The Problem of Free Will, A Theological Problem. Options

[NoSex]

Alright, the purpose of this thread is to discuss the theological Problem of Free Will. So, under common christian theolgy, God is described as being all-knowing (omniscient) and all powerful (omnipotent). Men are also described as having free will. This is at the heart of the reality of theological fatalism. Solving this issue is vital to christian theology as it becomes an inherent contradiction as well as threatening to the christian conception of salvation and damnation.

I hold that God's infallible foreknowledge makes impossible man's free will. If god knows the future, how can we choose our own path?

Discuss.

[sadolakced acid]

well, according the the bible god is all-knowing, and thus knows exactly what evils i will do. god is also all-powerful, meaning he can decide whether i do something or not. and deciding to not do anything is essentially determining the path. i can not touch the steering wheel of my car if it's going where i want. if it's not going where i want, i can turn it. but just becuase i don't touch the steering wheel doesn't mean it's not going where i intend.

same with god. just because he doens't interfere doesn't mean he's letting things run.

ergo, no free will, or no god.

[*CrackedRearView*]

well, according the the bible god is all-knowing, and thus knows exactly what evils i will do. god is also all-powerful, meaning he can decide whether i do something or not. and deciding to not do anything is essentially determining the path. i can not touch the steering wheel of my car if it's going where i want. if it's not going where i want, i can turn it. but just becuase i don't touch the steering wheel doesn't mean it's not going where i intend.

same with god. just because he doens't interfere doesn't mean he's letting things run.

ergo, no free will, or no god.

I still think you're off kilter about this subject. What you guys are misunderstanding with the Christian faith is that not everyone (hardly anyone, really) is Calvinist. You guys are assuming that if God knows our path beforehand that we're predestined to go to heaven or hell. This is incorrect. Everyone begins with a blank slate, and everyone chooses what they're going to do; just because God knows what's going to happen, doesn't mean He creates us in this fashion. He doesn't necessarily predestine us to heaven or hell, He simply knows which path we're going to take. Again, if there were no evil in the world, how could we measure good?

EDIT// I'm really just trying to play the devil's advocate here. I'm just sparking debate and new ideas, I really think this is a confusing subject, too. I'm just not as determined as some of those in this thread that refuse to believe there is either a God or free will. I'm looking for any way to show that it's possible.