So
I had this conversation recently. I just thought I would share because
this isn't the first time these questions have been asked of me.
The Inquisitive Friend: I have been reading some books and I have been thinking about free will. Do we have free will?
Me: Well, I don't think we can prove that we have free will or not, but I think it is useful to live as if you have free will. Does that make sense? The Bible seems to imply that we have free will in multiple sections - where God responds to the actions of people.
The Inquisitive Friend: Yes, that makes sense. I guess it came to mind because of the omni traits of god. Which conflicts with that idea.
Me: Theologically, I'm a proponent of the idea of open theism. That God is going through time with us and that the future hasn't happened yet. You can see in Revelation that it talks about how God is blotting out names in the book of life. Why would they have to be blotted out if he already knew for sure? He's blotting them out based on our decision.
The Inquisitive Friend: That is an interesting thought. So he is confined by our time?
Me: God is not confined. He chooses to go through time with us. He is still all powerful. Take prophecy for instance. A prophecy isn't about having seen the future. Instead, it's about him knowing what he is going to do. He is all powerful and will bring about what he says will happen. He has the power to do that. It isn't like he has seen what he will do; he knows what he wants to happen.
I wrote this a while back: http://regansravings.blogspot.com/2011/01/god-does-not-know-future.html
The Inquisitive Friend: So then he isn't omniscient?
Me: Depends on how you unpack omniscience.I think God knows everything that is to be known. He knows every potential outcome for the future, but the future hasn't happened yet. So it isn't a concrete knowing, but he knows all the possibilities. He created us as free will creatures for some reason, and this was part of what he did.
Me: Depends on how you unpack omniscience.I think God knows everything that is to be known. He knows every potential outcome for the future, but the future hasn't happened yet. So it isn't a concrete knowing, but he knows all the possibilities. He created us as free will creatures for some reason, and this was part of what he did.
The
Inquisitive Friend (with some serious comic book knowledge): So it is
kind of like in Civil War 2 for Marvel. The prediction is a percentage,
but there is always a chance to change it.
Me:
Right. God is a God of hope trying to always steer us to the better. He
knows the possibilities. He is trying to steer us in the right
direction. But our choices influence the outcome. The world is the way it is - not because God wants it this way - but because this is the world we wanted. He's prompting us and guiding us to a better world all the time. But we say no way too often.
The Inquisitive Friend: So is god good? Like morally.
Me: I would say totally. He is the measuring stick of good. But how would we evaluate that? We would come to conversation with our own moral values. As a Christian, I have decided to surrender my moral values to God's moral values.
The Inquisitive Friend: Why would he not directly intercede on our behalf? I have trouble in that regard. My brain doesn't work right to believe in god.
Me: I believe he interacts with us much more than we recognize. And when we get in tune with god, it happens even more on a personal level. I totally understand doubting. I think we all have programmed in us certain ideas. Like good. Like beauty.
The Inquisitive Friend: I can't remember the name of the guy. But one philosophy dude said that regardless of morality it is best to believe in god, tp hedge your bet. Even if it is hollow faith to start. I struggle with the idea of something I can't comprehend. As i got older i felt like praying was just talking to myself.
Me: I wouldn't say it's about hedging a bet. That makes it all about eternity. I honestly think it is about living the fulfilled life now. It's better to live the life following Jesus. At least that is what I have decided. I would be a follower of Jesus even if there wasn't an eternity because I like the world his views tries to bring about. I like the life of true followers of Jesus.
The Inquisitive Friend: Faith, as you are stating in your answers, seems more like an active decision rather than a compulsion.
Me: Well, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment was to love God and love your neighbor. I'm sort of rejecting the experiential thing these days more and more. So it isn't about whether I experience God or whether I feel my prayer is being heard. It's about the good that Jesus wants us to bring into this world. Am I doing that?
The Inquisitive Friend: I think so. I whole heartedly agree.
Me: That's really what following Jesus is about. Literally following him in the path of bringing good into the world. Literally following him in helping the world became what it is intended to be. So whether you get an emotional experience or an inspirational high, I don't care.Let's get to following Jesus.
