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09 September 2011

clarifications on free will

This is primarily a list of questions and options that hopefully will make the free will debate more clear.

First, I begin with a list of distinctions.
1) Maybe God controls our ability to make decisions (takes away our arm so we can't throw a baseball) but not the decisions themselves (if you have the arm, he won't stop you)
2) Does God have the ability to control our abilities or decisions to begin with (highly probably yes, but just realize that)
3) Maybe God controls us (in either way) only some of the time. Exodus 4:21 "But I will harden his [Pharaoh's] heart so that he will not let the people go." and Samuel 6:6 "Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did?" (there are 4 other instances of people hardening, and 2-3 others of God hardening hearts)
4) The last two verses mentioned bring the possibility of some duality. Where God can harden hearts at the same time as they harden their own hearts. (P.S. This instance is of our ability to decide, because it is our hearts, not will.) Note that in the ten plauges, God hardens Pharaoh's heart 9 times, the king does his own heart 3 times, and the event is stated neutrally "but his heart was hardened" or something similar 6 times, 7 of which (of both latter cases) the phrase "just as the LORD had said" afterward, possibly implying Gods promise to harden his heart.
Just read this passage and note the duality: Exodus 9:34-10:1 "When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them."
5) Another consideration is the guilt of various actions. However, it is fairly clear that people are guilty of what they do regardless. Romans 9:19-21 "One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?' But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?" Or note the phrase "he sinned again" mentioned in the end of section 4.
6) How does being made "in the image of God" affect our free will? How are we alike/different to God in terms of free will?
7) How does Gods foreknowledge of all events affect these operations?

Just some things to think about.

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