Are we guided by any power? Are some sort of check kept on us or we are free do things at our will?
139622
Yes. You're led on the path that you want to go on...\nReward and punishment (in this world and the next) keep \npeople in check. Although we have free choice, there is an overall plan. Each person is positoned according to his/her choices,etc. \nStay on the "straight and narrow"!
37421
You are born with free will, but freedom is earned. In other words, you have your freedom taken away, but not your free will.
919158
Yes, God has the power to predestine or not predestine our lives as He so chooses.  I agree with you in that I believe we have free choice.  I don't understand so easily how you come to know the mind of God.  Everyone is selected for His service, and everyone is blessed.  We need not seek Him, since He is already knocking on the door of our hearts.  All we must do is let Him in.  Yes, because of our freedom of choice, if we choose to follow God, we will be with Him forever in heaven.
1038932
We do have free will, but all in all God knows everything. We have free will because he's not trying to change us (Or is he?)...
595676
Despite my best efforts.\n\nIt's a weird thing about efforts to control, in trying to control everything, we end up out of control.\n\nThe ultimate state of control is being able to give up control, if you will.
14662
Well, in school, I have an assignment to find articles relating to this same line from Hamlet. We must not let a corrupt government lead us, as must continuously check and balance its power, such as our society does.
646876
No, but control can be freely given over.
1115399
This is called fatalism, and is in logical error. Clearly everything is not predetermined. To your question I add another: did you type that question of your own accord, or was that predetermined too? Obviously, we have free will. Obviously, we have personal responsibility. God is sovereign, which means He has power of choice and consequence. We only have power of choice.
1157690
my thoughts xactly!  \n\nit's "their" way of controlling what we know and do!
438059
i believe its important to establish who we are. however, i don't believe in fate, so i dont think we need to understand what we are doing here. i think we need to understand what we WANT to do here
562803
I no longer give power to others by allowing them to determine my worth. I have a conscious contact with God, and pray for his will. Any queastions I have about my life, faith, relationships, Christians, etc.....all I have to do is ask God directly, and he provides the answers.
1136370
Assuming for the sake of argument that the Christian mythology is true, of course it's not a fair judging. Just because God is more powerful than we are and made us doesn't automatically give him the right to tell me what to do. Granting us free will is philosophically identical to granting us control over our own being. It's irrelevant that he made us. It's just like the government, just because it's big and has all the guns doesn't give it any actual authority over us other than what it takes by force (in God's case, threats of hell).
1103527
Yes, but I also believe in free will and the ability to shape our path to reaching our destiny.
458710
He gave us free will, but He can intervene in our actions if he feels it necessary.
887157
I guess there isn't any way to know for sure that we know everything is there?\n\nYou could take the perspective of some people and "just have faith".   No need to use reason or logic, no need to ask, no need to doubt.....JUST HAVE FAITH!
951074
that is a very good point,, i have always  thought, if i "feel/think/see"   things a certain way,,, that i was made to be this way,,,, and how can i be faulted for being made the way i am,,,, by a creator, so yes, if God works within us, to determine our will,,, then is it really free will? how would we even know?  maybe God works with us,, in helping develop our will,,,,, in that if we desire something,, we find the things we need, the resources,  but where did that desire come from in the first place,  even if its something we feel we thought up,, most likely we were influenced  by our life/our contacts in life,,, what caused us to come across those certain expeirences?  and why did we react in the way we did??
759130
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.\n\nCorruption robs us all