Do we really have God-given free will?

Question

Now I'm an atheist, but if I'm wrong, I go to h**l right?

I know that and I'd love to believe in God to avoid any such incident, and I was initially raised as a Christian and I know that many Christians do live very happy lives through their beliefs.

Now in the bible it states that we all have free will to chose to follow God or not.

I don't believe that I have a choice, there is no possible way that I can make myself believe in God no matter how much I want to. I just can't believe in something that has absolutely no proof.

So how can I have free will choice to follow something if I don't even believe in it at this moment?

Also, as per the Christian beliefs, I'm going to h**l because the logical brain that I was born with wont follow something it doesn't believe in. That doesn't sound very just to me.

This is a serious question, so I'll enjoy reading any serious answers :)

Answer 1

It's like a fish in water who doesn't know it's in water since everything is water. If everything is predetermined and an illusion, and you have an absolute like that, how can something be described at being predetermined and without free will? It's God who exist outside of everything that makes everything predetermined while He is completely free and has an independent will. That makes everything in illusion predetermined without free will but we don't know that since we are as much an illusion as everything else.

Answer 2

We have free will. I don't know if its god given (seeing as I don't know if there is a god.) I think the free will comes with you having the ability to block out "logical" questions of faith and stuff like that. You could choose to ignore the questions in your head about god or even continue believing in god, but search for the answers to your questions.

It might be hard for you, but I think you could believe in god (with a few parts you don't understand) if you really, really want to. However, there are groups of evangelical Christians that deny scientific facts so it made take ignoring things you know to be true to keep your belief in god.

Answer 3

Some of your postulates sound like me at times.  I wrestle with the knowledge of my upbringing and try to unravel all that was ingrained in me, constantly (well, not constantly!).  My trouble with the whole freewill thing is why would God give us this privilege (and as I see it, all creatures - think of a trained dog; “should I jump up onto the couch and get yelled at from my master or just go out to the kitchen and look for food in my bowl”), knowing full well we were going to make the wrong decisions with it (and did from the get-go in the Garden of Eden) and s***w things up.  And then, only later, arrive at the assessment that he (God) was going to need to do something to help us redeem ourselves!  This, actually, after he got angry for what we had become and destroyed the Earth and all it’s inhabitants, save Noah and his kin, and two of every kind of living creature of that time (except for the dinosaurs - and I ain’t even gonna get into that!)

For me, the Bible makes God sound like he’s ‘winging it’ with every step - and that’s hard to fit into a character profile of someone or something who knows all, sees all, and created the universe.  The Bible (the template for conducting oneself as a good Christian) does appear to me like a WELL crafted book to guide people in a way that makes them compliant and responsible for there actions, therefore warranting punishment if not obedient (from God or Man).  And everything about God, Christianity, Religion and all their offshoots stem from the Bible being authentic.  I’ve adapted myself to saying that the Bible is written by Man.  Man professes that the Bible was inspired, sanctioned, and authorized by God (Man said this; not God!).  I have seen no true relic or artifact to support this - that is authentic and unequivocally God given, except what Man has said or written as so.  And so, what do we know about Man:  Rule #1 - Man is a known liar; Rule #2 - Man is a known cheat; Rule #3 - Man will lie about cheating!  Therefore, for me it seems impossible to believe in a book, written by Man, and construct all its possible fictions into a world accepted authentic lifestyle called Christian.  I just continue to try and be a good human (and there starts the philosophical debate on what that entails!).

God-given free will?  Seems to me it’s more like (as it has always been) human choices.

Answer 4

there is proof ur just not willing to open up to them

Answer 5

yea, you have a choice. you believe or you don't. God left that to you to decide. so whatever the outcome may be..it was by your choice.  

Answer 6

If you had proof God existed, then you wouldn't need faith. Faith is the essence of christianity. We accept on faith that God is god and that jesus died for our sins, etc.

Your belief in god is irrelevant.  The matters most in this universe isn't what a person may or may not believe.  If that were the case, then there would be only one person to keep jesus company in heaven.  What matters most in the universe is that god believes in us enough to send his son to die for our sins, etc. Redemption is something god has done, not something we can do for ourselves