Does God Let Us Make Our Own Choices?

by John Paul Philips

You might wonder - if God has a big plan for everything, does that mean he decides all our choices for us ahead of time? Or can we truly make our own decisions freely?



The philosopher Thomas Aquinas said that not only does God allow us free will, but his entire plan for the world depends on it! Here's why in plain terms:

Aquinas thought God wants to guide creation to be its best, most perfect self. For non-living things like rocks, acting unpredictably just shows imperfection. But for humans, our ability to freely choose is actually a strength that makes us special.

It's how God made us similar to Him - as beings who can intelligently weigh options and make real choices, not just following a pre-programmed path like a robot.

Aquinas believed God works with the true nature of things, not against it. And the human mind is made to understand many possibilities, not just one set thing. Our wills are designed to freely pick between different options we understand.

If God forced us and took away that free choice, it would actually prevent us from ever growing closer to being like Him as a freely-choosing being. That totally goes against God's plan!

Plus, no more free choice means NO:

- Virtue or praise for good choices

- Fair rewards and punishments 

- Wise decision-making

- Taking responsibility for our impacts

It undermines the whole idea of making real, meaningful choices as humans.

Aquinas also pointed out that the Bible itself says God gave humans the ability to choose between good/evil paths in life. We have free will as part of being made in God's image. (Sirach 15)

So in simple terms, Aquinas didn't see God's grand plan as restricting human freedom. Instead, he thought God's guidance actually aims to cultivate and perfect our free will - because it's a core, beautiful part of being human made by God.


_________

N.B. If interested to read the work (Chapter 73 from Summa Contra Gentiles II) of Aquinas himself, click here. 

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