Does God's foreknowledge take away from free will?

by Christ Alone 317 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  EntirelyPossible

  But it can be shown that the Creator does not MOVE through time as we do, --GOD IS-- in time. He IS eternal in the past and future.

  Then show it.

  He could tell us all what has happened on a recently dicovered galaxy 14 billion light years away, and what are the events there "now", only to seen in 14 billion hence in this neck of the woods. it is most likely gone. the woods too. For us that would be a prediction, not for a Being that is outside our "moving time", and "c" constraint.

  So, if he is outside of our spacetime, what is the mechanism for moving this information faster than c? And, if he can, why hasn't he?

  God sees it instantly, we will see it later, sometime 6000 years later.

  Again, how is this information moving faster than c? How is causality preserved?
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  frankiespeakin

  Free will means different things to different people, some it means the ability to choose with in the bounds of natural laws like gravity space and time. To others it may mean no boundaries at all not even the 4 dimensions boundaries.

  You do not have free will when subjecting yourself to the laws of a deity, a deity that would require obediance to his words is not in favor of granting free will to do so would be illogical.

  A god that gets mad at his works and has to keep making adjustment to them would indicate a god that makes mistakes and is using trial and error to see what turns out and so he makes lots of blunders, has disappointments, and down right failures. I would hardly think if he could know the future that he would behave the way the bible says he does, what would be the noble purpose to that.

  The personality of the bible god does not allow for free will, foreknowledge or not.
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  james_woods

  It is worth another thread (which I am working on) but Einstein's religious belief is interesting in this regard.

  He did not think that true human free will is possible - that human actions are really deterministic.

  He called "free will" a sort of excuse-making mechanism in theology to avoid the logical blame going to God for human sin or failings.
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  Bobcat

  James:

  It is worth another thread (which I am working on) but Einstein's religious belief is interesting in this regard.

  Looking forward to that with interest.

  Take Care
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  james_woods

  I may actually have something tomorrow, Bobcat. I am re-reading the book "Einstein and Kulture" by Gerhard Sonnert on this subject.

  The problem, of course, is condensing it down into a simgle paragraph or two that makes sense in an opening thread post.

  I probably should not have been (knowing his deterministic style of physics), but I really was quite astonished that he rejected totally "human free will".
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  EntirelyPossible

  Soooo......any actual answers to ay of the questions?
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  EntirelyPossible

  Anyone?
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  james_woods

  My answer is this: If man does not have free will, then God was guilty of gross hypocrisy in sentencing Adam & Eve to death.

  If God knew (or could have known) in advance of Adams action, then Adam had no choice - thus, no free will.

  The concept of free will (without God's foreknowledge) is necessary to justify God's action in condemning humans to death.
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  EntirelyPossible

  A very honest answer, James. Thank you.Very succint.
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  sizemik

  Maybe the WTS has it right . . .

  He can see the future if he wants to . . . but on occasion chooses not to.

  Willfull ignorance . . . possibly the ultimate expression of free will?