Christians - question about "free will"?

Question

I've found that Christians tend to use the "free will" argument whenever they are asked why God has not given us a shred of evidence that he exists, if he wants us to be saved. This argument fails in this situation, as simple knowledge does NOT in any way affect choice. There are people that say they know God, but still hate and rebel against him for their own reasons. If God had provided human beings with the knowledge that he does in fact exist, there would still be many, many people who CHOOSE to think, "well, maybe God exists, but he's still an asshole for all the evil in the world so I refuse to worship him." If all humans knew that God existed, it would not stop a good number of them from going to Hell anyway for thoughts such as this one.

So my question is, based on this, do you really think that "free will" is an acceptable answer to the question of why God has made his own existence an easily debatable topic if he wants us all to be saved? If not, then why do you think God is doing this? And if your response "we have no way of understanding God," which basically means you don't know God, how do you know he wants us to be saved in the first place?

Answer 1

All we have is Free Will. Predestination is a theory made up by John Calvin which is held by Protestants. It says that God knows of all things in the future and our outcomes and our choices. If that's true, he's an asshole. But it's not. God views life on a timeline, which means he lives his life day by day. He doesn't know the future except within the realm of prophecy. FU Evangelicals.

Answer 2

God wants people who believe Him only for heaven .



We must read the Bible properly and understand the existence of the GOOD .

Of course God is Good ( 1 John 4:16 ) .



If God proves His existence , even all the evil people will try to enter heaven .

To filter out the evil ones from entering in to heaven God has done this .

The Bible shows what is Good . We must believe the good and live a good and loving life .

People who believe the Word of God ( the Bible ) and accept His presence and existence are the good and the true people God wants for heaven .



No more proof will be given except His Word ( the Bible ) which teaches you the Right Way to Live .



Now you ask for proof for God's existence , If God proves His existence ,then you would continue to ask for some other type of further proof .. it will just continue . You will never accept God in any way .

If you are a man to accept God ,the Bible itself is Enough for it ...!

Answer 3

I've found Christians use the "free will" card without thinking about it much. Case and point, a child is raped. Well that was because of free will. However, the child didn't have free will in that case. So when you say why does god allow bad things to happen, and Christians say "free will" it really sounds like god supports the free will of the offender, not the victim.



It's not a good argument, but it's all they got. I've just learned to throw it away unless they can explain to me why the victim doesn't have free will.

Answer 4

Let's call it what it is. Evidently christians believe and justify that God allows rapists and murders their free will to do what they want and leaves it at that. Technically God has the power to stop these injustices (omnipotence factor) but does not. I don't know of any caring person that's like that. I can't think of one sane person that would stand by and do nothing if one of their 'children' were being mistreated badly right in front of them and they had the power to stop it--but didn't because they wanted to honor the offender's 'free will.' It's really nonsensical when you think about it. It's one of the reasons why I'm not a believer.

Answer 5

Why dont you refuse to block air. Or refuse to eat? Or refuse to breath? Because all those are from God... The little things that is around is what tells us God exist and is good. If you read your bible you will be able to tell whether God is the reashy all this is happening... Of if its cause of Satan.

Answer 6

God gives us evidence that He exist by looking at His creations on earth such as plant and animal life, water, sea creatures, birds, outer space, various foods, humankind, etc. We are inexcusable as to knowing if there exist a God in the heavens.

"For his invisible [qualities] are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship, so that they are inexcusable."-Romans 1:20



Jehovah God has given humans the ability to have free will. We make decisions on what we want to do. For the people who know God they should know God is loved (1 John 4:8). So they would not rebel against Him. People would follow and apply Bible principles. Jehovah God has given us free will for us to make decisions on if we want to worship Him whole souled. Many have chosen not to worship Jehovah God and ignore Him.



Even though we sin against God, He is being patient with us because He desires none to be destroyed. He wants those sinning to repent and turn to Him.

"Jehovah is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with YOU because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance."-2 Peter 3:9

People use the excuse they have the free will to do anything. Jehovah God has standards that we all must abide by. For those who do not listen and apply those moral standards from the Bible will be destroyed.

