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You have free will but are only free to follow the rules.
Is that really freedom?
The only freedom we have is to follow the rules or break them.
No other freedom comes to mind.
This would include either secular rules or religious rules.
Rules of physics and nature are understood.
This free will that you have is freedom that you take.
It is not given to you.
Freedom is not something that can be given unless it is first taken from you.
If we are in God’s image and He in ours, then is He hampered by this same condition of only being able to follow the rules or break them?
You have free will but are only free to follow the rules.
Is that really freedom?
The only freedom we have is to follow the rules or break them.
No other freedom comes to mind. This would include either secular rules or religious rules. Rules of physics and nature are understood.
This free will that you have is freedom that you take. It is not given to you. Freedom is not something that can be given unless it is first taken from you.
If we are in God’s image and He in ours, then is He hampered by this same condition of only being able to follow the rules or break them?
He seems to be.
Regards
DL
First of all, God is Love... and it's a blissful love that we can obtain if we seek for it. He doesn't break His own rules and why should He?
It seems as if people are so quirky and all up in a knot about following God's rules, or laws. The fact is that they are so easy to follow. And God set down these rules so that men would treat each other nicely and not be big jerks and we would live on earth in a world with peace and harmony.
Whenever we do something stupid and we break one of God's laws, what usually happens is that we pay the penalty for it very quickly. We are ashamed, feel remorse, or regret about it and sometimes we apologize to the person we have wronged and are forgiven. When this happens, we forget about it and that's a good thing.
First of all, God is Love... and it's a blissful love that we can obtain if we seek for it. He doesn't break His own rules and why should He?
It seems as if people are so quirky and all up in a knot about following God's rules, or laws. The fact is that they are so easy to follow. And God set down these rules so that men would treat each other nicely and not be big jerks and we would live on earth in a world with peace and harmony.
Whenever we do something stupid and we break one of God's laws, what usually happens is that we pay the penalty for it very quickly. We are ashamed, feel remorse, or regret about it and sometimes we apologize to the person we have wronged and are forgiven. When this happens, we forget about it and that's a good thing.
It's weird I agree with both this and the OP. But I will add that perhaps god exists in a realm where the "rules don't apply" to him. As that realm could very well have it's own seperate rules or none at all...
There are consequences to actions, but of course you're still free to do them. Plus everyone sins and everyone falls short sometimes. Reason is valued, but is not seen as the only thing in life.
Anyway it's amusing seeing atheists/agnostics criticize religious on this as many of them, Will Provine for example, said they have no reason to believe in free-will at all. From an atheist perspective as I understand it our actions are determined by genetics, neurochemistry, behavioral conditioning, and forces beyond us. There is no "soul" and no "mind" that chooses things. You're just a very complicated machine. You have the free-will of a real snazzy toaster.
Note: I feel a tad guilty on reading Provine has an inoperable brain tumor. Still he is an atheist who doesn't believe in free-will and I might not have time to replace him with someone else.
Last edited by Thomas R.; 12-13-2009 at 09:28 PM..
not so. we are given options. there are several paths, both with rules. they lead different directions neither bad nor good. only trapped animals have choice of fight or fold, but we are not trapped animals.
It's weird I agree with both this and the OP. But I will add that perhaps god exists in a realm where the "rules don't apply" to him. As that realm could very well have it's own seperate rules or none at all...
Our Heavenly Father is way, way up there and let's just put it this way, He's in charge and He knows what He's doing!
The fact that He knows who each one of us is... is really pretty spectacular when you think about it... considering there are how many billions of us on this earth... 6 and counting.
First of all, God is Love... and it's a blissful love that we can obtain if we seek for it. He doesn't break His own rules and why should He?
It seems as if people are so quirky and all up in a knot about following God's rules, or laws. The fact is that they are so easy to follow. And God set down these rules so that men would treat each other nicely and not be big jerks and we would live on earth in a world with peace and harmony.
Whenever we do something stupid and we break one of God's laws, what usually happens is that we pay the penalty for it very quickly. We are ashamed, feel remorse, or regret about it and sometimes we apologize to the person we have wronged and are forgiven. When this happens, we forget about it and that's a good thing.
Other than hear say of Bible say, what leads you to think that God even exists let alone makes laws?
It's weird I agree with both this and the OP. But I will add that perhaps god exists in a realm where the "rules don't apply" to him. As that realm could very well have it's own seperate rules or none at all...
That or He comes to our realm and ignores his own rules.
I E. Though shall not kill.
He seems to kill us quite often in scripture.
Regards
DL
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