Quote from: Tekkna on May 28, 2013, 04:20:31 AM

Quote from: KeyserSoze on May 28, 2013, 03:26:08 AM

Quote from: Tekkna on May 28, 2013, 02:47:55 AM

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Not if you believe your god is omnipotent. If you believe your god is all-powerful then you do not have free will. If you believe he is not, then he is not a god.

What does omnipotence have to do with free will?

An omnipotent being would know the future before it occurred, in fact would be causing the future to happen as he wished. If you were traveling down a road and came to a fork would you go left or right? If you choose left and god knows you will go right, how is this an actual choice if you were really set on going left?

Aside from that, if you believe in the christian god, none of us chose to be placed into his twisted game of heaven versus hell, yet he purportedly eternally punishes anyone who doesn't succumb to his will. That is not choice, that is extortion, and it's against our manmade laws for a reason.

In addition there may be scientific evidence negating the possibility of free will, though I don't personally feel there's yet enough evidence for the hypothesis:
http://io9.com/5975778/scientific-evidence-that-you-probably-dont-have-free-will
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1567424X09701588
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2012-01-01/free-will-science-religion/52317624/1

It would seem that instead of omnipotence, you meant omniscience.

I believe the future is deterministic, and yet I believe in free will. I suppose at first glance it seems a contradiction, although God may see the endgame, there is no reason to suppose you don't have control of your decisions now, even though there is a definite and determinable decision you will make.

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The standard argument against free will, according to philosopher J. J. C. Smart focuses on the implications of determinism for 'free will'. However, he suggests free will is denied whether determinism is true or not. On one hand, if determinism is true, all our actions are predicted and we are assumed not to be free; on the other hand, if determinism is false, our actions are presumed to be random and as such we do not seem free because we had no part in controlling what happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Determinism#With_free_will

As for the common painting of God as evil, it's getting old. God has created an absolute moral system, which is really the only kind that works. Flimsy preferential morals do not work.

The existence of hell is in line with the view of a Just creator, not simply a creator who wants everyone to be happy.

@ktttn
Theists actually vary on whether or not there is a hell, some would say not. Theism simply means there is a God and does not go much into depth after that.

*satoshi shows up to the party*
HAIGUIZE.BTC
THEIST : "Haubud longtime NO SEE! So i herd u liek systems that work!"
"Id like to thank jesus... sure am glad god is benevolent enough to create moral systems that actually work!"
Noforealdo... Determinism needs to do backflips to get anywhere. Gymnast? Use determinism. Think the world's a hell? Use satanism. Think other things? Read more books than the bible-based christian bookstore or whoever approved protestant targeted imawhitedudeandimheretotalktoyouaboutjesusevolution MAXUMUM%TINFOIL author whatevers.