Freedom and Foreknowledge

Let us suppose I were reckless enough to sit across the table from Gary Kasparov. He courteously offers me the first move.

Is the future of this game open or closed? When I make each move, do I exercise free choice? Is Mr. Kasparov also free in his decisions? Yes, of course. Without freedom of choice there would be no game.

The history of past games is fixed. Every move made still exists, and could be studied by those with access to the records. But what about the current game? Can the moves we now freely contemplate already exist? No, it is a condition of freedom that each move not exist until it is made. To say this is not to deny Kasparov's mastery of the game; it is only to remember the nature of freedom.

Now Kasparov prophesies, "This game will end by checkmate within 20 moves." It turns out he is right, consistently. A casual observer might surmise that the exact moves can already be known, and that Kasparov knows. Neither is true, or it wouldn't be a game. Despite this, Kasparov seems to exhibit exhaustive knowledge of the future. How does he do it?

Although Mr. Kasparov did not invent the game, he understands it thoroughly. He knows every move I could choose. He knows every possible counter. At each stage He understands my every option, and how he could respond to each. He knows that he is a master strategist, and I am not.

So does Kasparov see the future? Yes, he certainly does. But unlike the linear sequence of past games, the future he sees is rich with possibilities. Every move I make is a new creation, which cannot be known previously, to Kasparov or to anyone else. Kasparov's predictive prophecy does not limit my freedom. It does not close the future. It merely illustrates his mastery of the future.

Hear now the conclusion of the matter: God could have created a nice quiet and thoroughly predictable universe. Or He could grant freedom of choice. God chose freedom. Which opens the future. Does God know the future the same way He knows the past? No, because the future has a different nature from the past. The past is closed, the future open. God knows both, but in different ways. He knows the past because He has a good memory. He knows the future because He knows all possible futures, and can deal with them all. He not only plays the game; He invented it. He is great and wonderful and versatile. We can safely trust in Him.