Free Will:the ability to choose between different possible courses of action
Moral Free Will: the ability choose between good and evil (right and wrong)
But you see, the ability to choose is also in deterministic understanding. The idea of "choice" doesn't clarify the position. But let's just leave this be for now, no need to go there unless we have to. If something comes up in which we need real clarity, we can come back to this.
But how is this a reason for disregarding free will? Jesus taught there would be rewards in heaven. One could boast about these could they not? For example "Look what God made for me! It's way better than what He made for you! God loves me more! I must be better than you!"
No, not at all. There can only be boasting when the reward is earned, not when it is given. A man who is given a mansion distant from the proverbial temple can't boast over a man that is given a simple house adjoined to that same temple. In determinism, this is established in purpose according to the will of God; all things being made equal. Paul speaks of this:
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as
it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which
seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which
we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For
our comely parts have no need: but
God hath tempered the body together, having
given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or
one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
But if the man got the mansion adjoined the temple by his own free will, he can certainly boast over the man that got the house adjoined because of his, lack of choosing properly. Indeed, as stated prior: if free will is true; God is a mere assistant in salvation, and the man who is saved can completely boast over all that are not, in that his own excellence got him his own salvation: and his salvation becomes fully by his own hand since his choice was the one-and-only real factor in the outcome. In this scenario God has given all He gives to
everyone, and so we are really at a net-sum of equality for all men: the inequality of salvation or damnation will all be placed on the free will of the man, and nothing at all upon God, who has enabled the same for all men; the only difference in salvation and damnation being the sole result of the excellence of will of the man. In free will, man is his own salvation, or, man is his own condemnation. God is not even in the proverbial picture at all; but is a peripheral.
If people in "hell" are solely responsible for their own damnation, and God is not at all responsible for their outcome; then people in heaven are solely responsible for their own salvation, and God is not responsible at all for their outcome, either. Yet, this cannot be the case. There are myriad reasons why free will cannot be true; and no legitimate reason of which I am aware for why it should be thought true.
I would think these play a large role in who we are, but the Free Will element remains, perhaps in this regard the ability to choose to disregard certain prior influences.
Could you provide a scenario in which a man will choose something not based upon what he is made to be because of his experiences in life? I am confident that every choice ever made by a man can always be traced back to something exterior to himself, over which he had no control. In fact, everything will always be traced back to God as the source of all things.
You see all pain and suffering, even from seemingly random events, with no obvious positive outcome, as purposeful? Say, a roller coaster kills children and parents leaving a few from each family alive. You think every one of those who died, and those who remained alive, are part of God's perfect plan? Or perhaps divorce? Or torture of the innocent? All this evil perfectly determined by an omnbenevolent God for a great purpose?
Indeed I do believe all of these things have a purpose in the plan of God. All of these situations will have positive impact on countless people, according to the will of God. When tragedy befalls, it has powerful affects for good on people involved, and, people whom these people interact with, rippling outward in positive change. I believe God is a most efficient Architect, and all things have purpose, and no thing exists which has no purpose. I can only speak hypothetically of the situations you're mentioning, which I would refrain from doing (I'm not a fan of hypotheticals) unless you want it; but suffice it to say, we are taught in much scripture that pain and tradegy works for the greater good at every turn.
