@RTapeLoadingError said:
I have a couple of questions:
1) Do we have free will?
My knowledge of the bible is very slight but I thought that one of the big things in it is the idea of free will: we can do what we like and are judged at the end. If we didn't have free will (i.e. the ability to do 'bad' as well as 'good' things) then God could just makes us do the right thing the whole time and heaven would be full and hell empty.
Part B of this question is if nonpartisan's prayers were answered during paramedic training such that he happened to be at a number of accidents in a short period of time, how does this not impinge on free will? I'm arguing that either God manipulated things (the behaviour of those in the accident and/or nonpartisan's whereabouts) or He didn't. (The If you believe these two options to be logically fallacious then please let me know why.) If it's the former then we don't have free will and if it's the latter then in what way did He answer prayers?
So do you believe if someone forces you to make a decision you have no free will? My boss is in a position of power over me and he constantly puts me in situations where I am forced to make a decision. But I can still still choose the course of action I want to take and therefore I would argue I still have free will. I think you can know someone well enough that you can put them in a situation where they are forced to make a decision and you know what decision they will make. Just because I forced the situation and already know the outcome, doesn't mean they didnt still have free will to make the choice.
Isn't that how all those awesome forum laws came to be and work?