If God knows the future, can we
still have free will?
Upfront, the answer seems simple;
yes, we have free will to choose what we want, and God is aware of the future
and the choices we will make before we make them, but doesn’t force us to
change decisions or actions. But digging deeper, if God has control of
everything outside of humans choices, but knows exactly what we will choose to
do based on every possible circumstance, does that mean he set our surroundings
and circumstances as they are, knowing it would result in making the precise
decisions which we do? If God created every circumstance as it is, knowingly
causing every person to choose to do as they do under those circumstances, is
there a point to free will when it will always result the exact way God caused
it to?
Life and the entire universe seems
like it would be sort of redundant, meaningless, and pointless if God simply
forced everything to occur precisely as it does. It seems unlikely that God
would orient the world in this way. But, the only way God would be controlling
the outcome of all decisions, would be if he manually caused every variable of
every circumstance –which is what influences someone to make a specific decision
over another. So if God simply chooses not to manipulate or change
circumstances based on his knowledge of what is to come, then he is not forcing
circumstances to be a certain way, or influence decisions made by humans. With
this set of parameters, God can allow free will and allow circumstances to
occur naturally –without his incision of implementation - despite of knowledge
that his incision would alter the result.
Does this mean God does not alter
any naturally occurring circumstances, in order to allow all situations
(including chances for human decisions) from that point on –which would have
otherwise been influenced by his alteration- to occur freely? I think God could
still alter a circumstance, in order to cause a specific result –but
simultaneously allowing freedom of occurrence for all future influenced
situations-, if he chose not to cause his alteration based on the knowledge of
the occurring influences. Basically, the same principle applies; he would have
to choose to retain current circumstances despite knowledge of potential
changes with the capability to cause preferred results. In this way, God could
still make alterations to otherwise naturally occurring circumstances with
precision, and without theoretically forcing alterations to all side-effects
–including free will- of the alteration.
It might be like playing a card
game, and seeing your opponents’ cards mistakenly, but choosing to refrain from
playing your hand any differently despite the potential to take advantage of
the information.
If Gods will is to allow maximum
freedom of occurrences and choice, it would seem logical that he would minimize
alterations based on his own preference. Does this mean God rarely intercedes
in the world? Not necessarily, as there is an additional allowance for God to
force changes in the world. This allowance would be a request as a product of human
free will. If the decision is made by someone using their gift of free will, to
request Gods alteration of circumstances, then it is not God forcing the change
based on exclusively his own will, and is not stopping or reducing freedom of
occurrence of situations influenced by the alteration. Basically prayer seems
to be the main allowance for God to alter and implement changes in the world.
For God to make a change, all it
might take is you asking. And even though God knows the results of all changes
as well as what you will choose, doesn’t take away from your freedom TO choose.
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