Alma and God's Free Will

[_AmazingDisgrace]

I think your argument is correct, John, but I disagree with one thing:

This describes a being that is perfectly deterministic, no different than a simple state machine, an existence that can be described as nothing else then hellacious.

I don't think that a deterministic existence is hellacious at all. I think that my consciousness is the result of purely physical processes - that there's no supernatural component involved in what I think or do. What I will do five minutes from now is determined by the current electro-chemical state of my brain, the state of my environment, and the laws of physics. Yet, whatever I will do in five mintues, it still feels like I'm choosing to do it. So, for all practical purposes in how I live my life, I might as well act like I have free will because, in my conscious mind, it truly seems like I can choose to do or not do a given action. If God actually existed and had an infallible knowledge of the future, then His actions would be determined, but it probably wouldn't feel that way to Him.

[_antishock8]

My argument is that there are a large, perhaps infinite, number of 'most good' choices to an omnipotent, omniscient being... if I were a lot smarter, knew everything, and could take any action, I would have a lot more of them.

How do you square that against canon, as outlined in Alma, chapter 42? It's pretty clear leading up to this statement:

But there is a law 1) given, and a punishment 2) affixed, and a repentance 3) granted... if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

If God deviates from the routine he ceases to be a god. There is only one choice, if God wishes to remain God, which is to stick to the routine. Welcome to your apostasy, brother...

This assumes that the Law allows only one option in every situation. Without knowing divine law in total, very hard to do.

If that's apostasy, I left the Church ages ago. They still let me teach though.

How do you square that against canon, as outlined in Alma, chapter 42? It's pretty clear leading up to this statement:

But there is a law 1) given, and a punishment 2) affixed, and a repentance 3) granted... if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.

If God deviates from the routine he ceases to be a god. There is only one choice, if God wishes to remain God, which is to stick to the routine.

[_antishock8]

I'm bumping this because I would like Mr. Nehor to actually think about this question and provide a thoughtful answer rather than the usual unfocused insight her offers up.