I'm interested in discussing the problem of free will as it applies to

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religion, especially Christianity? I'd also like links to discussions by those who have given this thought and in the Bible. This is not a homework question this is for me.
To me, free will is the central problem with religion, especially the Bible, where God keeps saying fear me. I am eager to; Do good, Avoid evil, and Stay out of the refrigerator (that's the hard one) but anybody threatens me in order to get me to do something, including gods, has picked a fight. Thoughts please?
As far as obeying the government goes, I honor the founding fathers and recognize their wisdom and endeavor to keep our system working. But, to do that I will engage in political protests, none violent resistence, and in the most extreme casesm invoke the second amendment in the defense of what I consider right. If you look through my answer you will see that Richard Milhouse Nixon came within one letter of my telling him in caliber 30 that I would not kill under his orders. If I was to have to face God to explain a murder, it would have been Nixon's.

Those of you who say I am not very familiar with the bible are correct. I am rereading it now, and I asked this question in pursuit of enlightenment.
Thank you all for the help.
 
A few random thoughts...

There is a difference between fearing someone and being afraid of someone. In addition, fear isn't wholly negative...a certain level of fear is quite healthy...without it, we'd do any number of stupid and potentially deadly things.

A question for you...when your parents set a rule for you and told you the consequences for disobedience (only some of which they directly imposed), did you interpret that as "picking a fight"? Another questions...when your parents told you that crossing the street without looking both ways for cars could kill you, were they threatening you?
If the answer to either or both is yes, the how will (or do) you guide your own children without threatening them or picking a fight?

Free will does not mean freedom from consequences. Free will merely means that you have the ability to make choices and then act on those choices. My son (he's eight) has free will...and I exercise a LOT more direct control over it than God exercises over my own free will!

Free will really is quite simple (and completely consistent with reality) when you consider that God gave us the ability to make choices and then live our entire life experiencing the consequences (good and bad) of those choices. ...and then we die...and experience any consequences of our previous choices that might transcend the barrier of death...the one barrier we simply can't see past during this lifetime.

This perspective transforms God's instructions from threats and picking a fight into the advice of a concerned parent who wants us to grow up to become responsible, productive adults...in the eternal life he wants to give us!
 
Yes, but God also sas stuff like "i knitted you in your mothers womb" and he gave his onl son to die for us so our sins may be forgiven. so he is clearly not say "fear me" through those nor is he in man other parts you have clearly not read the bible very well. and about free will well i would say it is your choice how comitted you will be and therefore you give yourself as much or as little free will as you want. you are probably going to call me biased because i am christian but i have to be equal sided as i see where you are coming from but it seem a blunt opinion and as if you havent explored into it much
 
Fear = Reverence when it is applied to God. The only way that you can be righteous is through God. In reverence means to obey Him.
 
I wana add something. Free will and god's omniscience are incompatible. If god is omniscient then he knows every single decision before you make them. Therefore your the path you take has already been chosen for you and you do not have free will, just the illusion of free will. If we dont have free will then the bible is lying, or if god is not omniscient then he is not god.
 
Agency is the ability and freedom to choose good or evil. It is an eternal principle which has existed with God from all eternity. The spirit offspring of the Father had agency in pre-existence and were thereby empowered to follow Christ or Lucifer according to their choice. It is by virtue of the exercise of agency in this life that men are enabled to undergo - the testing which is an essential part of mortality.

Four great principles must be in force if there is to be agency: 1. Laws must exist, laws ordained by an Omnipotent power, laws which can be obeyed or disobeyed; 2. Opposites must exist - good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong - that is, there must be an opposition, one force pulling one way and another pulling the other; 3. A knowledge of good and evil must be had by those who are to enjoy the agency, that is, they must know the difference between the opposites; and 4. An unfettered power of choice must prevail.

Agency is given to man as an essential part of the great plan of redemption. As with all things appertaining to this plan, it is based on the atoning sacrifice of Christ. As Lehi expressed it: "Because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given. Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."

