows because God knows all without exception possible
options. Assume you enter a hallway and the door you entered through
locked behind you. You have two possible choices. You can go right
or you can go left. God knows the options and knows which way you
will go. Take it a step further. God said turn right. You turn
left. God knew you would turn left. You exercised your free will and
God knew the options available without forcing you to go one way or
the other.
You b) is also not logical. You incorrectly say that we can only
choose "the alternative" that God has foreseen. What God forsees and
what we choose are not connected. Suppose that God foresaw you turn
left. That has no affect on your exercise of free will.
God does not make all of the alternatives. We make our own
alternatives or others give us alternatives or circumstances provide
alternatives and we make choices. God has nothing to do with the
choice. He just happens to know which choice we will make and does
not prevent us from making right or wrong decisions. God does not
control people. He just works in peoples lives over a long period of
time if necessary to motivate them to do what He desires. Moses and
his forty year period of adjustment is a good example.
BB
http://www.biblebob.net
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