Quote Originally Posted by NissanTun3r

We are free. Whether you bleive in god or not, you must believe this lol. I mean even the bible says we have free will....sport...come on....you can't believe the stuff you say
I understand what you are getting at, but the topic of free will is a topic that is NOT universally agreed upon by christians based on the bible. Even the very word "free" has an extensive definition. I think I have told you my perspective on free will in a previous thread. but in brief: I don't believe limited options denotes free will.

So now I get all Matrixy. A persons experience is limited. The people you are around, the city or neighborhood you live in and all those things that shape who you are, limit you to NOT be free to do what ever whenever you want. You can only do those things in which you are exposed to and predisposed to as a part of your character. I believe the discussion on free will is about choices and knowledge and not about physical action.

The psychological control that is used on child soldiers in africa is along the same line. You pump an individual up with an illusion of power and then you confine their abilities to your guidelines. that individual is not free. There will is limited to the knowledge that you have given them. People have known about brainwashing and subliminal messaging for years and this is another example.

Your views on God and mine are products of these things. Which is why there are so many people who will die for faith, and there are so many people who laugh at them for doing so. as much as you would like to think its all about the individual, its not. Social sciences tell you that, psychologists tell you that and if your choices are a product of something other than you then how do you suppose it is free will?

I don't think its as simple as people want to try to make it. And if you believe that people are free to do what they want, then the question arises again, why do you continue to come to this thread to bash people for being "free"? Because somewhere in your mind you either don't want them to be or you think they are not because if it was okay with you there would be nothing to say.

BTW...maybe we should discuss this in a different thread so that this one stays on topic unless you guys feel this is on topic for this thread.