A free will curveball

[Cuivienen]

What if perfection still allows God a choice, he just chooses correctly every time?

Then God is only coincidentally good and not good by nature.

By your logic, if I were to choose to eat pudding rather than boiling acid, I would have no free will because I chose based on what I take pleasure in, and therefore what I am.

Yet there exists the choice for you to commit suicide by drinking the acid, and certainly some humans at some point have chosen to drink acid. Moreover, if you were not aware that acid is harmful, you might drink it. God, however, even if there was some sort of lapse in God's knowledge of danger, would not even have the potential to drink the acid (assuming suicide is the less good of the two choices).

 

[puglover]

Then God is only coincidentally good and not good by nature.

No, not coincidentally, because he chooses out of will.

Yet there exists the choice for you to commit suicide by drinking the acid, and certainly some humans at some point have chosen to drink acid. Moreover, if you were not aware that acid is harmful, you might drink it. God, however, even if there was some sort of lapse in God's knowledge of danger, would not even have the potential to drink the acid (assuming suicide is the less good of the two choices).

Don't worry, I'm a very happy person. I'm not going to choose to drink boiling acid anytime soon.

 

[Cuivienen]

No, not coincidentally, because he chooses out of will.

But if God is willfully making the choice, then God either is making the choice as an arbitrary decision, in which case he is only coincidentally good, or God cannot possibly choose any other choice, in which case he has no free will.

 

[Veritass]

Since when was Bozo Erectus a wise man?

Bozo at least has the wisdom to know he is ignorant of so many things, and the wisdom to raise interesting questions.

Is god physically or mentally capable of committing an imperfect action?

But if God is willfully making the choice, then God either is making the choice as an arbitrary decision, in which case he is only coincidentally good, or God cannot possibly choose any other choice, in which case he has no free will.

God is all forms, including the fabric of space-time in which we exist, thus God is all things at all times, and the whole question of choices is meaningless.

 

[shortguy]

Does God really need free will? Would a lack of free will make him unworthy of worship, even if he were perfect?

 

[Bill3000]

Does God really need free will? Would a lack of free will make him unworthy of worship, even if he were perfect?

Nah. The universe is perfectly worthy of worshipping, and that's not sentient, and thus doesn't have free will.

 

[Phlegmak]

God is all forms, including the fabric of space-time in which we exist, thus God is all things at all times, and the whole question of choices is meaningless.

If god is everything, then it is nothing.

 

[El_Machinae]

Nah. The universe is perfectly worthy of worshipping, and that's not sentient, and thus doesn't have free will.

That's a strange idea; I cannot imagine worshipping the universe.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

God exists solely as a will to create perfection.

Its will isn't "free," it just is.

"Free will" doesn't actually mean anything anyway, much less exist. It's a floating signifier, a term that refers to nothing.

 

[pboily]

Since when was Bozo Erectus a wise man?

I think he may just have been a Dumb Pothead back then.

At any rate, I find the man has real insights, at times. (As opposed to the rest of us CFCers, although you've had your days as well, Will...)

 

[Bozo Erectus]

God exists solely as a will to create perfection.

IMO, the only time God created perfection was when he created himself. Doesnt appear to make any sense, I know. Im still working the kinks out of that one.

 

[punkbass2000]

We may or may not have free will, but what about God? Does God have free will? Or 'will' of any kind?

Within the context of our realm of experience, there are things God wants to happen.

 

[punkbass2000]

To answer this question you will first have to define God, and then study him.

Since the first is impossible, and the second even more so, this thread is pointless.

Wrong on both counts, likely due to a particular conception of God which is inaccurate.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Within the context of our realm of experience, there are things God wants to happen.

Which is the same as saying that there are certain things that God wants to do, or make happen within the simulation. Does he really have a choice as to what will happen? If youre God, doesnt 2+2 always = 4?

At any rate, I find the man has real insights, at times.

You mean me? Nah, just a dumb pothead within proximity of a keyboard

 

[punkbass2000]

If god is everything, then it is nothing.

****ING BINGO!

 

[punkbass2000]

Which is the same as saying that there are certain things that God wants to do, or make happen within the simulation. Does he really have a choice as to what will happen? If youre God, doesnt 2+2 always = 4?

Here's the rub: God does not have control over us.

 

[punkbass2000]

That's a strange idea; I cannot imagine worshipping the universe.

Really? I would say any Pagan religion worships the universe in essence. To worship nature or Gaia or the Earth, at such times, I think would be akin.

 

[punkbass2000]

"Free will" doesn't actually mean anything anyway, much less exist. It's a floating signifier, a term that refers to nothing.

Also true. But it has meaning within the context of our experience. Our experience is composed of nothing but free will.

 

[punkbass2000]

IMO, the only time God created perfection was when he created himself. Doesnt appear to make any sense, I know. Im still working the kinks out of that one.

Everything happens perfectly.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

God has no free will since he is aware of the consequences of his action. Since he is Good with a capital G, he has to go with the choice that is the least Evil of the most Good.

Pugs example of choosing pudding or acid is not a relevant one, since the consequences are clear. A better example might be the choice between a pudding and a pudding with an undetectable poison in it. Now what will Pug choose to eat?

edit: wow, Punkbass is on a roll