Free choice of the will

[Thumos]

I have been a devout Catholic for as long as I can remember, but lately, I have been reading greatly into the philosophic leaders of the church, namely Saint Augustine. I have just read through his idea of the “Free Choice of the Will.” What I have been able to tell through his theory is that God created us so that we have limitless free will, so we can independantly can conform to the greater good. His essay is presented in a dialogue and it begins with the question, “Isn’t God the cause of Evil?” I understand that is pure nonsense, but Augustine answers his question, not in the traditional way, “OF COURSE NOT,” but he answers it by explaining that God will reward the good and punish the wicked. However, the reason I am writing this is in regards to Augustine’s idea that the individual and God are completely separate, with the only true bridge that the individual has with God in this mortal coil is Faith. If Augustine’s idea is true though, this completely shatters the common idea that many people hold dear to them. The idea that “God has special plans for me,” or “God is looking over me.” This may seem like my Faith wavers, but the idea that God is looking over his believers really gives people a lot more courage and happiness. Is Free Will really compromised if people believe that God is looking downing on them, watching over them and giving them divine guidance?" If I am reading Augustine wrong, or I am making no sense, please tell me! I need somebody to clear Free Will up for me!!

 

[Alindawyl]

God permits us free will, the ability to choose for or against him of our own accord.

God is always looking after us and doing whatever is possible in our lives to lead us to him.

There is no logical contradiction. God freely intervenes on our behalf as often and as much as he can. He has infinite love and mercy for all of his creation. But what he does not have is the ability to do evil. Taking away our free will would be evil. God will not intervene in such a way that we lose the ability to choose our own fate.

 

[Eucharisted]

God has free will, just as man dose, but, in a more perfect way, for, while man can choose either good or evil, and that limitly, God chooses to do only good, and that infinitely. He has given a share in His free-will just as He has given man a share in His life and beatitude. God also given man a share in His Proidence, by giving him dominion over all things that he may be a steward of all things (God, being a god, is Infinitely Humble). Now since God can only choose good, He cannot be the origin of evil. Evil is a breach, and God cannot breach Himself, or else He would be self-contradicted, which is impossible because God is Infinitely Perfect.

 

[diggerdomer]

God has free will, just as man dose,.

Ummm…no. God is love. God is perfect. God is all good. God by definition cannot do evil. God does not choose to do good or to love; God IS love, God IS good.

Human free will is not the same as God’s will. God wills only the good. Humans have a choice.

 

[Shin]

Why do you find free will contradictory with ‘God looking out for you?’

Both can and do exist at the same time. The Catholic Church believes in and teaches free will and the complete and total and personal intervention in every single event on earth by Divine Providence.

Even in regards to sin, God does not will directly the moral evil of the sin, but he does direct all surrounding it, including the other harms associated with it. Job in particular gives God His due in this matter, properly. Every hair on our head is known to God, and every slightest event in our lives is within His guidance.

Having this assurance gives us both peace, and the impetus to remove sin from our lives the further to escape all its harms.

That intervention is to varying extents, sometimes more direct or indirect, but without Divine Providence and God’s continual intervention we would not even exist.

Without God it is impossible for man to do a single good deed, or even to take a breath.

The Catholic Church furthermore teaches without sanctifying grace one cannot perform supernatural acts of virtue. So one should always feel God’s intervention closely in one’s life, and aim for it to be of an even greater extent.

 

[kleine_katerine]

Because of His infinite love for us God has given us free will, even though he knows it will lead many to destruction. That is why he sent down His Son, to try and remind us that although we ultimately choose our own path he wants us to follow Him. He didn’t create evil, He allowed us the choice to let it grow and ensnare our society.

 

[DAMKING46]

im 15 and i want to become apart of the ctholic chuch how do i get baptised

 

[Shin]

im 15 and i want to become apart of the ctholic chuch how do i get baptised

Look up what parishes are local to you, in the phone book or at masstimes.org.

Call one up, and ask what you have to do to join the Catholic Church.

Most of them will probably enter you into RCIA. This is a group program where you and other people get together with some teachers who take you through the basics, it can be very uplifting.

I’d pick a church that offered the Latin mass if it was at all close by, you’re likely to get more reliable catechesis. I would not go to one which had bad magazines in the foyer like ‘America’ or ‘U.S. Catholic’.

Remember to buy books like ‘catechisms’ ‘fundamentals of Catholic dogma’ etc. and books by the saints to learn what the Church teaches!

Reading is the most trustworthy way to learn and we all have to learn on our own no matter what to a great extent.

Also the audio sermons in the links below are very good, great mp3 downloads.

 

[stuart12]

Saint Augustine firmed believed in Divine Providence, so there’s no need to worry about that. He believed everything that happened, happened because God willed it (ordaining will) or allowed it (permissive will).

 

[Thumos]

How can divine Providence and Free Will coincide? Wouldn’t it take a breech of Free Will for Divine Providence to take place?

 

[Shin]

How can divine Providence and Free Will coincide? Wouldn’t it take a breech of Free Will for Divine Providence to take place?

Is it a breach of your free will if I try to persuade you or help you or do something for you? If I give you an artificial heart, feed you food, give you everything you need and tell you what you should do to help yourself further, and send you to prison if you break the law?

No, you still have free will, even in fact, if I know exactly how you will react to everything I do, because your will is still deciding freely even if I know the result.

We are all truly free to do what we desire to within the will. Whether we are successful or not is another matter, the exterior results, those are not under our control – but the interior movements of our will are.