Religious Free Will

[Nakosis]

What is free will according to your religious beliefs?

Not the philosophical meaning.
Does free will exist per your religion/theology?
If so, how does free will benefit you?
How would your life be different if you didn't have free will?

 

[sun rise]

I would say that free will and determinism is one of the bipolar dimensions along with up/down, left/right, forward/backward.

I don't have the experience of transcending this bipolar perspective but I have read recently scientific studies that often we act before we consciously decided to act and only afterwards thought we were making a decision.

So in some cases we think we've used free will to decide something but in reality it's just rationalizing something our subconsciously mind already initiated. So in that case where is free will?

There are of course times we ponder something and make a conscious decision but the point is we do less of it than we thought. And maybe even our pondering and deciding is just the operation of determinism. I'm not sure.

 

[Eddi]

To me, free will is very much related to accountability and responsibility for one's actions

The criminal justice system is based on the notion of free will

One could not plead "not guilty" to a charge in a court of law on the basis of free will being an illusion

 

[RestlessSoul]

To me, free will is very much related to accountability and responsibility for one's actions

The criminal justice system is based on the notion of free will

One could not plead "not guilty" to a charge in a court of law on the basis of free will being an illusion

It wouldn't make any difference if you did, as without free will, the decision of the judge or magistrate would be pre-determined from the beginning anyway.

 

[1213]

What is free will according to your religious beliefs?
...

I have understood it means that I can want freely whatever I want. It does not mean that everything goes also as I want, so it is not the same as being omnipotent. I think I have free will.