Exactly what is FREE WILL?

But God doesn't MOVE, chaz. He IS.

Cheers,
enegue

You are missing the point completely. The Universe "IS", so why offer a further complication?

Yes, apathy. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Perhaps it just means that there is a time for sleeping and a time for m aking decisions. I have made an important decision to go to bed

When you think about it, it is wonderful that the most important decision I had to make was when it was time to go to bed. I do not know, maybe you prefer having to make really crucial decisions, such as; when to go to war.

I used to dislike marking an incredible amount, as once I told a student, who am I to tell you what you are worth?

-- Updated July 13th, 2012, 6:21 pm to add the following --

That is a tough question to answer on a little Forum. But here is an extract from something I wrote.

.....logical conclusion: God is to be found through reason.

* TTP= Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, Spinoza.

Thanks, I do not make any comments as I am incredibly confused about God. This helped, but the confusion is still there. The only aspect that I for sure about God is to ask the question "and did God create the emotions?"

When you think about it, it is wonderful that the most important decision I had to make was when it was time to go to bed. I do not know, maybe you prefer having to make really crucial decisions, such as; when to go to war.

I used to dislike marking an incredible amount, as once I told a student, who am I to tell you what you are worth?

-- Updated July 13th, 2012, 6:21 pm to add the following --


Thanks, I do not make any comments as I am incredibly confused about God. This helped, but the confusion is still there. The only aspect that I for sure about God is to ask the question "and did God create the emotions?"

In Spinoza's view God is not a person that actively creates things, God is the necessity of cause and effect, the organising principle of the universe, without a plan or purpose. God is not a thing you can blame. You can no more blame yourself for where you were born.

I think Free Will from a philosophical perspective is less about controlling certain situations (birth and death, for example) and more about being able to control how we react to certain situations. Seneca believed the universe had no preference; that nature basically controls fate, and that humans are susceptible to it. Fate, not as in destiny, but as in being able to fall victim to any number of circumstances at any number of moments. I cannot necessarily prevent a freak accident that results in the loss of my legs, but I have the free will to decide how I will let it affect me. Obviously it will mean I won't be able to wiggle toes, but it doesn't necessarily have to prevent me from walking again (with the help of prosthesis). I think I understand what you mean: that free will should technically mean I should be able "will" my legs back in to existence, but I think that is too literal of a definition. Admittedly though, free will, like many other dangerous aspects of religion and philosophy, is extremely subjective and thus open to both misinterpretation and exploitation.

You are missing the point completely. The Universe "IS", so why offer a further complication?

No, chaz. I understand what you are saying, but your picture is too small.

The universe consists of bodies of matter (collections of coherent atoms) that occupy positions in space. All these bodies are moving. I am a body of matter, and as such I can move from point A in space to point B. God is not a body of matter who occupies a position in space, so he doesn't have to move. He IS at point A and also IS at point B. Even though you don't believe God exists, I'm sure you can grasp the concept.

Cheers,
enegue

So seeing that you know so well what God consists of Enegue, could it be that dark matter that cosmologists have been looking for? After all, if God does not consist of matter then it will have to be energy, and this seems to point to dark matter as most of the other energies have been identified. When next you talk to God, ask him for us as we do not have his number.

Regards, John.

In Spinoza's view God is not a person that actively creates things, God is the necessity of cause and effect, the organising principle of the universe, without a plan or purpose. God is not a thing you can blame. You can no more blame yourself for where you were born.

Thanks, but I find this a bit contradictory, how can an organizer have no plan or purpose?

So seeing that you know so well what God consists of Enegue... When next you talk to God, ask him for us as we do not have his number.

It's not a mystery, Wooden shoe. Jesus tells us clearly what God is:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
John 4:24

The best the author of John could do to represent the notion of God is given to us as the Greek word "pneuma", which, in this context, means: "an essence, devoid of all or at least all grosser matter, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting."

BTW, you do have God's number, you simply choose not to call.

Cheers,
enegue

So seeing that you know so well what God consists of Enegue, could it be that dark matter that cosmologists have been looking for? After all, if God does not consist of matter then it will have to be energy, and this seems to point to dark matter as most of the other energies have been identified. When next you talk to God, ask him for us as we do not have his number.

Regards, John.

The one who claims to speak to God and God speak to him is Neale Donald Walsch. Furthermore he seems to be very well off thanks to this.