In class we've been discussing the concept of free will and whether we as Christians actually have free will, as God claims. We believe that God is omniscient and some might argue since God is all-knowing how is it possible that we are able to have free will. God already knows what decisions we are going to make and what actions we are going to take before they actually take place.
At the beginning of the discussion I was so set in my reasoning about how God allows us to live our lives without imposing his knowledge on what takes place. As more and more people started giving input I started to think about how if God knew the outcome of the earth, why He didn't just destroy the evil and save the righteous the moment Adam and Eve sinned? Some people would say that God was giving all people the opportunity to repent and turn away from their evil ways because He is a merciful God. If God knew ahead of time who would turn away from their sins and who would continue to live sinful lives, why wouldn't He just save time and destroy the earth?
I believe God is giving everyone an opportunity to learn about Him and form a relationship with Him, because if He just destroyed the earth, then our free will was being taken away from us. Even though God knows what we are going to do, we are still able to do it freely. I don't believe that our lives our written out before they occur, I believe that they are written out as they happen.
I can't fully explain what I am trying to convey, but there is no ordinary way to explain how God works either.
1 comment:
In your blog you said "At the beginning of the discussion I was so set in my reasoning ..." When people say this kind of thing, it rather bothers me, but I didn't really know how to express why. But I was reading an excerpt for English and encountered a quote you might find interesting...
"How important it is to become empty in order that we may learn is well illustrated in the following Zen story:
'Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912) received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself. 'It is overfull. No more will go in!'
'Like this cup,' Nan-in said, 'you are full of your opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?' "
Like it or not, same goes for philosophy. Give it a try :)
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