Asking the clergy about free will

If, as some believe, God is all seeing and all knowing, do humans truly have the ability to make their own choices? Our clergy help clarify this religious concept and its complexities.

Rabbi Raphael Ostrovsky, Bellmore Jewish Center:

Akiva ben Joseph, known as Rabbi Akiva (50-135 C.E.) explained that everything is seen by God, and God knows what you are going to do, but allows you to come to that decision on your own.

My interpretation is that he knows what we are going to do, but gives us free will to come to those decisions. God is not a puppeteer who makes us do what he wants us to do. We are partners with God to create a world based on holiness.

That's where free will comes in. Yes, an all-knowing God can see what happens. The Jewish point of view is that we're blessed with free will to do good or bad and then bear the consequences of our actions.

Free will is the challenge that God gives to all of us. He gives us a prescription for a good life. In the case of the Jews, it is the Torah. It is a series of laws, rituals, customs, ceremonies to live by. He tells us that we are created in his image, and we can live up to our potential. If you don't live up to the challenge, maybe things are not going to go well for you. Judaism believes you're free to choose your own path.

Father Stephen Donnelly, associate pastor, St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Huntington:

God conferred onto each of us the dignity to begin and control his or her own actions. Because of that, we have freedom and the capacity to choose between good or evil in our lives. God's hands are not there guiding us to make evil choices. That freedom given to us doesn't justify bad moral choices.

We have to form a conscience to make those good, moral choices. Then, our choices are more apt to be according to God's plan.

Our decisions can be good and moral, but we can suddenly be sidetracked. That conscience we're developing grows and changes with us. It allows us to make better decisions as we make more decisions. Free will allows us to learn through trial and error and other things as we grow. God gives us his words as our guidelines. If we follow those, it will lead us to that perfect life.

The Rev. Grace Chambers, pastor, King's Chapel of Hempstead, a Holiness Apostolic Church:

We are not robots. God gives us a choice. It is his desire that we worship him, but he doesn't force us to worship him. He shows us what is right and what is wrong. If we do what he wants, he rewards us.

By doing his will, it pleases and honors God, and he blesses us. If we use our free choice to go against what he wants, he withholds his blessings.

Think of it like your parents. When they teach you to do right and they trust you to do the right thing, it is good for you and pleases your parents. Well, you have religious free will so that you can be faced with the wrong choices and still make the right choices. It is important for us to please God. The more we exercise our free will, the more mature we become. We become more like him. We become more peace loving, more loving. We develop the divine nature of God.

The Rev. Marcel Snuggs, Harvest Christian Bible Church, Central Islip:

Religious free will means we each can choose what to believe. We can choose to believe in or not believe in God. I don't have to choose the religion of my parents. I can believe anything that I want. But, I'm responsible for the choice I make.

The reason free will is important is because God didn't make us robots. If we were programmed, we'd do things exactly like he'd want them to be done. For example, Adam and Eve had a choice to obey God or disobey God.

The nature of humans is that they don't like restrictions, guidelines. We want to color outside the lines.

Calvinist Christians believe that God has predestined some to go to heaven and some to hell. I have a different view on that. God sent his son Jesus Christ for all of us. The Holy Spirit moves on our hearts according to his will, but we still have the ability to say yes or no to God. But you must bear the consequences of your actions, and, many don't want to bear those consequences.

Free will is important because you can freely accept or reject the gift of everlasting life. He doesn't force you, He invites you. And, in the case of salvation, Jesus has paid the ticket for us.