Do Angels have free will?

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I’ve heard claims that angels have no free will. If that’s the case, how did Lucifer, an angel, rebel?
 
Lucifer wasn’t the only one that fell, either: all the demons were once angels (principalities)… All angels have free will: They chose God, or they chose themselves.

But don’t worry about a good angel like Michael or your guardian angel “turning bad.” They already made their choice, and they exist outside of time, so their choice is eternal. (If anybody sees something theologically wrong with that, please point it out, as that is what I think based on St. Augustine and the CCC).

See CCC 391-395 for the Church’s official stance! 🙂
 
Think about this: if Lucifer had no free will in rebelling, then every lie he feeds to us, and whether we accept it or not, is ultimately from God. If Lucifer had no choice in falling and thus has no choice in tempting us, it means we have no say, in the long-term, what happens to our souls. Whichever “god” would control such a puppet as an unfree angel is not our holy God, the blessed Trinity.

This is totally unacceptable morally, philosophically, and theologically. 🙂
 
We all have guardian angels to watch over us.

If am angel is a spirit, how could it have a free will? Don’t you believe that only humans have a free will?

If sometime dies, that person no longer has a free will.

I would like to calculate to this discussion that when we die, our Guardian Angel will take us up to God for judgment.

Please be at peace!
 
Murcury said:
I’ve heard claims that angels have no free will. If that’s the case, how did Lucifer, an angel, rebel?
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It was because Lucifer and Co chose to rebel against God that they are now where they are and are what they are, Devils instead of Angels.
Yes, Angels have free will.🙂
 
Yes. But an angel’s will is not like ours. We live in a continuum of time and space, with constant (name removed by moderator)ut. We can and do change our minds–that is, our wills. We can repent. Angels’ will’s are more powerful and unitary. Once they decide, they do not change their minds or wills–ever. A decision, once made, is irrevocable. That’s why once Lucifer decided against God, it is a permanent decision. When the good angels decided for God, it is a permanent decision.
 
JimG said:
Yes. But an angel’s will is not like ours. We live in a continuum of time and space, with constant (name removed by moderator)ut. We can and do change our minds–that is, our wills. We can repent. Angels’ will’s are more powerful and unitary. Once they decide, they do not change their minds or wills–ever. A decision, once made, is irrevocable. That’s why once Lucifer decided against God, it is a permanent decision. When the good angels decided for God, it is a permanent decision.
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Excellent post!
 
Jim_Roberts said:
We all have guardian angels to watch over us.

If am angel is a spirit, how could it have a free will? Don’t you believe that only humans have a free will?

If sometime dies, that person no longer has a free will.

I would like to calculate to this discussion that when we die, our Guardian Angel will take us up to God for judgment.

Please be at peace!
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Dead people don’t become angels. Angels have to have free will, otherwise there service to God is slavery, not devotion.

This is not relative to the post, but since you brought it up, peronally I don’t believe in guardian angels. I do believe in angels and that in some instances they are sent to comfort or protect us. I don’t believe each person has a personal angel whose job is to watch over us.
I think after death there will be a chorus of angels to greet us, no Scriptural basis, just my opinion,
 
It was always my understanding that once a being is in front of the beatific vision of God, they are perfected (or perfect). Does the fact that Angels fell imply that they, at one time, were not in front of the beatific vision?
 
JimG said:
Yes. But an angel’s will is not like ours. We live in a continuum of time and space, with constant (name removed by moderator)ut. We can and do change our minds–that is, our wills. We can repent. Angels’ will’s are more powerful and unitary. Once they decide, they do not change their minds or wills–ever. A decision, once made, is irrevocable. That’s why once Lucifer decided against God, it is a permanent decision. When the good angels decided for God, it is a permanent decision.
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I struggle with this point.

Before Lucifer decided against God, his will would have been either for-God or at least not-against-God.

It seems as though he had to decide, at some point, to go against what he was already previously doing. If his will is eternal and unchanging, however, this cannot be.
 
