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Mortal:
Mortal: I refuse!
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: continue to sin, and if I abandon free will (with your help, of course),
God:
God: What, you refuse of your own free will?
God:
God:
Mortal: Yes! I will now be sinning in so doing.
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: God:
God: God:
God: So it seems that your free will comes in pretty handy, doesn t God:
God: God: But by the same token, you place me in a double bind. I am
God: God:
it? willing to leave you free will or remove it as you choose, but neither
Mortal: alternative satisfies you. I wish to help you, but it seems I cannot.
Mortal:
Mortal: I don t understand!
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: Mortal:
God: Mortal:
God: Are you not glad now that you have free will to refuse such a Mortal: True!
God: Mortal:
God: Mortal:
God:
ghastly offer? How would you like it if I forced you to take this pill, God:
God: But since it is not my fault, why are still angry with me?
God:
God:
Mortal:
whether you wanted it or not? Mortal:
Mortal: For having placed me in such a horrible predicament in the
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal: first place!
Mortal:
Mortal: No, no! Please don t!
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: God:
God: God:
God: Of course I won t; I m just trying to illustrate a point. All right, God:
God: God: But, according to you, there is nothing satisfactory I could
God: God:
let me put it this way. Instead of forcing you to take the pill, suppose have done.
Mortal:
I grant your original prayer of removing your free will but with the Mortal:
Mortal: You mean there is nothing satisfactory you can now do, but
Mortal:
Mortal:
understanding that the moment you are no longer free, then you will that does not mean that there is nothing you could have done.
God:
take the pill. God:
God: Why? What could I have done?
God:
God:
Mortal: Mortal:
Mortal: Mortal:
Mortal: Once my will is gone, how could I possibly choose to take Mortal:
Mortal: Mortal: Obviously you should never have given me free will in the
Mortal: Mortal:
the pill? first place. Now that you have given it to me, it is too late anything
God:
God:
God: I did not say you would choose it; I merely said you would take I do will be bad. But you should never have given it to me in the first
God:
God:
it. You would act, let us say, according to purely deterministic law place!
God:
which are such that you would as a matter of fact take it. God:
God: Oh, that s it! Why would it have been better had I never given
God:
God:
Mortal: it to you?
Mortal:
Mortal: I still refuse.
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: Mortal:
God: Mortal:
God: So you refuse my offer to remove your free will. This is rather Mortal:
God: Mortal: Because then I never would have been capable of sinning at
God: Mortal:
different from your original prayer, isn t it? all.
Mortal: God:
Mortal: God:
Mortal: Now I see what you are up to. Your argument is ingenious, God:
Mortal: God: Well, I m always glad to learn from my mistakes.
Mortal: God:
Mortal:
but I m not sure it is really correct. There are some points we will Mortal: What!
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal:
God:
have to go over again. God:
God: I know, that sound sort of self-blasphemous, doesn t it? It
God:
God:
God: almost involves a logical paradox! On the one hand, as you have
God:
God: Certainly.
God:
God:
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal: There are two things you said which seem contradictory to been taught, it is morally wrong for any sentient being to claim that
Mortal:
Mortal:
me. First you said that one cannot sin unless one does so of one s I am capable of making mistakes. On the other hand, I have the
own free will. But then you said you would give me a pill which right to do anything. But I am also a sentient being. So the question
would deprive me of my own free will, and then I could sin as much is, Do I or do I not have the right claim that I am capable of making
as I like. But if I no longer had free will, then, according to your first mistakes?
Mortal:
statement, how could I be capable of sinning? Mortal:
Mortal: That is a bad joke! One of your premises is simply false. I
Mortal:
Mortal:
God: have not been taught that it is wrong for any sentient being to doubt
God:
God: You are confusing two separate parts of our conversation. I
God:
God:
never said the pill would deprive you of your free will, but only that your omniscience, but only for a mortal to doubt it. But since you are
it would remove your abhorrence of sinning. not mortal, then you are obviously free from this injunction.
Mortal: God:
Mortal: God:
Mortal: I m afraid I m a bit confused. God: Good, so you realize this on a rational level. Nevertheless, you
Mortal: God:
Mortal: God:
God:
God:
God: All right, then, let us make a fresh start. Suppose I agree to did appear shocked when I said,  I am always glad to learn from my
God:
God:
remove your free will, but with the understanding that you will then mistakes.
Mortal:
commit an enormous number of acts which you now regard as sin- Mortal:
Mortal: Of course I was shocked. I was shocked not by your self-
Mortal:
Mortal:
ful. Technically speaking, you will not then be sinning since you will blasphemy (as you jokingly call it), not by the fact that you had no
not be doing these acts of your own free will. And these acts will right to say it, but just by the fact that you did say it, since I have been
carry no moral responsibility, nor moral culpability, nor any punish- taught that as a matter of fact you don t make mistakes. So I was
ment whatsoever. Nevertheless, these acts will all be of the type which amazed that you claimed that it is possible for you to make mistakes.
God:
you presently regard as sinful; they will all have this quality which God:
God: I have not claimed that it is possible. All I am saying is that if
God:
God:
you presently regard as sinful; they will all have this quality which I make mistakes, I will bee happy to learn from them. But this says
you presently feel as abhorrent, but your abhorrence will disappear; nothing about whether the if has or ever can be realized.
Mortal:
so you will not then feel abhorrence towards these acts. Mortal:
Mortal: Let s please stop quibbling about this point. Do you or do
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal:
Mortal: [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]