taughtbuffet and MrGordon,free will is only free will when its...

taughtbuffet and MrGordon,

free will is only free will when its manifestation in an action cannot be foreseen or foreknown by anyone (including god and the person him/herself).

so even if god chooses not to know what i will do when i get up tomorrow, as long as he has the ability to know it, then what i will do is predestined, and i have no free will.

what god did to the people of nineveh is not giving them a free choice. god gave them a threat - an ultimatum: repent or be punished. they did choose to repent, but they did that out of fear of the punishment and not out of their own free will.

had god said to the people of nineveh: "you have done things i find unpleasant; you can stop or continue doing those things; i won't do anything either way", then i would agree that god gave them a free choice and not an ultimatum.