New Concept to Reconcile God and Free Will

[Belisarius]

I'm no big fan of religion, nor do I hold any belief in god, but I came up with an interesting concept that might help reconcile God's power with human freedom. My idea is that humans are gods of their own minds, and that god is the god of the physical reality they experience. God can make efforts in a human mind just as we can make efforts in the physical world, but neither can fully assert his will in the others' world. Perhaps death, then, is merely the end of the interaction between the god of the mind and the god of the world. Of course god wouldn't technically be omnipotent, but he'd be pretty damn close.

[DREAM_WEAVER]

God gave men choice. He could control you but he chooses not to because he wants voluntary love and faith.

[InTheMoment]

Originally posted by DREAM_WEAVER God gave men choice. He could control you but he chooses not to because he wants voluntary love and faith. Does man retain this "free will" in heaven?

[DREAM_WEAVER]

If you are recieved into heaven then you have already "made up your will" to follow God. I guess you can change your will once entering as Lucifer did.

[playing with plato]

Hmm.... it's an interesting concept. I like the way it gives a sort of power to humans, where most faiths seem to take it away and give it to god - and only god! certainly a valid explanation of the relationship between free will and the omnipotence of god. would you suppose, then, that humans and god(s) would be essentially equal, and simply controling different "realms" of existence?

[InTheMoment]

Originally posted by DREAM_WEAVER If you are recieved into heaven then you have already \"made up your will\" to follow God. I guess you can change your will once entering as Lucifer did. So you're saying that evil can exist in heaven?

[DREAM_WEAVER]

No, God can not possibly look in the face of sin, that is why Lucifer was cast down into hell.

[playing with plato]

wouldn't god not being able to look into the face of sin take away from his omnipotence?

[InTheMoment]

Originally posted by DREAM_WEAVER No, God can not possibly look in the face of sin, that is why Lucifer was cast down into hell. So you believe that once our souls go to heaven, we still maintain our free will (thereby our ability to sin) and if we use our free will to sin in heaven, then we will be cast into hell? In other words, getting to heaven does not necessarily mean an eternity of bliss.

[DREAM_WEAVER]

Heaven is a Utopia, nothing resembling this earth. You still have choice but dont have the same selfish earthly desires or temptations as you do on earth

[Belisarius]

Originally posted by playing with plato Hmm.... it's an interesting concept. I like the way it gives a sort of power to humans, where most faiths seem to take it away and give it to god - and only god! certainly a valid explanation of the relationship between free will and the omnipotence of god. would you suppose, then, that humans and god(s) would be essentially equal, and simply controling different \"realms\" of existence? I suppose it depends on which realm you value the most, the material realm or the mental realm.

[Citrusponge]

Originally posted by DREAM_WEAVER Heaven is a Utopia, nothing resembling this earth. You still have choice but dont have the same selfish earthly desires or temptations as you do on earth Was Lucifer not in the same position, pre-seemingly-inexplicable-rebellion? I'm thinking your answer will be along the lines of something significant about being angel vs. human or about sin existing in the past vs. future. This atheist would love some clarification.

[playing with plato]

Originally posted by Belisarius I suppose it depends on which realm you value the most, the material realm or the mental realm. Yeah, you're right. I was just taking for granted that I believe that the two are equal. Good call. I once had this idea about the non-physical aspect of life, like sleep states, where your mind is still able to work while your body rests, were just as important as waking states in developement. I ended up proving myself wrong, though. Turns out that while you can mature emotionally and intellectually in sleep states, but, but that you also can in waking states, and there's a third sort of developement that can only happen in the physical realm: physical developement. Ah well, though. I had a lot of fun toying with that one in my head for a while. Anyways, what do you think? Would you call God and humans equal, or do you suppose his realm is more important than ours?

[InTheMoment]

Originally posted by DREAM_WEAVER Heaven is a Utopia, nothing resembling this earth. You still have choice but dont have the same selfish earthly desires or temptations as you do on earth So god removes our earthly desires and/or temptations? I think it would have been a more intelligent design to just do that in the first place.

[wasup]

Originally posted by InTheMoment So god removes our earthly desires and/or temptations? I think it would have been a more intelligent design to just do that in the first place. God gives men the choices to access these sinful desires - His, being a God full of benignity and kindness, allows men to choose their Holy Path.

[W.Stanford]

Originally posted by Belisarius My idea is that humans are gods of their own minds, and that god is the god of the physical reality they experience. *God can make efforts in a human mind just as we can make efforts in the physical world, but neither can fully assert his will in the others' world. *Perhaps death, then, is merely the end of the interaction between the god of the mind and the god of the world. I agree. When a person makes this observation, I think, that there is a symbiotic relationship between a higher life and a lower life, each helping the other, that an insight into the true nature of spirituality can be acheived. I liked your insight into death especially, that "life" (as we understand it biologically) is the experience phase of our existance and that life and death are as night and day, the night being death and rest, the day being life and experience. As do days and nights follow one another in an endless cycle, I believe this is how all consciousness becomes "more" over time.