with what we are taught and since we must be taught, where is free will?
491442
Free will and choice is an illusion created by the mind, society, culture, and religion, etc. to give the individual a sense of self control emphasizing the concept of individualism.  If life was really about choice, then theorically you could choose who you are, your name, your sexuality, your race, your life, etc.  But in contrast, you can't.  Why in the world would anybody choose to be allergic to peanuts?  Why would anybody choose to live in a life of poverty and abuse?  In actually, everything is born into it's role and it just so happens that some people are born to be the best while others are born to be a stepping stone or a sacrifice.  So in a way, everything that person does whether its good or bad, isn't their fault, it is just them acting what they must do to fulfil their purpose.  But, the fact that no one can fully predict the future means that you still have the "choice".  So it doesn't really matter.  What happens, happens.  Its not about whether you have a good life or not, its about existing and experiencing life for what it truly is, a giant movie played out forever, because its interesting.  Well, at least its better than not existing.  But for a person to accept that life is deterministic means that there could be an existence of a higher being that set everything up.
194391
Nobody really knows, but people theorize that if we have free will, then there must be many parallel universes; a new universe for every choice any one has ever made. If we don't have free will, then there is just one universe and we chose the choices we would have always chosen because of our upbringing and the way our brains have been wired through our life experiences.
1004033
Neither.\nThey make a choice, it's all about free will.\nPlain and simple.\n\n(Thanks for the comments... have a nice day!)
442585
In one sense,  both.\n\nHOW are we "free"?\n\nWe are free ABENTS --that is, we are free to CHOOSE, can freely make choices about what we do.  But, of course, we are not free to do just ANYTHING because of the limitations of our own nature and place in creation.\n\nSo, for instance, in may in one sense by "free" to do lift a building but what does that mean if I do not have the strength to do so?   I'm free to figure out complex mathematical formulas, but if I do not have the mental facility (and/or if the training is not available to me) what does the "freedom" mean?  Of what value is it?\n\nIn the same way, though I am a free AGENT, that does not mean my "will" is free.  In fact, Scripture is quite clear that human beings, born with a sinful, selfish nature are "slaves" to sin.  That is, even if we are "free" to do whatever we want, if our whole bent is to want only to serve my self, not to love God or others, my very will (what I choose) is itself BOUND, not ABLE to desire and choose what is good.\n\nThat is, unless and until God does something to FREE my will from bondage to sin and self to do what I humanity was created to do (to delight in loving and serving him --to FREELY choose what is good, as does God and the angels).\n\nThis is why the Reformers (not just Calvin!), following Augustine, taught that we are free to act as we will, but our WILLS --and WANTS-- are not free, but bound to sin.   In fact, Luther responded to the contrary idea by Erasmus with a book called *The BONDAGE of the Will.*   This is also a large part of what the Reformed & Presbyterians churches mean by "total inability" (a more accurate term than the oft misunderstood "total depravity").\n\nTo some degree the whole church has taught that our very WILLS, as sinners, have a bent against God, and that whatever "freedom" we have is limited by our sinful nature.  (But they also teach that the believer experiences some freedom from sin in this life, and perfect freedom hereafter.)\n\nDo note, in all this, that the Christian conviction is that really being FREE does NOT mean 'being my own ruler' (autonomy), but being free to want/choose and do what I was CREATED for.  (Compare a fish in the ocean, free to swim -- it is not "freedom" for it to leave the water.)\n\n-------------------\n\n"Free" AND Predestined?\n\nEveryone here seems to be making the assumption that we must either be free to choose OR God has predestined events --or at best that he has predestined things in a very general way and the rest is all up to us.\n\nI suggest that, as impossible as it is for OUR finite minds to reconcile the two it is NOT one or the other, or a compromise between the two, but BOTH are true.\n\nNow I noticed that the "we are free" side did not cite any verses, or any other evidence beyond their own.   Actually I think they could have.  Because we ARE free in the sense discussed above (and with the limitations!)  And the 'predestination' side is also absolutely correct to insist that God is sovereign, and especially that we (as sinners) do not freely choose to respond to him, unless and until HE choses us and acts to free our sinful WILLS to respond.  (Before that we 'freely' choose to rebel; when he has graciously wooed, won and turned our hearts** we freely choose to follow.)\n\n**note that he does not, in the process, violate our human nature, but works in keeping with it ('he does not treat us like sticks or rocks' the Reformers would say)\n\nThere is, of course, still a great mystery here and much that our proud hearts do not want to accept (we don't want to "let God be GOD!") -- but as with many questions about the nature and acts of God we should not be suprised that we cannot wrap our minds around it.  If WE understood how it all fits together WE would be God!   Yet we CAN understand and exp
862182
Fate is not a Christian teaching. God does have a plan and a way God would like us to choose and give instructions in the Bible and through sermons and religious study but God does not force us to make any decission and does not impose God's will on us. We are the master of our own destiny but with God and following God's direction we can achieve great and wounderous things and have God's assistance in doing so. If we choose another way we loose God's help and God may try to steer us in a different direction especially if the road we are on is truly dangerous. Even then we choose to follow the path we are on or change course.\n\nIt is all our choice.
1182237
Education+Desire+Opportunity= Free will
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.
101896
We come from God. He creates and forms us in the womb and gives us our spirit. We are here to experience good and evil and decide which is best. We have a free will to decide where we go next. If we seek God we will find him.
748038
God gave us free will, and He is all knowing because He knows the choice we will make, but He doesn't force us into it.  We have to decide where we will spend eternity.
1058461
Stupidity and Free will...
836838
I say free will because I never know which neighborhood I will do a drive by in.\n\nCoach
709438
God has given to us free will.  We can believe in Him or not.  It is not His Will that any of us should perish.  But He gives us that choice.  He says in the Bible that His people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.   May God Bless
664867
If there was one indisputable god, where would faith come in?  What about free will?
1009122
The best lesson we can learn is the immutable law most aptly set down by George Santayana:  "Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it."\nEspecially those who quack out the same old tired slogans about how religion can solve all of our problems...
975681
The consequences of exercising our gift of free will.
737652
I believe we are all given free will.  God's desire is for us to have a relationship with him and to follow him.  However, the Bible says that every inclination of man's heart is evil. (Gen. 6:5)  As we know Him more, study His Word, pray, and through the Holy Spirit, our hearts can change.  However, we will never be "perfect".  This is why He sent His son, Jesus.  \n\nI do not believe God "makes" bad things happen.  But I do believe he can use those things to teach us, draw us back to Him, and to draw those who don't know Him at all to Him.\n\nI have a 2 year old son.  Yesterday, I was walking with him and he fell and hurt his knee.  I was right there, but I didn't catch him before he hit the ground.  But, I picked him up, took care of him, kissed him and held him while he cried.  That's what our Father does for us.  This world (until Christ's return) belongs to Satan, but God is always with us.
44278
That's a very good question and I wish we could be, but God let us have our own choice and does not go against free will.