Let’s talk about free will for a second, specifically, free will from a biblical standpoint.  The standard justification from the religious community for the existence of evil in the world is free will. Of course, this is complete garbage.

First things first, nowhere in the bible does it say that “God” gave man free will. A sober reading of the bible will produce the conclusion that “God” shapes everything in our lives:

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” [Proverbs. 16:9]

“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” [Jeremiah 10:23]

Free will was fabricated because it was hard to accept that both goodness and evil came out of the almighty creator. And so, men use their own reasoning in their attempt to spare the creator the onus of evil. However, if you actually read the bible, this is what “God” says:

“See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” [Deuteronomy 32:38]

“I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” [Isaiah 45:7]

Now, most religiously brainwashed people would ignore all the statements above, which is why I’m now moving on to the juicy parts:

If man really had free will, then “God” is one sadistic bastard!

“God” actually thwarts the free will of man for “his” personal amusement. The exodus story is a perfect example…ever wonder why the Pharaoh didn’t let the Israelites leave? “God” hardened Pharaoh’s heart against freeing the Israelites, so as to provide the occasion for visiting plagues upon the Egyptians, who as helpless subjects of the tyrant, had no part in Pharaoh’s decision.

“You [Moses] are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt, he will not listen to you…” [Exodus 7:2-4]

It was “God” all along! “He” kills all the firstborn sons, even of slave girls who had no part in oppressing the Israelites [not even the cattle escaped]…so much for respecting free will.

“Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.” [Exodus 11:5]

It gets even better, while on “his” genocidal mood swings, “God” actually thwarts the free will of “his” victims by hardening their hearts so that they do not sue for peace!

“From the desert of Kedemoth I sent messengers to Sihon king of Heshbon offering peace and saying, “Let us pass through your country. We will stay on the main road; we will not turn aside to the right or to the left. Sell us food to eat and water to drink for their price in silver. Only let us pass through on foot- as the descendants of Esau, who live in Seir, and the Moabites, who live in Ar, did for us—until we cross the Jordan into the land the Lord our God is giving us.”  But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the Lord your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.

The Lord said to me, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his country over to you. Now begin to conquer and possess his land.”

When Sihon and all his army came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz, the Lord our God delivered him over to us and we struck him down, together with his sons and his whole army. At that time we took all his towns and completely destroyed them—men, women and children. We left no survivors. But the livestock and the plunder from the towns we had captured we carried off for ourselves.” [Deuteronomy 2:26-35]

Another wonderful example of this sadistic behavior can be found in the book of Joshua:

“At that time Joshua turned back and captured Hazor and put its king to the  sword. (Hazor had been the head of all these kingdoms.) Everyone in it they put to the sword. They totally destroyed them, not sparing anything that breathed, and he burned up Hazor itself.

Joshua took all these royal cities and their kings and put them to the sword. He totally destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded. Yet Israel did not burn any of the cities built on their mounds—except Hazor, which Joshua burned. The Israelites carried off for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but all the people they put to the sword until they  completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone that breathed. As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did  it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.

So Joshua took this entire land: the hill country, all the Negev, the whole region  of Goshen, the western foothills, the Arabah and the mountains of Israel with  their foothills, from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to Baal Gad in the  Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and struck them down, putting them to death. Joshua waged war against all these kings for a long time. Except for the Hivites living in Gibeon, not one city made a treaty of peace with the Israelites, who took them all in battle. For it was the Lord himself who hardened their hearts to wage war against Israel, so that he might destroy them totally, exterminating them without mercy, as the  Lord had commanded Moses.” [Joshua 11:10-20]

It’s all really quite simple: If free will is true, then “God” is a sadist. If free will is not true, then “God” is the reason for all the evil in the world…♫ dun, dun, dun! ♪

Thanks for reading,

Notes:

1) All Bible quotes taken from New International Version