My future free acts could have been different, just as my past free acts could have been different.
No, your future actions could not have been different, because if they could have been diffrent, God could not know them. The reason why we can know the past is because the past is fixed, there is nothing to know about the future if the future is not a fact.
From your vantage point the future is not fixed until the future comes. So you could still make a different choice tomorrow.
No, I could not do that. Because if we ask God today what I will do tomorow and he tells us then we cannot do anything else.
The future is only fixed in God’s vantage point because He sees what you will freely do as something that is being freely done in His NOW.
Something that is done in an eternal now is fixed and cannot be changed.
Do not confuse “fixity in knowledge” as determinateness in reality.
Why not?
The past is also fixed in your present knowledge, and you can’t change it anymore.
The past is fixed in our present knowledge because we cannot fix it anymore.
But whatever you did freely in the past was done freely. The same is true in the future. **Whatever **you will freely do in the future will be freely done in the future, although from God’s vantage point, your future free act is already fixed in His knowledge.
So, there is no “whatever.”.
Yes you can change your future free acts from your vantage point, because from your vantage point the future is not yet. And if the future is not yet, then it is not yet fixed.
Either the future is already or it isn’t yet. If the future is known as a now, then it is fixed.
The future is only fixed in God’s vantage point because the future free act is already seen as happening in His NOW. This is exactly why from His vantage point He could not anticipate what you will freely do before you do it. Because in His vantage point, there is no “before.”
Which means there is only a now. There isn’t even a future.
Yes you can. Because that one thing that God sees you choose is the very same thing that you will freely choose. No ontological determinism here. Your free acts are free, even if God knows them all.
Well, one question: can God tell me what I am going to do tomorrow? I am not asking if he will do it, but is God capable of doing it?
Unlike a film, human life is not a finished product. As a being living in time, you are open to a multitude of possible futures depending on your free choices. Your freedom is not being removed by the fact that in His NOW God sees you choosing what you will freely choose in your future existence.
If I am open to a mutitude of possible futures, then God cannot see one future.
Belorg, I am sorry that you do not understand.
I do, but it just does not make any sense.
But I did my best. I will not continue anymore, and as before, I’ll let you make a final response. But before we part, I’d like to share a story. It was said that in one city there was a street where the Determinist Club was located. Across the street was the Libertarian’s Club. A man first went to the Determinist Club to join. “Why do you want to join us?” a Determinist asked. He replied, “Because I choose to.” He was kicked out. So he went across the street to join the Libertarian’s Club. They asked him the same question, “Why do you want to join us?” He answered, “Well, I have no more choice.” So he was kicked out again.
If that story made you smile, then I am happy. Thank you for this dialogue.
A very nice story.But I don’t think you realise how well it illustrates my point.