Answer 7

you're no longer incorrect. maximum people who could call themselves loose-thinkers are in simple terms as plenty set of their techniques as all people else. If somebody's interpretation of "loose questioning" is, "in case you compromise with me, you're a loose-actuality seeker, and if no longer, you have have been given your head up your butt," they actually could pull their heads out of their own respective orifices. regrettably, loose-questioning is greater synonymous with elitist than the rest. The term has been corrupted to the element the place no one makes use of it properly or is familiar with what it means. If I say that's cool exterior, somebody is apt to respond, "what's cool approximately it?" i attempt to shield the English language--she suffers countless abuse and cries her soreness to me on a daily basis--yet i've got come to understand that's a hopeless conflict. i like to think of that i'm a loose-actuality seeker, because of the fact i like to evaluate each and every place, yet now and back i ask your self. . . howdy! in line with possibility the only thank you to truly be a loose-actuality seeker is to doubt your own open-mindedness, subsequently being self-conscious and open by utilising way of uncertainty! . . . Stabbed myself interior the foot there, did no longer I? nicely, screw it then.

Answer 8

God does give us evidence that HE exsists....and gives it to those who diligently seek His face.....So you see, though we as men try to show you this evidence, unless you really want to know HIM, He does not show you Himself.....He closes your ears and your eyes to HIM.....and HE knows your heart. So you cannot claim to want to know HIM in vainity...but in Truth. Then and only then He gives you eyes to see and ears to hear HIM and His Truth.



And if then you truely seek His face, He will come to you...and show you Himself. And then you will be like unto us...trying to show others the Truth in Him. But if we as Christians would get out of HIS way, perhaps He would show others Himself sooner.....for sometimes we do make shipwreck the things that only HE can show another......We seem to have forgotten our first love, and how we were when He first showed Himself to us, on a personal level....for we were like you, wondering how Christians can believe the unseen....until that is, He came to us Himself....



For it is written: No man can come to me, except the Father draw him, and no man can come to the Father, except by me (me=the Word of God, or Jesus Christ).



So then, if you want to know HIM....that search for HIS face.....do not look for Him in another man, or building, or "religion"....for these things are foolishness to Him.



"Seek my face" saith the Lord. If you will seek HIM....you will find HIM.....but look within......your heart.....(the true temple/church)...for there HE is, and always has been. He may have a purpose for your life...and for your particular walk, that is not yet come to fruition.....but when it is your ordained time.....He will come to you.



Perhaps this is your time? Your question seems to me to show a searching of sorts. Keep knocking...for if you knock, He will answer. This is a written Truth, and since God is Truth......He cannot lie. Keep knocking therefore....

Answer 9

God has not made His existence easily debatable. We know God is who He claims to be because He’s done what He said He would do. That’s the whole point of prophecy and why studying it is so important to us. It’s God authenticating Himself.



For 6000 years He’s been describing things before they happened, so when they did His people would know that He was telling us the truth. Everything He said would happen in the past has happened, so it makes sense to believe that everything He said would happen in the future will happen.



There are over 300 Old Testament prophecies, all of them a matter of public record hundreds of years before the fact, predicting the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The abundance and specificity of these prophecies demolish any notion of chance, exceed the requirements of statistical analysis, and prove more conclusively than any other fact of history that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact there is more hard evidence to prove that He is Who He claims to be, than there is that you are who you claim to be.



This is the unique and truly beautiful thing about the Bible. It stands alone among the so-called Holy Writings of the world, in its self-validating ability. Only the Bible tells the future with 100% accuracy. God knew we would be skeptical, unbelieving children. So early on, He began telling us things in advance of their occurrence so when what He said came true, we would be willing to believe Him. In this way we can be assured that our faith is justified.



In fact in Isaiah 44:6-8 God challenged anyone who claimed to be like Him to a two part test.  Part 1 is to accurately recount the past and part two is to accurately proclaim the future. Only God, who knows the end from the beginning  can do this.



Anyone who will put aside their pre-conceived notions and undertake an unbiased study of Old Testament prophecy can prove God’s existence beyond a shadow of doubt within a few hours. As God had Isaiah write, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.   I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.” (Isaiah 46:9-10)  No other so-called deity can make that claim.



When you study Bible Prophecy and World History side by side it doesn’t require much faith at all to believe the Bible. The evidence in fulfilled prophecy is just too overwhelming. But don’t take my word for this, try it for yourself. The truth converts emotion to logic, adds knowledge to zeal, and makes your faith unshakable. Someday soon that kind of faith might well come in handy.



