Does God have free will?

[Leox]

First of all, God is all-knowing. That means he knows everything including his own choices regardless of time.
If God has free will. He can choose to go against his knowledge of his own future actions. But then he is not all-knowing because he can't predict his own actions.
For example, God knew Adam will eat the fruit. But he decided to make Adam anyway. Thus God wasn't really punishing Adam out of God's own liking. But it was rather part of the script.

I guess this is a more philosophical problem but I want to know how it is handled in the setting of religion.

[Miles]

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Nothing, be it a human, a sea slug, or a god has free will.


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[nobspeople]

First of all, God is all-knowing. That means he knows everything including his own choices regardless of time.
If God has free will. He can choose to go against his knowledge of his own future actions. But then he is not all-knowing because he can't predict his own actions.
For example, God knew Adam will eat the fruit. But he decided to make Adam anyway. Thus God wasn't really punishing Adam out of God's own liking. But it was rather part of the script.

I guess this is a more philosophical problem but I want to know how it is handled in the setting of religion.

First, I think you have to define 'free will' as, in here specifically, I've seen different views on it. There seems to be 'free will' in which you can do anything without limitations, and 'free will' where there are limitations.
In Christianity, as well, there seems to be varying definitions of 'all knowing'. It seems some think God knows everything (which would include future happenings and possibilities) and all knowing 'except for what he doesn't want to know' (which is, honestly, ridiculous and not adhering to the definition IMO).
The 'fun' thing about Christianity, is that it's so malleable, and undefined, that it can be twisted to mean almost anything you want.
That said, it's possible, according to many Christians, that YES God has free will and NO he doesn't.

[JehovahsWitness]

First of all, God is all-knowing. That means he knows everything including his own choices regardless of time.
If God has free will. He can choose to go against his knowledge of his own future actions. But then he is not all-knowing because he can't predict his own actions.
For example, God knew Adam will eat the fruit. But he decided to make Adam anyway. Thus God wasn't really punishing Adam out of God's own liking. But it was rather part of the script.

I guess this is a more philosophical problem but I want to know how it is handled in the setting of religion.

Biblically God is not subject to his powers, they are subject to him. Time is effectively irrelevant to a God that exists outside of it and since the God of the bible is omnipotent he can change the future at will, should he decide to do so. And that from any "moment" in what we perceive as time.



JW

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

FREE WILL, OMNISCIENCE and ...SELECTIVE FOREKNOWLEDGE

[JehovahsWitness]

First, I think you have to define 'free will' ...

I would agree. Although, in my experience few participating in threads on this topic ever do even when asked directly to do so.

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Nothing, be it a human, a sea slug, or a god has free will.


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First, I think you have to define 'free will' ...




JW

[1213]

First of all, God is all-knowing. That means he knows everything including his own choices regardless of time.
If God has free will. He can choose to go against his knowledge of his own future actions....

Then He would already know that He will do so. I believe God has free will, He can want freely whatever He wants and no other decides for Him.

[Miles]

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Nothing, be it a human, a sea slug, or a god has free will.


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First, I think you have to define 'free will' ...

Sure.

Free will is the capacity for agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.

It's often stated in the past tense as "the ability to have done differently," which I think is about as concise as one can get.


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[JehovahsWitness]

Free will is the capacity for agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.

It's often stated in the past tense as "the ability to have done differently," which I think is about as concise as one can get.


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Okay so you dont think a human has the ability or the capacity to choose between different possible courses?

JW

[Miles]

Free will is the capacity for agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.

It's often stated in the past tense as "the ability to have done differently," which I think is about as concise as one can get.


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Okay so you dont think a human has the ability or the capacity to choose between different possible courses?

.... Neither a human nor any other animal.


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[JehovahsWitness]

Free will is the capacity for agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded.

It's often stated in the past tense as "the ability to have done differently," which I think is about as concise as one can get.


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Okay so you dont think a human has the ability or the capacity to choose between different possible courses?

....... Neither a human nor any other animal.


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What is your rationale ?


If I were to ask you if you want to eat a ham sandwhich or a cheese one ....you dont think you have the ability to make a choice? You would effectively need some else to make that choice for you because you simply lack the capacity to do so for yourself? A slug couldn't because he could not understand the offer but a human? How so?

What is the reasoning to come to such a conclusion?