Originally Posted by
pchalk
To add my own input to the topic: Let me say I am not a godly person so I will leave out that element. Where I do have experience is the cultural aspect to free will. I am German but have lived most of my life in the US. Ever since moving to Germany as an adult, I have to say my libertarian american attitude just finds the German need to have a rule for everything baffling. A society needs laws, and yes they often inherently limit freedoms, but they should be a last resort and even, in their creation, aim to protect freedoms, not take them away. Speaking with Germans and those from many other cultures, this seems like a foreign concept to them. The freedom to chose is essential in life but it would seem that the definition of freedom or perhaps its practical application varies among different cultures.