Why you don't believe in free will if you believe in God/Religion! You don't...
Free will.
Free will is the ability to choose one's destiny/fate/outcome.
If something is Pre-Determined then you do not have an actual choice in the outcome of the event.
People like to claim that "God gave me free will! I get to choose my destiny!" but that simply is not the case.
Pre-Determination and what it means to the concept of "free will."
Free will - The power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate;
The ability to act at one's own discretion.
Now, why would we not have free will?
Basically.. Whenever someone, something, etc.. Knows the outcome of something, that negates any "free will."
Free will is the ability to decide an outcome.
When an outcome has already been determined.. You have no choice!
A solid example that you might understand.
Now, it's pretty complicated to explain in it's entirety.. but this will help you get the gist of everything..
Does a computer have free will?
What did you answer?
Yes? No?
No. Obviously.. If you understand how computers work.
Just because a computer does not know what input will be administered, does not mean that it has "free will."
What does this mean?
This means, that, to the computer, the outcome was unknown.
Does this mean the computer was allowed to choose the outcome?
No.
Why not?
Because the computer's actions were pre-determined.
The computer had no decision, to it's knowledge, about what the outcome would be.
It simply reacted to what the input was!
Much of the same can be said about humanity and our belief of "free will."
We believe we are choosing things, because we believe that the outcome hasn't already been determined.
But it has.. According to religion.
Religion, Pre-Determination and Why it means you have no choice/"free will."
Now, religion (most of them, anyhow..) claims that a "God" or "Gods" created all that is, was and will be.
Why is this important?
Basically... As in the case of the computer... Things are pre-determined.
An "all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, omniscient being.." Negates "free will."
When something or someone knows the outcome, prior to it being "decided.." That negates your ability to "choose your fate" as some would deem it.
This means, simply, that you do not believe in "free will" if you're religious and believe in an "all-powerful, all-seeing, all-knowing 'God.' "
Conclusion.
Essentially, believing in someone, something, that knows all that "is, was and will be" means that you do not believe in free will, as free will is the ability to decide your fate, your course, your path or the direction that your life heads in.
A God would know this, prior to your knowledge, hence, making it pre-determined.. Meaning that you are not the decision-maker in the outcome of your future. You are simply a passenger on a vehicle that is headed in it's intended direction, despite what your beliefs are, as far as what you decide and what you don't go.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post. I appreciate you! :)
I hope that I have, at least, opened one person's eyes to the fact that belief in any "all-knowing" entity.. Means that nothing you do is within your control.
Some may accept this.. Some may refute it.. But the facts are the facts.. Pre-determination of any happening of events, means that, whether you believe so or not, you do not have a decision in your fate, you are simply a passenger on a ship that has been set to sail on a course that cannot and will not be changed.
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Having a free will does not mean that you will know the outcome of what you wanted to do or what you are doing. Things might turn out to be what you are not expecting even when you think you know what will be the result. So to say that free will is knowing what an outcome will be is totally wrong to me.
Free will is to determine what you want to do whether wrong or right and or you know what the result will be or not.
Believing in someone does not mean that you did not have free will but it's saying that "I chose to believe in you and you did not force me. I can withdrawl at anytime. I want you to direct my way, decide my fate and do anything you like with me"
So, it is reversible.
No. Free will is being able to determine the outcome of your own future.
Believing in God means that you believe that he knows all that will be.
That means you do not believe you have an actual choice.. lol..
You're the perfect example. You think that you decide your fate, but you don't.. because you believe that some entity knows the future.. Free will is being able to choose your fate, not "believing you choose your fate." :)
Example. If a "God" knew beforehand.. that you were going to change your mind.. You didn't "freely" change your mind.. You acted on pre-determined circumstances...
How did you know that God knew that one can change mind? Even if God knew that you are going to change your mind, It's just like you have a free will to know the outcome of a situation. That does not mean that you manipulated the outcome because you know.
If God wants it, He would have not giving the free will to decide whether to follow Him but will have forced you to do so.
It's just like you setting a contest in a jungle. You know every part and you know what will happen if a contestant takes any route because you set everything: the path, direction sign, and everything you can think of. But you give the contestants the free will to decide which route they will like to take without you forcing them to take it but you know what will be the outcome of each route they take.
Those that mean that if they decide to take the right route you have lay down they have no free will?
Knowing the outcome prior to the events unfolding.. means there was no free will.. you seem to just be ignoring that fact.. rolls eyes you're just like every other religious person I've known. You ignore the facts and the basis that people present to you, and you apply your own logic.
Free will means that no one and no thing, period, knows the outcome..
An "all-knowing" "God" knows what you will choose, before you choose it.. so you didn't choose it, you acted on your design.. that is not free will and will never be. lol
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I appreciate your thought-provoking article. I would agree that God predetermining all the outcomes in our life would be taking away our free will, but I don't think most God-fearing people believe that our lives and choices are predetermined. At least I don't believe that. I view God as a very wise and loving parent who sees the potential outcomes to the decisions we make, encourages us to make wise decisions, but ultimately allows us to make whatever decisions we choose, for good or bad. If God loves us (a belief that most God-fearing faiths accept) and had already determined our choices for us, don't you think He would have done a better job steering us clear of the sorrow and misery that we all go through at one point or another? The reality is that God allows us to make our mistakes so that we can learn and grow and improve. He'll encourage us to take a happier path and try to teach us how to get there, but He will never force us down any path against our wills. So that the consequences of our mistakes don't dog us for eternity, He provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, to make payment for our mistakes and shortcomings, offer healing, and give us the strength to rise above our weaknesses. It can be difficult to understand God's ways with our limited sight, understanding, and experience (just like it's difficult for most of us to understand quantum physics if we haven't mastered the basics of that field of study), but as we study His words, ponder with an open mind, and desire a greater understanding, our minds can be enlightened and we can feel the truth in our hearts. It is that feeling, given by the Holy Ghost, that allows us to believe so strongly in something we cannot see and don't fully understand yet.
Well, believing in a "God" period, means you believe in pre-determination, "voluntarily" or not! Because that means you believe there is a being that knows all that was, is and will be.. That means you know that he knows what will happen before it happens. Meaning you don't actually believe in free will. :P
Of course, to us, it seems as though we're deciding things.. because we, personally, do not know the outcome.. but we are, in fact, not deciding things, if "God" exists! You are simply acting as you have been coded to! A computer doesn't know what it's doing, it just does as it was programmed, just like us! Unless you believe in chaos and randomness. But to believe in a "God" would mean that, ultimately, you believe in pre-determination, which trumps free will! :P
Thank you for your input! :) Even if we don't agree or you don't see my point, completely, it's still nice to have some input and I appreciate your participation in the conversation! Sorry for the late reply! :P