Open Theism: God's Knowledge & Our Freedom - CCT Conversations - Zimmerman/Crisp

Philosophers Dean Zimmerman (Rutgers University) and Tom Crisp (Biola University) discuss Zimmerman's views about God's knowledge and human freedom.

[EricSmythChrist]

God knows the future infinitely more than he knows it precisely

[JewandGreek]

If Eddie Van Halen wore glasses and discussed philosophy.

[ivjdivfjalekvvjp]

I don't understand why open theists assume that future contingencies don't have a truth value.  It is either true or false that some event E will happen.  If it is either true or false that E will happen, then God knows whether it's true or false, given that he knows the truth value of every proposition.  It doesn't mean He is causing it.  It doesn't mean the event is determined.  It just means God knows it.  The principle of bivalence still applies.  That seems obviously true to me at least.

I very much disagree with Zimmerman here. 

[sethhersch]

Interesting counter example, Jeremy, but GOD has one essential attribute the candy bar story missed: omnipotence. If you had the ability to alter the child's preferences, the analogue would better hold.

[ProfNewc]

It isn't that they don't have truth value, it is that the value is yet undetermined. Tomorrow I may get up and drink coffee or tea. For God to know which, someone other than me needs to have determined which I would drink tomorrow because I truly have not yet decided which, ergo, I am not free to make that choice because the determination was made by another. But you are wrong, it does in fact mean someone other than me made the choice if it is known before I choose, and is is necessarily so. It cannot be both ways. If so, freedom is an illusion as Luther, Augustine, and Plato well understood. Then sin is not a choice we made, how then is is just to judge us for it? All works-around attempt simply fail to adequately explain this. Believe them if you like, but under the pain of self delusion. 

[christdiedforoursins]

There is a spiritual battle aswell which u!timately Jesus has won but we can still act in the spirit of the devil in our flesh.I'm really fine with not adhering to any theological system and I'm willing to say some things are a mystery. I'm not Gonna try to box God up, he is who he is, nothing is impossible for God.

[GamingandFrightened]

Open theism doesn't seem logical to me...the bible makes it pretty clear that God is not restrained by time, that he is outside of it.  So any form of logic based on time has no meaning in comparison to God.   Furthermore...if I have two candy bars in my hand and stand before my child...and I know he's going to pick the Baby Ruth because I know he likes that one slightly better...he still has free will. My knowing he would pick that one does not mean he lacks free will.  I just knew he would pick that one BASED on his choices from free will.

[seawynd]

so 'god' is just rolling the dice like the rest of us? poor 'god'...