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It is just like the authoritarian regimes that suppress all free will yet name their regime "People's Democratic Republic of ......."They already answered no, and that leads to only one possible conclusion: there is no freewill.
If the book of Genesis is not meant to be taken literally why stop other books of the Bible to be the same?
Because it is a story written by bronze age people who believed the earth to be flat?
Sarah wasn't directly told, no, but she was present and she did hear it - she even reacted to the idea (internally) as foolish, and the angels called her out on it.
First off all, how can God - a being that supposedly lives outside of time and space - go back in time? If God is truly eternal and if he's truly all present and not bound by time, then talking about God 'going back in time' makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. He can't 'go back in time' because he's already present in the past, just as he's present in the...present, and just as he's present in the future.
But okay, you don't like that example, and while I disagree with you assessment of Genesis 17, I'll agree, at least, that one could make an argument either way as to whether it's a prophecy or God just telling Abraham what he expects to happen. So, then, how about the example of Jesus telling Peter that the rooster will crow three times after he denies Him? Could Peter, with this knowledge, choose to simply hide from the authorities, and therefore not have to deny Jesus? Could he have chosen not to deny Jesus at all? Could he have simply gone to an area with no roosters and stayed there? Is there anything Peter could have done that would have made Jesus' prediction untrue?
Why should Genesis not be taken literally?
Look how you wrote this.The common young earth creationist literal interpretation of Genesis is absolutely contradicted by the evidence.
The common young earth creationist literal interpretation of Genesis is absolutely contradicted by the common old earth evolutionist interpretation of evidence.
Just wondering.
I believe the term he used was "literal interpretation."What you call "literal" is called an "interpretation" by the vast majority of other Christians.
I understand it's your prerogative to word it how you want; but why didn't you put it this way?
I was speaking from your perspective. In that case God would be speaking to you in your past....so to speak.
Good discussion though because you make a good point that God is essentially outside of time. So if God tells you what will happen it has essentially already happened. Just not for you. That entire concept has no effect on free will. It can exist along with God's all knowing and all powerful attributes.
So if God tells you what will happen it has essentially already happened. Just not for you.
So can I or can I not change it, then? If I can't change it, no matter what I do, how is that free will?
You've already chosen from any number of possibilities, freely. You are doing it now and you will do it in the future.
Just because you can't go back in time and tell yourself to change your decision does not make it no free will. That would create a paradox. You do know what that is, right?
You still don't get it, do you? Nobody needs to go back in time. Here, once more to see if you understand:
1. God comes to you today and says: tomorrow you will eat an apple.
2. With the information provided to you today you decide not to eat an apple tomorrow.
If 2 is not possible and you have to eat the apple, there is no freewill.
AndIn that case God is telling you what you are going to do as if you already did it. How can you change a decision you already made of your own free will
So can I or can I not change it, then? If I can't change it, no matter what I do, how is that free will?
God did mold the world exactly as He wanted it. He molded it so we would have free will.It absolutely does, IF he is the omnipotent, omniscient CREATOR. He is not just an observer. He molded the world exactly as he wanted it.
But Adam did change it. He did the exact opposite to what God wanted him to do after God gave him a choice:We can't do a thing to change it,
There is no such thing as only one choice. Having a choice demands that we have more than one option.and that means we only have one choice
If we have a choice, we have free will.for every single choice we make--the one that God knew we would make,
No, He did not. He planted two trees, giving us two choices.because he created the world in which we make a specific choice, as opposed to another.
Thats because you are not being logical.The Bible teaches omniscience, omnipotence, creation of the universe AND free will (according to most Christians, anyway), and these things cannot logically coincide.
We have the choice that does not surprise God.So, if we can't make a choice which surprises God, what choice do we have?
It may APPEAR that we do not have a choice, but we really do.It may APPEAR that we have a choice, but we really do not.
It seems to me you are describing slavery or death.It is just like the authoritarian regimes that suppress all free will yet name their regime "People's Democratic Republic of ......."
You have to join the Mafia. If you decide not to or to join and then leave you will be shot.
Of course we are.Of course you are free to choose.
We are free to choose slavery or death. Jesus freely chose death.
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