Free will or not?

[Star_Cards]

First off...free will and choice are 2 different things. Just because you have 2 choices doesn't mean you don't have the free will to choose it.Here's an example(even though I posted a few already)At this very moment....
I have the free will to type a swear,but VOILA!!!!....I dont...why????? Because I had a my own free will to make that choice of NO or YES. God planned that decision for me...and I acted upon it in the right way.
When we say God planned our whole lives.....what we are saying is as he created us with every conceivable temptation....it is our free will to make the right choice.
~~Dave C.

Then you believe something different than Andrewhoya. We are talking about people believing there is no free will and whatever you do is what god planned for you to do.

[andrewhoya]

Actually, I was seriously trying to defend the Devil. If you have a belief that God has everything planned out ahead of time you have to allow for the possibility that God has planned out some bad stuff along the way. You can't blame everything bad on the Devil (I take that back, if you have a belief like this, I guess you can divide up the blame however you like and it will make sense to you).

Every religion, except for those of Ancient Greece and Sumer, have had Gods that are loving and would never hurt their creations. Therefore, I believe all bad comes from the devil.

what do you mean exactly? a separate creator for non believers?

Yep. Why would a god create somebody that doesn't believe in them?

this is the biggest issue that I have with people who think they are simply living what god planned out for them. This is mainly why I can't comprehend why people would think this.

Its hard for me to understand and explain, too.

Can you imagine living in a society that thought like this? A handful of people thinking this is scary enough, imagine a society full of them. Makes you shudder.

That would be a bad society to live in.

[andrewhoya]

It's odd. If a person thinks god plans our lives out 100% then what right does a person have to say what a horrible person a molester or murderer is? Aren't they just doing what god wrote for them to do? I guess they could say that god wrote for them to also be hated and punished by their fellow humans. If that's the case then God is just a sick individual in my opinion.

Not in my mind. The evil comes from the Devil. He chooses on who he feeds on and who he doesn't.

[andrewhoya]

But if there's no such thing as free will, how can you have the choice of NOT acting upon the plan?

You aren't given the choice, I guess.

I'll even go as far to say that if you believe there is no free will then even the devil wouldn't be able to talk you into doing something that god hadn't planned.

He doesn't talk you into it. He messes with your 'book'.

Then you believe something different than Andrewhoya. We are talking about people believing there is no free will and whatever you do is what god planned for you to do.

Yep, we are similar, I think, but have many differences.

[hawk2618]

I'm lost. If your life is completely mapped out then god would have mapped for murders to murder and they had no way to avoid being a murderer. If they were able to choose not to murder then you have free will and not going off of God's script for your life.

In life ,there are 2 choices.There's good and bad.
What a path being set is,God knows the EXACT path you will take,whether its good or bad.Now to your point.I don't think a murderer thinks of murdering just on a whim one day.He/She doesn't wake up one morning and say...."I think I'm going to murder someone today".A murder or any evil act for that matter,is constantly built upon by small bad choices continually being chose throughout ones life..and steamrolls.
Can a murderer avoid doing a murder?? Sure,if he/she doesn't reach that point in their lives.Lastly we have to remember this...EVERY sin is suppose to be forgivable..even murder!

[*censored*]

EVERY sin is suppose to be forgivable..even murder!

And that's my problem (one of many, but the main one) with Christianity, or at least most Protestant sects. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, you just have to accept that Jesus paid for your sins, and you're home free. You can lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, and kill, but as long as you accept that Jesus died for your sins, you're going to Heaven.

Justification by faith alone is a load of crap and is taking the easy way out.

[andrewhoya]

And that's my problem (one of many, but the main one) with Christianity, or at least most Protestant sects. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, you just have to accept that Jesus paid for your sins, and you're home free. You can lie, cheat, steal, fornicate, and kill, but as long as you accept that Jesus died for your sins, you're going to Heaven.

Justification by faith alone is a load of crap and is taking the easy way out.

It is a question I have too. If it is a deadly sin then why is it forgivable?

That's what led me to think that if it is forgivable then it must not have been you in the first place.

[tpeichel]

I am a Christian and find no compelling evidence that God is in control of everything on earth. Just look around. It makes absolutely no sense that God would be orchestrating all of the evil acts throughout the world as part of a grand plan.

Was it really his plan all along to wipe out the entire population with the flood or was he surprised at the extent of the evil in the world so he wanted to start over with Noah?

[stlcardinalsfan]

i am a christain,but here latley im beginning to beleive that everything is planned out, it does say god knows all right?..........so that means he already knows whats going to happen to any given person...its already planned out. thats why some times life will be going horribly and some times its perfect,god likes to play with people.

[andrewhoya]

i am a christain,but here latley im beginning to beleive that everything is planned out, it does say god knows all right?..........so that means he already knows whats going to happen to any given person...its already planned out. thats why some times life will be going horribly and some times its perfect,god likes to play with people.

Good point.