While I was in Brunei, someone posed me this question: Is there truly free will in Christianity, especially when it is God who dictates what is right and wrong, and punishes 'wrong-doers'? This is roughly what I answered him with:

I believe that while God is all knowing - every choice we make is known to Him, we are still granted the ability to choose, regardless of whether there are any internal or external factors contributing to that choice. The ability to choose, in spite of one's circumstances or the number of choices available is what I define as free will.

Absolute right and wrong is dictated by God, assuming that He is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, and both of them exist as possibilities that we must constantly choose between.

We are given the free will to choose between them, as well as a myriad of options that fall between what is defined as absolutely right or wrong. This choice is granted to us because of two reasons: 1. We are created in His image - that is to say that choice is an attribute of God that we are granted. 2. Complete love is reciprocative - not only does God love us, but He desires us to love Him as well - therein lies the necessity for our free will, that we consciously choose to follow Him, and therefore sacrifice for Him as He did for us, rather than being mere mindless beings.

As Anthony Burgess put it, "When a man cannot chose, he ceases to be a man."

And while mankind may be deemed a fallen creature, he is not without the ability of discernment - it is one thing to know what is moral, it is another to choose to follow it. We were created in His image, and possess godly characteristics inherently as a result, in spite of our sinful nature. This inherent knowledge of good and evil is further guided by information and guidelines offered to guide discernment and choice - they exist in the written word of God.

Yes, I do subscribe to the Arminianism school of thought when it comes to free will in the Christian context. And my thoughts are a little messy - I am no philosopher.

Any thoughts?