Do you believe in free will?

[krazedkat]

Hey guys, I'm Catholic but I enjoy talking with people of other view points and I'm just looking to learn a little bit about some of your ideas so help me out if you would please.

First you must know we have no belief system that is universal to all atheists.

I'm just looking to get some insights as to how most of you feel about free will and how exactly it fits into the materialist world view. If we are composed of nothing other than matter then doesn't that mean all that we are as humans is a bunch of chemicals and particles being governed by physical laws? Do we have no more control over ourselves then a rock does when falling down a hill, or a computer governed completely by our programming?

Atheist =/= materialist
Not at all! We have evolved into a being with a complex mind.

It seems like that is the only option if materialism is true, however it just doesn't seem like that explanation fits in with the universal experience of free will. I mean if an object is dropped it must necessarily fall to the ground because of gravity. But there is no physical law that makes it necessary for me to post on this forum, it seems like I freely chose to do it myself.

A rock is inanimate and the actions you describe are different kinds of actions.

Any way if any one feels up to it please explain your thoughts on the topic for me. Thanks

I feel that we do have free will and that it does not contradict my world view at all, not because of faith but because it ACTUALLY doesn't.