(December 14, 2016 at 11:42 pm)operator Wrote: I would like to have some theists explain to me how fate and free will can coexist?
Clearly many theists believe that since god is all knowing, our fates are predetermined. God already knows what we will do, how we will do it, whether or not we will change our minds, what we think and what we will think in the future. God knows all because he created all and we cannot escape his ultimate knowledge of everything.
Yet...
Many theists also believe we have free will, and that this of course explains why humans can be evil or do bad things. We can choose to do as we please, when we want and how we want. We are the sole authors of our own actions and we are in control of what we do and think.
My question is, how can these two things coexist? How do we have free will if god already knows what we're going to do? God has already laid out the plan for our lives, so how can we choose to do anything? How can we even choose to believe in him or at least follow him, even skeptically, when he has already predetermined some of us to be atheists?
Isn't this akin to locking someone in a cell, placing a can of Pepsi and a can of Coke in front of them and saying, "You have the free will to choose to do whatever you like,"?
Maybe I'm missing something here.
Atheists, obviously, can also chime in. I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts.
It depends on how you view God's control over creation.
If you do so biblically then it's important to note that the bible never makes a freewill claim. That was a greek philosophy that was added some centuries later. The bible says we are all slaves to sin, meaning our will is tied to sin. Thereby being far from free. However we have been given a single choice to make if we so choose to make. That is to serve God or to serve sin. If we choose to serve God then once we die sin no longer has control over us. Allowing God to resurrect us to service to Him.
Is this the greek philosophy of free will that the church has adapted? No. Is this the cliche 18th century southern plantation owner/slave relationship? Again no.
We have been given choices to make in God's plan.
