Faith, Reason, and Free Will

Discussion in 'Religion and Ethics' started by Coloradomtnman, Feb 26, 2012.

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  1. Feb 26, 2012 #1
    Coloradomtnman
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    Coloradomtnman Rational and proud of it.

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    God granted humankind free will in order to choose to do right, and, to choose God as the one and only God.

    Would you agree that inherent with free will is ability to reason? In order to choose, one must have the ability to reason otherwise the decisions made are made instinctively without reflection and based on physical survival and automatically without free will, or randomly which would be chaos.

    So if God granted humankind free will, and therefore the ability to reason, then why is it necessary that one can only come to believe in God through faith?
     
  2. Feb 26, 2012 #2
    Avatar4321
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    Avatar4321 Diamond Member Gold Supporting Member

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    Why don't you ask Him and find out?
     
  3. Feb 26, 2012 #3
    violet
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    violet BANNED

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    I don't know that it is the ability to reason but the ability to choose.
     
  4. Feb 27, 2012 #4
    Wolverine1984
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    Wolverine1984 Active Member

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    That is one of the many contradictions in religious faith that atheists love to point out.
     
  5. Feb 27, 2012 #5
    Coloradomtnman
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    Don't be flippant, Avatar. I would appreciate a serious answer if you would oblige me. I actually thought about you when I posted this, hoping you might have an answer that would thoughtful.
     
  6. Feb 27, 2012 #6
    Coloradomtnman
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    Yes, but the ability to choose means nothing without being able to think about it. That's my whole point. To just choose to do right automatically isn't actually choosing. But thinking about the decision and weighing the consequences of all sides of the decision and then choosing to do the right thing - despite what may be in your own financial interests or what may tempt you to do otherwise - or choosing to accept Jesus as your savior (or whomever depending on the religion) is what makes free will important, wouldn't you agree?
     
  7. Feb 27, 2012 #7
    Coloradomtnman
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    And an important one, I think. But I also don't understand the importance of faith - or I should say I don't understand what makes faith important to those who believe and who hold faith so sacredly when at the same time having free will to choose to do the right thing and to choose to accept a spiritual savior such as Jesus, is also of such foundational, even critical importance to those who believe.
     
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  8. Feb 27, 2012 #8
    AVG-JOE
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    AVG-JOE American Mutt Staff Member Gold Supporting Member

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    The question that will frost you is 'are we each born with a finite amount of faith?'

    In other words, does putting more of my faith in God necessitate having less faith in myself?
     
  9. Feb 27, 2012 #9
    Avatar4321
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    Avatar4321 Diamond Member Gold Supporting Member

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    Nope. In fact, when we have more faith in God, we have more faith in ourselves.
     
  10. Feb 28, 2012 #10
    editec
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    editec Mr. Forgot-it-All

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    I'm somewhat dubious that FREE WILL actually exists.
     
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