Me: I would say totally. He is the measuring stick of good. But how would we evaluate that? We would come to conversation with our own moral values. As a Christian, I have decided to surrender my moral values to God's moral values.
The Inquisitive Friend: Why would he not directly intercede on our behalf? I have trouble in that regard. My brain doesn't work right to believe in god.
Me: I believe he interacts with us much more than we recognize. And when we get in tune with god, it happens even more on a personal level. I totally understand doubting. I think we all have programmed in us certain ideas. Like good. Like beauty.
The Inquisitive Friend: I can't remember the name of the guy. But one philosophy dude said that regardless of morality it is best to believe in god, tp hedge your bet. Even if it is hollow faith to start. I struggle with the idea of something I can't comprehend. As i got older i felt like praying was just talking to myself.
Me: I wouldn't say it's about hedging a bet. That makes it all about eternity. I honestly think it is about living the fulfilled life now. It's better to live the life following Jesus. At least that is what I have decided. I would be a follower of Jesus even if there wasn't an eternity because I like the world his views tries to bring about. I like the life of true followers of Jesus.
The Inquisitive Friend: Faith, as you are stating in your answers, seems more like an active decision rather than a compulsion.
Me: Well, Jesus taught that the greatest commandment was to love God and love your neighbor. I'm sort of rejecting the experiential thing these days more and more. So it isn't about whether I experience God or whether I feel my prayer is being heard. It's about the good that Jesus wants us to bring into this world. Am I doing that?
The Inquisitive Friend: I think so. I whole heartedly agree.
Me: That's really what following Jesus is about. Literally following him in the path of bringing good into the world. Literally following him in helping the world became what it is intended to be. So whether you get an emotional experience or an inspirational high, I don't care.Let's get to following Jesus.
The Inquisitive Friend: I wonder how that sets with the common good. Jesus said to be in the world but not of it.
Me: he idea that there is even a common good seems to be a philosophical tenet that there is a God who prompts us to what is good.
The Inquisitive Friend: Is man capable of that revelation on its own?
Me: I would say that no man is. But that is an irrelevant question. Because I believe in a God who is prompting every person all the time. We just don't notice it because we are living like zombies, aren't self-reflecting, and aren't examing our lives.
But again, that prompting comes, not as some supernatural force. It is something that has been happening to us our whole lives. We may call it our conscience. It may be that or something slightly different. But the idea is that when facing a decision, we generally can tell the wrong and right action. We will often choose the wrong though because we want that which the wrong provides. To our detriment.
The Inquisitive Friend: Does intent matter? Like if I give 1 million to charity but I do it for my public image. Does that negate the good?
Me: It doesn't negate the good it does for others. But it does negate the good it would do for you. I'm reminded of Karl Meninger who taught that the greatest way to get over depression is to love others. But if you are doing it for selfish reasons, then it won't probably provide the benefit to yourself.
And that's it for now.
Me: he idea that there is even a common good seems to be a philosophical tenet that there is a God who prompts us to what is good.
The Inquisitive Friend: Is man capable of that revelation on its own?
Me: I would say that no man is. But that is an irrelevant question. Because I believe in a God who is prompting every person all the time. We just don't notice it because we are living like zombies, aren't self-reflecting, and aren't examing our lives.
But again, that prompting comes, not as some supernatural force. It is something that has been happening to us our whole lives. We may call it our conscience. It may be that or something slightly different. But the idea is that when facing a decision, we generally can tell the wrong and right action. We will often choose the wrong though because we want that which the wrong provides. To our detriment.
The Inquisitive Friend: Does intent matter? Like if I give 1 million to charity but I do it for my public image. Does that negate the good?
Me: It doesn't negate the good it does for others. But it does negate the good it would do for you. I'm reminded of Karl Meninger who taught that the greatest way to get over depression is to love others. But if you are doing it for selfish reasons, then it won't probably provide the benefit to yourself.
And that's it for now.
