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Originally posted by circuitsports
Then how can he have given us free choice?
It's one thing to say that you can choose to be good or bad, gay or straight, poor or rich. But with this idea of a all seeing all knowing god your really just along for the ride.
Any answer that you get, regardless of how good or thought out that it is, is only the opinion or interpretation of someone else.
There is a general statement that once something is known it cannot be unknown and that seems to be true. So if this all powerful all knowing being is out there that set all things in motion and knew the outcome of all things through history, essentially before it even started.
Then how can he have given us free choice?
It's one thing to say that you can choose to be good or bad, gay or straight, poor or rich. But with this idea of a all seeing all knowing god your really just along for the ride.
One approach to solving this problem is called Open Theism, & professes that God cannot have certain and absolute knowledge about the future of human free-choice, only she may have guesses based upon probability, as the future remains to be written. Of course, this conflicts with some doctrines in various religions, and it is argued that Open Theism limits Gods capabilities, when by definition, God is limitless. However, this limitation is based upon logical considerations that arguably, do not limit the nature of such a being. For instance, it is impossible to make a circle with four corners - yet are we to believe that God can accomplish a feat? Certainly not, as sch a being is in fact, limited by laws of logic - i.e., she cannot make a married bachelor.
Originally posted by circuitsports
This inst a post to advocate or dispel the notion of God. It's a simple question that I am curious to see what peoples answers are.
In after school bible study many years ago along with trips to church and in the general arena there is this notion of god.
He is the one true god. The beginning and end and all things in between. The alpha and the omega. The all powerful, all knowing. The light and the dark. And so on and so forth.
There is a general statement that once something is known it cannot be unknown and that seems to be true. So if this all powerful all knowing being is out there that set all things in motion and knew the outcome of all things through history, essentially before it even started.
Then how can he have given us free choice?
It's one thing to say that you can choose to be good or bad, gay or straight, poor or rich. But with this idea of a all seeing all knowing god your really just along for the ride.
Originally posted by adjensen
Originally posted by circuitsports
Then how can he have given us free choice?
Because pre-knowledge isn't pre-destination. Let's say that you have an opportunity to steal a loaf of bread. God knows whether you'll do it or not, but you don't do it based on that knowledge -- he just knows the decision that you'll make, but it's still your decision. If God knows, before that fact that you stole the bread, it means that you'll decide, of your own free will, to steal it.
It's one thing to say that you can choose to be good or bad, gay or straight, poor or rich. But with this idea of a all seeing all knowing god your really just along for the ride.
People don't "choose to be gay or straight".
Originally posted by obnoxiouschick
Originally posted by adjensen
Originally posted by circuitsports
Then how can he have given us free choice?
Because pre-knowledge isn't pre-destination. Let's say that you have an opportunity to steal a loaf of bread. God knows whether you'll do it or not, but you don't do it based on that knowledge -- he just knows the decision that you'll make, but it's still your decision. If God knows, before that fact that you stole the bread, it means that you'll decide, of your own free will, to steal it.
It's one thing to say that you can choose to be good or bad, gay or straight, poor or rich. But with this idea of a all seeing all knowing god your really just along for the ride.
People don't "choose to be gay or straight".
stealing is WRONG period ....it PRODUCES BAD KARMA
Originally posted by chasingbrahman
Because god knows what each person's free will is going to choose?
Just a guess though. But not a bad one for an atheist, if I do say so myself.