joebbowers, I assume you are speaking of god and his properties as if he actually existed only for the sake of this conversation and not because you actually believe he exists. Just making sure that's what we're doing 'cause that's what I'm going to do as well ...
^^^ I see what your saying and it's a good point ... although if one claims that said god is eternal and never actually began to exist, then there was no particular point in which it ever actually made all of its choices ... its choices would never have been 'made' as they would simply have always existed... and these choices would be eternally unchangeable.
We tend to view time as a line having a beginning and end, as we ourselves do. God does not follow the same rules we do. He made the rules.
He had to exist in order to make the rules. The default is that he always exists, regardless of time, space or anything else. He also exists with certain default properties (omniscience, omnipotence, omnibenevolence and a "just" nature). So even though he makes the rules, he did not have a hand in his existence or his properties which determine his character, nature, preferences and desires... which he uses to determine the rules he makes!
The point I made takes perfectly well into consideration that time doesn't apply to god as a line with a beginning or an end. I stated clearly that he would have never actually begun to exist (the default is he always exists) and that he would view time as a whole simultaneously.
Since he never began to exist and he didn't choose his nature or properties ... then his choices never began either and simply always existed as they are, unchangeable.
Computers act according to their programming. The programmer, on the other hand, is not subject to the same rules. Human behavior is dictated by hormones or genetic predispositions or environmental factors. God does not have hormones or genes and he is not subject to environmental factors, since he already knows what is going to happen and has already decided how to respond to it.
Hormones and genetic predispositions are our programming. Environmental factors are the external inputs (i.e. keyboard, mouse). It's the same thing.
God's decisions are based on his nature. His nature is contingent on his properties and he had no hand in giving himself these properties. Hence, he has no free will.
God has entered IDKFA, IDDQD, and IDSPISPOPD, while the rest of us do not even have keyboards.
But he was compelled by his nature to do so ... a nature he did not choose.
God is a being of pure goodness and justice.
... and yet evil exists as a result of what he created knowing full well that his creation would result in the existence of evil. Sorry but this claim does not hold any water.
You could say that his will is focused, which narrows down his choices to only those which are good and just. God is good, and therefore would not choose to be evil. Hence, any choices God makes are made of his own free will, as given the choice, he would not have chosen differently.
Okay ... so now god is limited in his choices (goodbye omnipotence) ... but like I said, his choices are contingent on his nature which he did not choose and his choices are fixed and unchangeable. There's just no room for free will in this scenario.
