“Absolute Power and Choice”

“Absolute Power and Choice”

Someone asked C. S. Lewis, “How can anything happen contrary to a being with absolute power?”

C. S. Lewis responded that a thing can be in accordance with one’s will in one way but not in another.  His example is that of a parent who can express his/her will as to the behavior of a child.  As well that same parent can also will that the child have the choice as to whether to obey or not.  In other words the child has been vested with the power of choice and thus it becomes a matter of his will and thus personal responsibility in his choices.

So too God has expressed His will that man behave in some specific ways.  However, there is another expression of God’s will and that was and is His choice to vest man with volitional choice.  Now man can choose whether or not he will conform his behavior to the first will mentioned.  

Here is the problem.  It is the assumption that God's possession of all power and all knowledge, in some way negates man's volition and thus He controls man in some autonomic fashion.  For such to be so Lewis points out that it makes man, “Hardly worth creating.”  The second point is that it would divest man of responsibility for his actions, which makes it most attractive to some.

However, man was well worth creating because God invested His trust in man and thus He trusted him with the ability to choose.  As well He vested Him with the opportunities afforded by personal responsibility.  The results then is that man can and would make right choices.  The opposite result is also true, man can and would make wrong choices.  It may be plausibly argues that one cannot have good choices without there being at least the possibility of bad choices. 

 

For example if one removes the possibility of there being bad and base choices such as is found in the case of Cain killing his brother Abel, then it seems that one tempts the possibility of removing good and noble choices such as in the case of the Good Samaritan.

In other words, to remove freedom of choice is to indirectly if not directly remove the possibility of the good.  Where would man be without the good of such things as love, charitable behavior, etc.  Certainly God knew the possibilities of man making wrong choices.  As Lewis points out, “Apparently He thought it worth the risk.”  The reality is this.  Risk or not, with such choice man has chosen very often to do that which is of benefit and blessing to those near and those far. 

Were it possible, imagine a world devoid of choice, that there was no possibility of man making poor or wrong choices.  Lewis, with his considerable intellect, points out that he cannot fathom of such a place.  If such a place did exist it would provide no measure of good and thus man's perception would be of a world devoid of good.  It follows then that the only reason that one can be aware of good is that there is evil.

Hear complete answer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH2DEOxvaWk