So...god already knows what will happen in the future. And god is infallible so that means you can't change it...so does free will actually exist? [Spirituality & Religion]

@TwiddlerofThumbs

How does prophecy figure into that? Because those are "set in stone", as it were.

@Pikachu Prophecy? you mean when God has a man share the plans he has for us, or for him? Those moments when God says, 'this is what I'm going to do'. Take the birth of Jesus through the Line of David. God said, this is what I'm going to do. And then he did it when the time was right. Did God dictate the actions of the entire line of David till the time of the birth of Jesus? No more than they were willing to allow him into their lives. He did not control the family line, he chose it. I imagine he has his reasons that I do not see since, you know, I don;t see life the same way he does.

He is God - he has plans. He tells us his plans when we need to know them. There is a time and a place to share this information.

Many of prophesies are warnings, as in 'Hey, look back to me and listen to what i ask of you, this is what you need to act on or know because this is going to happen', is a common prophetic message in the bible. There is still a choice by those involved as to whether or not they want to listen.

This answer is so unsatisfying.

First of all, one can't choose something in which one does not believe. I've got no more choice in whether or not I believe a god exists any more than I have a choice in whether or not I believe in Santa Claus. I literally cannot decide something exists. So there is no free will there.

For the sake of argument say a god exists. If this god is really all knowing it determines the outcome of every game before the game even starts. It knows if it places this piece here you win the game (heaven/good fortune/whatever) or if it places it there you will lose (hell/bad shit). It could choose any path for your life it liked by changing the layout of the board.

This is actually not a problem if your god is not actually all powerful or is not necessarily benevolent.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

So if he already sees what will happen and makes his plans....could you make a different choice to that which he had foreseen in his plans?

If you can't, do you have free will or is the future immutable?

@Pikachu exactly. Does everything happen according to gods plan or do we have free will to choose what we want? If it all happens according to his plan then free will is a joke. If it doesn't then God is not really all powerful.

@Pikachu I have this crazy notion that when God makes plans, he's got the details figured out. We can't fuck up Gods plans. We can complicate our own lives or someone elses, but God will see his plans through.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

So if god's plans can't be changed then what choice did we really have?

@Pikachu Again, free will is about choosing to accept God or not accept God. We can either be for him, or not. Why is that so hard to grasp? God can have plans for us, even if we choose to not acknowledge that he exists. The choice is still there for us to make.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

Are my decisions only part of god's plans if i accept him?

@Pikachu Your decisions affect your life and those around you and even on those you don't know depending on the decision and the situation.

Gods plans are not dictated by our decisions.

You may choose to live a life in accordance to Gods Will.
You may make your life choices on what you believe to be Gods plan. But Gods plan is not dependent upon our actions. Our actions are merely a determination made by us based on our knowledge and desires.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

If god's plan is not dependent on my choices, then how was i ever going to make a choice different to the one for which god planned?

@Pikachu You make your own choices, God does not plan them. God has plans, he even has plans for the lives of those who choose to take part in his plans with him. God does not make the choices in the lives of these people either, but he does, when asked, help direct lives in accordance to his will. If I choose to follow God whole heartedly and ask for his guidance, he will provide. If I say 'Fuck God, there is no such character' he will make a pass and go about his work regardless.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

Can i make a choice which is not already known to god?

@Pikachu When you say Gods plans, are you aware that you are referencing all his plans in all forms and times and events. Not just in your life. Just stating Gods Plan, is a vague term.

God knows every thought in your head and emotion in your heart, so not likely. But, Gods plans are not dictated by us. Personal plans, as in plans for us, for us are dependent upon our willingness to accept or our denial of him.

Gods plans for this world, the human race, totally out of our hands.

@TwiddlerofThumbs

Can i make a choice which is not already known to god?

@Pikachu I have no idea. Our choices are determined by outside as well as internal factors. I imagine there are only so many options in every given situation. I know he see the outcome of our choices long before we can but I can not say that he always knows where we will choose to go with our lives from the time that we are small.