How Would You Answer This?

[Ahab]

It's defined relative to "now".

Okay, I can see that. What "exists" is relative to "now" just as "existed" is relative to what has already happened in previous "nows", and just as "will exist" is relative to what will be in some more "nows" when the time for them eventually gets here.

Eternalism asserts that the past, present, and future are all equally real -- they all share the same ontology.

I think I can see and agree with this too. Whether it's what really was or what really is or what really will be, it's all real.

Our perception biases the "now" but according to eternalism other times are not less equally real. Philosophers are a crazy bunch but one thing they have learned to be good at is defining what they mean and what they are saying. See Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Time.

It would be nice if at some time in the future all philosophers would learn enough to agree on everything.

[onefour1]

Okay, I can see that. What "exists" is relative to "now" just as "existed" is relative to what has already happened in previous "nows", and just as "will exist" is relative to what will be in some more "nows" when the time for them eventually gets here.

I think I can see and agree with this too. Whether it's what really was or what really is or what really will be, it's all real.

It would be nice if at some time in the future all philosophers would learn enough to agree on everything.

The future and past are not real. The future only becomes real when it becomes the now. The past has ceased to exist and is not real anymore. It only resides in the history books and the videos and the recesses of our memories. You can't go to the future or to the past because they do not exist.

Some argue that God is ever present in that he is present in the past present and future. I believe God can see the future but I don't think he can exist in it. Nor can he exist in the past. Existence is only in the now. If the future already exists, then our future is already determined. This would mean that we do not have a choice in what we do in the present. It would have to conform to the future that is in existence. I believe that would violate free will. This same logic goes for the past. If the past truly exists at the same moment that the present exists, then no free will existed in the past.

[Ahab]

The future and past are not real. The future only becomes real when it becomes the now. The past has ceased to exist and is not real anymore. It only resides in the history books and the videos and the recesses of our memories. You can't go to the future or to the past because they do not exist.

They "do not" exist, but in the case of the past, it did, and in the case of the future, it will. I can see that. They're still a part of reality, though, and reality is about what is and was and will be real. Or do you think reality is only about what is here now? If you do in that case we would have 2 different ideas regarding reality but I think we'd still basically agree about what "is" real.

Some argue that God is ever present in that he is present in the past present and future. I believe God can see the future but I don't think he can exist in it. Nor can he exist in the past. Existence is only in the now. If the future already exists, then our future is already determined. This would mean that we do not have a choice in what we do in the present. It would have to conform to the future that is in existence. I believe that would violate free will. This same logic goes for the past. If the past truly exists at the same moment that the present exists, then no free will existed in the past.

I agree that "now" is the time when we make our own choices, but there are choices we have already made, which are now part of the past, and there are also choices we will make in the future. Knowing what we will do doesn't take away our choice to do what we'll do. I can tell you right now that if I inherited $1,000,000 one of the first things I'd do is quit my job and do something else with my time. That's what I would actually do, in that particular instance, and I'd be doing it because I would be choosing to do it.

Now imagine God knowing enough about all of us and everything else in existence so well that he can already see what we will do in the future, given our own circumstances and mindset. His ability to see the future doesn't take away our choices. He simply knows what we will do before we do it, and we will be the ones choosing to do it.