Satan "sought to destroy the agency of man", an eventuality which would have made the attainment of salvation impossible, and accordingly he was cast out of heaven. Two great agencies on earth pattern their courses in accordance with Lucifer's program of compulsion and seek to deny the inalienable right of agency to men. These are the church of the devil and the communistic dictatorship, both of which prosper proportionately as they are able to withhold truth from their adherents and compel them through fear to conform to the "religious" and "party" lines. On the other hand, it is the will of the Lord that all agencies, governments included, should be so ordained "That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment."
 
The way to get a mule to go forward, is to get in front of him and push. Scripture assures us that each will be judged, and that the judgment is just. Thus we must have a free will, and have some power over our choices. Salvation is like a marriage contract offered by YAHOSHUA. Take His name, follow His rules, (Torah) and you become His 'bride' and He saves you. There are conditions to His blessing, and if you refuse to receive His gift, you have no life, and sin and sinners will be destroyed in the lake of fire, so YAHOSHUA can make all things new, and very good. There is no perpetual torture.
 
the word Fear in the bible would have been better translated as respect. I can respect Him with out a problem. Free will is essential, Satan wanted us to not have free will, just do what we are supposed to do and get back to God, and satan would get the credit. when Jesus agreed to be the savior, Jesus said they may choose for themselves, and God gets the credit. So we have free will and God is given credit and often criticism
 
Fear is a device employed by malevolent tyrants to maintain control of their populace.

On the note of free-will, ESPECIALLY as it pertains to Christianity, it is impossible given some of the attributes ascribed to God... particularly omniscience (you cannot do what God knows you will not, nor can He do what He knows he will not), and omnipotence.

Point is, if He created existence, knowing full well that I would go to Hell, while also, in His omniscience knowing how to incorporate a "free" existence where no one goes to Hell, then He is malevolent.
 
Because of what happened to me. I forgive everybody, trust no one but my HAPPY GOD who loves me for me. I fear people but I fear GOD most of all. GOD giveth and GOD can take it away...by that I mean my life...I want to live forever to infinity and beyond and I prayed to GOD for that. I want eternal LIFE of Happiness and Joy and GOD's love for me and everyone else.
 
Because of what happened to me. I forgive everybody, trust no one but my HAPPY GOD who loves me for me. I fear people but I fear GOD most of all. GOD giveth and GOD can take it away...by that I mean my life...I want to live forever to infinity and beyond and I prayed to GOD for that. I want eternal LIFE of Happiness and Joy and GOD's love for me and everyone else.
 
So do you follow the laws of your government?
They threaten you with fines and jail time or prison if you do not obey their laws.

free will is not used to do as we wish and not face consequences for our actions.

For ever action there is a reaction and a consequence.

Some people feel if I do what I want, then I should not have any punishment for what I do.

If I want to take something I should be allowed to, even if its not mine.

To live in your country they set up laws for you to live there.

To live freely and peacefully you have to obey the laws. If you do not you are threaten with fines, or jail, or prison. Obey the laws or get punishment.

God created us to seek him out and worship him. He also created us to live by his moral laws. He gave us free will to obey and follow the laws not to break them, just like the government.

You break the laws you get punished. You break God's laws you get punished. The laws are not there to take away freedom but create it.The laws keep order in the society as do god's moral laws.

If you kill the consequence is death to your victim but also back to you in judgment. No one has the freedom to kill with out facing punishment for their action.

The people who do not repent of breaking the laws of God and come to him for salvation to change, which is to repent, will face judgment. They will be sent to the prison of hell for their soul, but also after the resurrection of the body to a eternal one, the soul and body to the lake of fire as judgment for refusing to stop breaking the laws of God.
 
Fear me just means fear the Truth because God is Truth. So if you abstain from evil then you won't experience the plagues associated with it.
Job 28:28And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
 
We have freewill and free wisdom but you are accountable for your actions.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment."
 
We have freewill and free wisdom but you are accountable for your actions.
Ecclesiastes 11:9
"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment."
 
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