AbbyNormal

I understand that the notion of "Free Will" is very important to apololgists in many discussions, from why is there evil to why can't god ever reveal himself (one response I've gotten: "That would be the equivalent of theological rape!". Okay....).

What I'm curious about is the history of free will as it pertains to the Christian god. Where does the modern apologetic argument come from? Specifically, does the Bible in any way refer to the importance of free will to god?

Thank you in advance for any insight!

Regards,
AbbyNormal

(I noticed that if you read the title of this thread quickly it looks like: Origin of "Free Willy"....which would be a very different discussion! )

Ganymede

This is something that I am very interested in too, and as yet I have been unable to find any scriptural reference to free will at all. I am begining to think that it is purely an invention thought up to overcome the problem of evil etc.

christ-on-a-stick

Hi AbbyNormal,

AFAIK the term/expression "free will" does NOT appear in scripture (much less an explanation of the concept) but is a concept "pieced together" by apologists and theologians in vain attempts to cover the gaping holes in their various doctrines.

After all, much of the OT and explicit verses such as Isaiah 45:7 - "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these [things]." are pretty damning to the idea that God is wholly perfect and good, so a convoluted scenario has to be devised which blames us pesky humans for all the evil in the world. It's still full of holes and inconsistencies but it gives the theists a big semantic game to play.

TheDiddleyMan

You've touched on a big topic of debate amongst Christians. The bible doesn't use the term "free will." However, it could be argued that the bible teaches free will. Jesus invited people to come to him - obviously, it is their choice to come. Is that not free will? "Choose this day whom you will serve". Of course, the bible teaches predestination, IMHO, that God predestines certain people to paradise, and others to damnation. How this interacts with our supposed free will is where the debate comes in. it is very complicated, but interesting to read responses....


Kevin

AbbyNormal

I tend to side with Ganymede's post that Free Will was an invention...a way for apologists to get themselves out of the corner. It's pretty slick, really. Free Will gets God off the hook for a *lot* of things. These responses are strengthening that notion.

If there are no Biblical references to free will, is anyone aware of *when* the argument entered the apologists' arsenal? And what the actual source for it is?

Thanks for the responses so far!

Regards,
AbbyNormal

MortalWombat

I believe it was released in 1981 along with the rest of the songs on "Exit Stage Left."