Check this out for more: http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/the-bibles-authority/proving-the-existence-of-god/



This one's a real mind boggler: http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/panin.htm



And here's a rational look at God and science: http://www.thebereancall.org/node/3884

Answer 10

I'm guessing that you're an atheist. Because people need something to believe in, to believe that there is an other worldly being setting out guidelines, or else there would be a lot more immoral things happening more often.

Answer 11

Free will is like a gift of a higher position in companies. It's like you have more freedom but graver responsibilities.

Answer 12

The “free will” idea accommodates some stories in the Jewish OT Bible so the Christian religion can make some sense.



In Judaism, the Jews are God’s chosen people without a free will choice of their own the rest of the World is doomed to Hell!



In Christianity they need to use their “free will” to make up their OWN MIND to embrace a particular brand of the Judeo/Christian religion!



Christians hardly read the Bible to learn that God created this HUMONGOUS UNIVERSE as an accessory to have his “ONLY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST” nailed to a Holy Roman Cross.



Any civilized society today would call it, FIRST DEGREE PREMEDITATED MURDER, but Christians willingly condone so they won’t go to Hell!



The Christian Bible presents a very warped concept of crime and punishment



The place for the slaughter of God the Son Jesus Christ is this microscopic speck of dust that we call the Earth, located in our Solar system, in the back alley of the Milky Way galaxy which is one of the most insignificant of more than 50 billion other galaxies some far more spectacular than ours!



Not even the Mafia would stoop so low killing anybody.



1 Peter 1:19-20

But with the precious BLOOD of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot*

(*NOT TRUE! He was beaten to a pulp full of Roman soldiers’ SPIT before shedding BLOOD on any Holy Cross!)



who verily*

(*NO BULL CRAP!)



Was FOREORDAINED before the foundation of the world*

(*Jesus is “the beginning of the creation of God” -Rev3:14)



==

Hs spit marinated body sacrifice turned into a “sweet pleasing aroma” up the Holy Nostrils of this weirdo Christian God –Eph5:2)



I Timothy 2:14-5

And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the WOMAN who was deceived and became a sinner…*

(*so God has Jesus Christ MURDERED on a Holy Roman Cross to keep himself from tormenting in a sulfuric Lake of Fire, for ever and ever, for zillions of years religious people who BELIEVE all this crap –Rev14:10-11,Luk12:5)



John 3:18

but he that believeth not is condemned already*

(*and all because of Eve! She was set up!)



==

God admitted that his original idea of creating Adam to mate neither with Steve nor with Eve, but with animals was inexcusably “NO GOOD” because no matter how hard he tried no animal was found to be a suitable mate for him (Gen 2:18-20).



The Jewish Talmud Yebamoth 63a, explains that Adam had sex with all the animals in the Garden of Eden until he FINALLY had sex with Eve.



The Jews know better than the Christians or the Muslims, because they wrote the original text.



Genesis 2:23

And Adam said, This is NOW*

(*a turning point for Adam. He stopped having sex with animals)



bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman*

(*Adam’s last job in the Garden of Eden was to name tag animals)



==

Eve was put together as an AFTERTHOUGHT. Adam had all kinds of sex with animals so he was not acting like a nerd when he met Eve!



God prevented anybody from eating out of the TREE OF LIFE, but he was unable to prevent Eve from eating the FRUIT OF KNOWLEDGE.



Eve did not have any “Guardian Angel” or any intelligence about a TALKING SNAKE, aka “that Old Serpent Satan” (Rev 20:2).



God punished Eve by sadistically INCREASING her birthing pains that she NEVER experienced YET, but that God is GREATLY MULTIPLYING anyway!



Most likely, God tightened the size of her vagina after Adam must have ravished her beyond recognition (Gen3:16)!



At the end of all the Bible stories Christians are promised to be married to an animal after all!



The Bible STARTS with the story of Adam looking for a mate among the animals and it ends with CHRISTIANS MARRYING A “LAMB,” which for some perverts can be a real turn on!



The Bible is full of smutty stories!



Still, Christians oppose same sex marriage that is much more civilized than MARRYING, or mating with ANY ANIMAL no matter how Divine it pretends to be!



In the Bible stories, a lamb is just as human as any gay person.



Ultimately, God is PROMOTING BESTIALITY!



