From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhtsa!alice!npoiv!npois!hou5f!hou5b!hou5c!hou5e!hou5a!hou5d!hogpc!houxm!ihnp4!ihlpf!dap1
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Re: Re: Foreknowledge => Determinism, no - (nf)
Article-I.D.: ihlpf.131
Posted: Fri Apr 15 02:01:30 1983
Received: Sun Apr 17 03:54:33 1983

#R:5941ux:-24100:ihlpf:22600002:  0:1091
ihlpf!dap1    Apr 14 23:13:00 1983

I think a choice requires several possible alternatives.  Is there anyone who
would seriously contend that a "choice" has been made when there was only one
alternative?  That's the point.  If God has foreknowledge of our actions then
there IS only one alternative, namely what he knew would come about.  I always
think back to an experiment where a person was hypnotized and told that when
a certain word was spoken they should get up and open the window.  When brought
out of the hypnotic state they had no remembrance of what went on, but when the
word was spoken, they did indeed open the window.  When asked why, they replied
that there was no particular reason, i.e. free will.  Just because they were
ignorant of the hypnotic order didn't make their decision to open the window
"free will".  They could have argued all they wanted about how they didn't
HAVE to open the window but in fact, once they were brought out of the trance
the die was cast.  I think that all of us have this same illusion of free will
when actually it's the forces of nature that are guiding our every action.