Zzyzx wrote:
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According to CARM (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry), free will is:
Coercion is defined as: the practice of forcing another party to act in an involuntary manner by use of intimidation or threats or some other form of pressure or force
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coercion
If a person is told they are free to choose to do or not do something but if they choose to do it they and their family will be tortured, imprisoned and/or executed, have they been coerced by intimidation or threat? Do they make a free will choice in that instance?
If a person is told that they are free to choose to worship one of the proposed gods or not, but if they choose not they will suffer unpleasant eternal consequences (or whatever the threat), have they been coerced by intimidation or threat?
Where, exactly, does free will (choice free of coercion) apply according to Christian beliefs?
You logic would imply that a persons choice not to break the law is a result of coercion. After all, most individuals follow traffic laws because they fear getting a ticket. There is consequences for violating certain laws. You still have free will to violate these laws, but you are likely to have to face the consequences for one's decision. People have the free will to commit first degree murder. The free will is not obstructed because a person is likely to face life in prison for the decision they have made.
In the same way, a person is free to reject God and the grace of salvation found in Jesus. This
decision has consequences. Free will does not mean a person does not and cannot face consequences for their decisions. If I decide to intentionally lie while on the witness stand, I may have to face the consequence of perjury. Decisions have benefits and consequences. This is why we consider it free will. We have the opportunity to make a choice between reward or consequences.
Even when a person is being "coerced" they still have a choice. They could choose to put their life at risk by refusing the command given by the coercer. When slaves in the US chose to rebel or run away, they knew their choice could result in severe punishment or death. Even with the threat of death, they still had a choice of whether to stay or attempt to flee. A lack of free will, is when a person does not have any ability to choose. For example, a infant who is removed from their mothers womb via c-section did not have any free will in the decision of when they were born. A infant whose life is terminated via abortion does not have the ability to make a decision.
Free will is the ability to make a choice. Whether this choice comes with a potential threat of punishment, imprisonment, fine or death, people still have the ability to make a choice. There are individuals who were in a position of being coerced at gunpoint into giving up something of value. Many in this scenario have chosen to go along with the request of the coercer, while some have chosen to die rather than give up an item they wanted to protect.
