Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihopa.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!ihopa!dap
From: dap@ihopa.UUCP (afsd)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Omniscience vs. Free Will (again!)
Message-ID: <167@ihopa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 22-Feb-84 22:33:37 EST
Article-I.D.: ihopa.167
Posted: Wed Feb 22 22:33:37 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 24-Feb-84 01:39:56 EST
References: <844@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 26

From David Norris:

"But I think my original point still holds up.  God, being omniscient, knows
that we are going to disobey the law of jurisprudence tomorrow and fall on
our butt.  It does not follow that He *makes* it happen, because watching
someone do something is not the same as making them do it."

I agree Dave.

I think I finally am beginning to realize why Dave and I disagree on this
subject.  Dave misunderstands my position.  I am not saying it is God's
fault if we fall tomorrow.  I said in my letter to Dave that while we may
not be constrained to do God's will, we nevertheless have no choice in the
matter of whether we fall tomorrow.

Please understand, Dave.  I am not blaming God for MAKING me fall tomorrow.
I am only stating that if God, an omniscient being, KNOWS I'm going to fall
then that is exactly what will happen and I don't have any choice about it.
I maintain my analogy.  I may not FORCE a thrown ball to land in a certain
spot, but it is predetermined where it will land and it has NO choice in the
matter.  We are like that ball.  God may not FORCE us to do what we do, but
we nonetheless don't have any say in the matter ourselves, assuming the
omniscience of God.

Darrell Plank
ihnp4!ihopa!dap