Does Free WIll Necessitate Divine Ignorance (Uncertainty)?

The argument here is that the element of uncertainty necessary for free will to operate is shared between God and man. This puts us much closer to God than contemporary theology would argue. Our job as agents is not to curl up passively in His Glory, but to shoulder the burden of our nature--that the source of our mortal actions are as free as the will of God. That is our responsibility. That is our importance. That is our purpose.

Cheers, and thank you.

I think 0ThouArtThat0 correctly identified the misuse of the word "ignorance" in his video response. Humans are ignorant in that they do not know reality. The creator of reality, hence, could only be ignorant of his future actions if indeed his future actions were determined, and therefore knowable. Calling God "ignorant" of his own actions, it would seem, would be more appropriately replaced with "uncertain," "undecided," or something of that sort. So, I've made a small alteration to the title of this video and the accompanying blog essay.

Love to those that were effected by the detonation of the atomic bomb this August 6th.

The blog post "Agency and the Uncertainty of God" for those interested in more reading. It's a short essay

http://muscalamantis.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/agency-and-the-ignorance-of-god/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• agency
• responsibility
• free
• will
• god
• ignorance
• evil
• virtue
• choice

[ItsJustARide314]

you are assuming said "God" is linear, something i would certainly reject when discussing of an omnipotent ALL powerful creator...

[jericomovie]

I reject linear time. So, no, I am not assuming God is linear.

[timthejewler]

One would think that freewill necessitates intervention. If God interviened he/she would cease to exist.

[ThulinMartin]

I wish i had your voice!

I agree with your conclusion.

I just wonder if you might be mistaken about the free will part.

Does your definition of God allow him to know that you where goin to make this video. To know that the very same moment he created the world?

[eyeroller700]

so the further we are from reality, the more suffering occurs, but yet in the other video you did that was about 'is God just.' you said there that creation itself is about consuming or being consumed. so if that is the reality of the material world, then why does more suffering occur when you go against the reality of such a violent world?

[gtrplayr08]

dude u sound like agent smith in the matrix.

[deeryker]

30 seconds sorry  i dont do gods

[guitarmaestro078]

Great video, I am subscribing.

[guitarmaestro078]

I like the way you defined omnipotency because it ultimately breaks one of the legs of what I call "god's tripod" (Omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence) .

Your definition of omnipotence cancels out BOTH of the other two legs because if god CANNOT know what he will do "until the intention to create arises in his mind".

I think your argument leads to a true dichotomy: Either god is omniscient and already knows what will happen and what he will decide or he is NOT and he doesnt know.

[safeteyvalve]

one word; anthropomorphism

[anglofiles87]

im not sure you have your terms straight, if you want to make a point about free will it seems like a good idea to not talk about god ( who does not, a priori, suffer from the "problem of free will". ) as he is not only omnipotent as you describe him but also omniscient ( all knowing ) and omnipresent etc. etc.

Further, your account of the tragedies of nagasaki and hiroshima makes no reference to the nature of the moral obligations surrounding the sacrifices required by an invasion.UNCLEAR

[CP91311]

Change your thoughts and you change the world.