Revelation 19:7

LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE, and give honour to him: for the MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB*

(*aka God the Son Jesus Christ, not a smart LEADER animal like a ROARING LION aka Satan -1Pet5:8, but a dumb FOLLOWER like a LAMB)

Answer 13

If we have free will, then why is there a need for psychatriasts and mental hospitals.

Answer 14

God created a set number of angels 30 billion?; 1/3 of all angels rebelled 10 billion?God turned the rebels into spiritual darkness (demons) and expelled them from heaven. there was a void in heaven of 10 billion open seats.God decided to create humans to replace the demons. God said that He will let demons trick people into following them, but when 10 billion seats in heaven are filled, God will send demons and those who follow demons to hell. demons dress in fake human skin and fly in ufo ships;pretend to be angels of light, ghosts, pagan gods, greys, ouija board movers.jigsaw from saw movie is not only gay but he's antichrist. when people will look at jigsaw, they will see many angels surrounding jigsaw, but in reality those are demons. the main demon is black with red eyes. antichrist is white with red eyes. if anyone worships jigsaw, they'll go to hell 100%. also, soon the world government will be giving mandatory small grey world passport. when people stretch their hands to receive the small grey world passport, a small green electronic tattoo with sixes will be given by lasers. if anyone receives this tattoo, they'll go to hell 100%. people who kill themselves wind up in hell 100%. also, people who blaspheme the Holy Spirit, go to hell as well. God is one but decides to reveal Himself to the world in three distinct persons: as God the Father, as God the Son (Jesus Christ), and as God the Holy Spirit. now, let's switch to the ufo bases that the demons built. they are located on the moon, in lake baikal, underneath mariana trench (atlantis is here), and inside a fake mountain in tibet (buddhists consider this mountain holy, but as was mentioned, pagan gods are demons). there was also a time when 200 angels told God that they would fare better than humans if they had human bodies (angels and demons don't have bodies - they're just spirits). God told them that He could give them human bodies but if they mess up, He'll punish them severely. these 200 spirits agreed to take this deal. what happened was that when these 200 angels (aka anunaki in pagan beliefs) descended on a mountain in middle east, they saw beautiful female descendents of cain, and took them wives for themselves. these 200 anunaki had giants as kids. giants built the pyramids and other colossal monuments around the world. anunaki taught witchcraft, astrology, blood drinking, human sacrifice, abortion, art of war, etc. God became angry and punished the world for following anunaki. anunaki were imprisoned underneath a desert in middle east. 300 thousand giants and 700 thousand people who followed anunaki and other demons were drowned in world flood. only 8 people were saved in the flood. me and u are descendents of these 8 (noah with his wife, and their three sons with three daughters-in-law) who survived in an ark-ship. animals that knelt before noah went into the ark with noah. animals that didn't kneel were drowned. a bit later, nimrod (world leader) and his wife semiramis (she was in charge of a brothel) created a one state pagan religion (sun-moon-bull-sex worship). nimrod was also in charge of building the tower of babel. this tower was built by masons who wanted to reach heaven and fight God and establish pagan religion in heaven. this was silly, to say the least. God burned the top third of this tower, sank the bottom third inside the earth, and changed the original language into 70 different languages. so, one third of builders killed each other because of misunderstanding, one third ran away, and one third were cursed to become apemen and elephantmen. silly atheists claim that we come from apes when in reality apemen were cursed masons. hindu religion has an elephantman deity. this is absurd. let's get to something even weirder. 80 foot dinosaurs live beneath the earth. they will soon come out through lakes and sinkholes. this is a punishment for spreading ideas of evolution. major climate change will follow. there won't be any clean water left. world government will hide food on purpose too. stores with food will be set up to laser people with the above-mentioned evil tattoo. it's better to die from hunger than receive this tattoo. now, let's go to the main message of christianity. God incarnated (took on human body) to die for our sins so that we can go to heaven. now why was this necessary? well, remember the 10 billion seats from before? yep, they're all empty because everyone went to hell. there were only 2 people that went to heaven (enoch and elijah). so, God didn't want all people to burn in hell, so He provided a cure for this - He died on the cross for our sins and went to hell to pick "believers in Him during their lives on earth" to take them to heaven. now most people go to hell too, but christians don't. why? because God said that if you believe in what He did for you on the cross, and feel sorry for your sins, and stop sinning, you'll go to heaven.