Sure
That's true
I agree.
That's right.
I'm tempted to take my points as granted and go home. However..
[Knowing what the result of allowing free will would be - foreknowing - God created man with free will.]
And that leaves God a limited sphere within which to create His plan.
He's not limited to choose this finite creation. It could have been different; His choice. It's still whatever sphere He chooses.
if God's plan is micro specific, as I suspect it is, then human free will would be a problem.
Only if God's omniscience is not "micro specific."
That's what I mean by random.
Your definition of random is just incorrect.
Now, what if God "needs" a particular pair to get together for His purposes?
If creation did not meet his purposes, He would have a different creation. He foreknew whether this particular pair would get together or not.
If God does not interfere,
Non sequitor. Foreknowing doesn't have anything to do with God not "interferring."
then He has to "wait" until a pair comes along that meets His specifications, AND freely decides to pair up.
He fore-knew. He fore-knew. He fore-knew.
We run the risk of humanizing God in these discussions and of reducing religion to philosophy. So I tread lightly in discussing logic. It's only a point because you maintain it's logically impossible, generally, for man to have free will and God to have a plan.
Your logic if flawed. God could have created differently; He knows everything; if He wished events in His creation differently; He would have created differently.
You argument continually limits God's omniscience and omnipotence. He's "waiting" for something (doesn't foreknow who/when); He has a "limited sphere" within which to work (He couldn't choose a different sphere).
Knowing - microknowing if you wish - what the result of allowing free will would be God created man with free will.
My point combines what we agree we know about God and what we know about man:
God is omniscient and omnipotent. We can take these as given. Man has free will. We know this from scripture, from the teaching of the Church for almost two thousand years, and from our personal experience of reality.
If you believe God has a plan and is omniscient and omnipotent, then this is your basic starting ground. Logic does not get in your way here.
No problem, as you can see I am pretty good at falling behind myself. :)
FK: "...if God's plan is micro specific, as I suspect it is, then human free will would be a problem."
Only if God's omniscience is not "micro specific."
But if omniscience is not accompanied by causation, then God's plan is wholly dependent on chance and circumstance. I don't see how God could actually get everything He wants, if man is really in control of things down here on earth. Necessary conditions are simply not perpetual if chance governs.
FK: "Now, what if God "needs" a particular pair to get together for His purposes?"
If creation did not meet his purposes, He would have a different creation. He foreknew whether this particular pair would get together or not.
OH!, well THAT would be very different. :) If God creates in a specific way to get His plan accomplished then we are in perfect agreement. I would call that "interference" and "causation" but if you don't that's OK. At least we agree then.
Knowing - microknowing if you wish - what the result of allowing free will would be God created man with free will.
As long as God created in a specific way to get what He wanted, and man was not free to thwart God's will within time because the individual was created just so, then we are coming to the same end from different directions. That is perfectly fine with me. Free will discussions often wind up like this. :)