GloriousOrder said:
Think about this: if Lucifer had no free will in rebelling, then every lie he feeds to us, and whether we accept it or not, is ultimately from God. If Lucifer had no choice in falling and thus has no choice in tempting us, it means we have no say, in the long-term, what happens to our souls. Whichever “god” would control such a puppet as an unfree angel is not our holy God, the blessed Trinity.

This is totally unacceptable morally, philosophically, and theologically. 🙂
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Irrefutable! God is not inconsistent. It is absurd to create beings with free will and then take it away from them.Without free will we are incapable of love and love is the reason why God has created us and the angels…
 
Boulder257 said:
It was always my understanding that once a being is in front of the beatific vision of God, they are perfected (or perfect). Does the fact that Angels fell imply that they, at one time, were not in front of the beatific vision?
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Yes, exactly so. The angels had to choose between themselves and God, just as did Adam & Eve.

The angels who chose for God were immediately admitted to the Beatific Vision. The angels who rejected God were consigned to hell. Both choices were by their nature irrevocable.
 
TheWatcher said:
I struggle with this point.

Before Lucifer decided against God, his will would have been either for-God or at least not-against-God.

It seems as though he had to decide, at some point, to go against what he was already previously doing. If his will is eternal and unchanging, however, this cannot be.
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His choice was essentially the same that we all make at some point in our lives, and finally make irrevocably: Do I choose God, or do I choose me? Angels’ wills are so powerful that such a choice, once made, is permanent.

Some theologians have speculated that angels were shown Christ in his humanity, and asked to worship him, since he is the Second Person of the Trinity. Lucifer and his cohort outright rejected this, saying “I will not serve!” They saw themselves in their angelic nature as so far above man that they rejected the idea of God taking on a human nature. In doing so they rejected God.
 
TheWatcher said:
I struggle with this point.

Before Lucifer decided against God, his will would have been either for-God or at least not-against-God.

It seems as though he had to decide, at some point, to go against what he was already previously doing. If his will is eternal and unchanging, however, this cannot be.
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Remember that just because Lucifer was in Heaven doesn’t mean he shared in the Beatific Vision. As a matter of fact, we know he couldn’t have because no one who shares in the Beatific Vision can sin.

Just as we must undergo a test before we are allowed the Beatific Vision, the angels had to as well. Lucifer failed this test and hence was denied the Beatific Vision. And it was his decision that failed this test that was eternal and unchanging. Similarly, when we die, our life will be a summary of our own decision for or against God. And that too will be eternal and unchanging.

You may also find the following helpful:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=133231

Hope that helps!
 
Well, what if Lucifer was meant to rebel, because if he didn’t we wouldn’t have a decision between right and wrong to make. You can’t have to ability of free will (to make decisions) if there are no decisions to be made. Adam and Eve were tempted by the Devil and they were given the choice to eat from the tree of knowledge or not. They didn’t not eat from the tree until temptation was put into their hearts.
 
Also, if Angels had the free will we do why are their set positions the same. We never hear that Angels “switch” from side to side. They have been where they are since the fall of Lucifer. Lucifer is Latin for “Bearer of Light” which is what he is. Light translating more a a path. The path of good and the path of evil. And it does say Lucifer was God’s favourite but God loves us more than the Angels (hence the cause of the revolt) and that could be a sacrifice on God’s part for us; just as he sacrificed his son.
 
Murcury said:
I’ve heard claims that angels have no free will. If that’s the case, how did Lucifer, an angel, rebel?
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That is silly, of course they have free will. If they didn’t they couldn’t love God. Love is an act of the will. In heaven their wills are perfectly conformed to the will of God, they love perfectly and eternally. Linus2nd
 
Love isn’t necessarily free will. We love our parents for nurturing and caring for us. If you remember Stacy Castor’s case her daughter mentioned she loved and hated her mother who tried to kill her. This was because her mom tried to kill her (hate) but her mom was still her mom(love).
 
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