And while we cannot practically do so, theoretically any physical characteristics and charges and connections COULD be fully modelled in a computer, and that computer used to gauge the reaction we would have to any stimulus, thus giving us a complete foreknowledge of action -- and disproving the concept of fre will.
You can only have free will if, given the exact same physical state and exact same input, you have the ability to rationally pick to act in multiple ways. So free will requires something outside the physical makeup of your being. Note that random chance could make it impossible to predict with certainty a response, but would still not provide "free will", since a random choice is not a "willed choice".
Whether we are chosen or not, whether God controls every tiny aspect of everything or not, from our point of view as finite, stuck-in-time creatures, we have free will. It may be an illusion, but to us it is real, and indistinguishable.
Free will outside of time is already impossible if you grant God the charactistic of Omniscience. Once I know exactly what you are going to do next, free will has no meaning. So in my opinion, any discussion of "free will" must be in regards to the point of view of one living within the confines of time and space, such as we do.
“I’ve often argued that without a soul, we cannot possibly have “free will”. “
“...any discussion of “free will” must be in regards to the point of view of one living within the confines of time and space, such as we do.”
Agreed.
See my post # 10 wherein I my first point was that “God is eternal.”
I should have expanded on that to state that since God is the Creator and created all that is, including time, then God exists outside of what we consider to be ‘time’. I assumed that my third point that “God is omniscient (all knowing).” and explanation that He would have ‘perfect knowledge of the past, present and future’ would, together with the first point, be sufficient to indicate that God exists outside of what we consider to be ‘time’.
Mea Culpa. Sometimes I do not explain my thoughts well enough.