Does Free Will Obviate the Concept of a Controlling God?

[Danmark]

I suppose this is an old, oft debated issue, but it suddenly struck me anew. If man has free will, how can there by a God who controls all? If man truly has free will, then isn't the phrase "Things happen for a reason" idiotic?

[ttruscott]

I suppose this is an old, oft debated issue, but it suddenly struck me anew. If man has free will, how can there by a God who controls all? If man truly has free will, then isn't the phrase "Things happen for a reason" idiotic?

I suggest that GOD does NOT control our free will. But HE does control our lives which as sinners enslaved to the addictive power of evil are not free. HE controls our sinful wills as needed to bring HIS sinful elect to redemption the best manner possible.

We had a free will before we chose to sin and we have a free will after our rebirth though due to our time addicted to sin, we need to be trained in righteousness.

[1213]

I suppose this is an old, oft debated issue, but it suddenly struck me anew. If man has free will, how can there by a God who controls all? If man truly has free will, then isn't the phrase "Things happen for a reason" idiotic?

I have understood free will means you are free to want whatever you want. It doesn’t mean that things also will go always as you want. And so, free will is possible, even if God would control everything.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 1 by Danmark]

I have tried to address this before, it may resolved quite easily in theists favor, for once, yet they seem to fight the concept tooth and nails:

It is very possible to control a circumstance, while allowing every person freewill.
Gerrymandering is a spacial example, where everyone votes, but a minority vote wins.

There are many circumstances by which, particularly a all-knowing and powerful deity could allow every individual to make their own decisions, yet results be according to a plan.

[Dimmesdale]

I suppose this is an old, oft debated issue, but it suddenly struck me anew. If man has free will, how can there by a God who controls all? If man truly has free will, then isn't the phrase "Things happen for a reason" idiotic?

This is something that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. It's like juggling a thousand balls in a particular order, while they are doing all their own thing. I could imagine if a single person had free will, and God ordering things in response to that ONE person (via all kinds of circumstances). But just think about it: with over 7 billion people in the world supposedly with the capacity of libertarian free will... I don't know. Maybe I'm think about it the wrong way but, analogies like origami or a grandmaster at chess seem stretches, to say the least.

That's generally why I think, if we do have free will, it is infinitesimal, and not counter to determinism.