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The same Aquinas also proved that the notion that God's omniscience contradicts human free will is based on an error in the placement of a modal modifier. So, for example, take the statement "God knows that Tom is sitting in a chair". According to those who want the contradiction, this entails "Tom is necessarily sitting in a chair"; that is, 'necessarily' is modifying 'sitting'. But this is wrong. What the statement 'God knows' entails is simply "Necessarily, Tom is sitting in a chair". And this does not contradict free will.
Let me put it another way. Sometimes we have knowledge[1] of the future; most often because we are the causes of what's going to happen in the future. I know I'm going to be driving to South Bend tomorrow afternoon, because I'm going to make it happen. But I also know that Donald Uitvlugt is going to be riding with me. No one would say that my knowledge in this case somehow compels Donald to get in the car. Then why is it supposed to be different with God's foreknowledge?
Xephyrs. SHOW me how God's omnipotence contradicts free will. Let me use a similar example to the one above. I could compel Matt to have a cigarette with me, either by using a gun, slipping something into his coffee that makes him really, really want to smoke, kidnap his wife and threaten that unless he smokes... But the mere fact that I could compel Matt to smoke with me doesn't mean that, when I do go to his office and ask him to smoke with me, that I'm compelling him. So why is it different in God's case?
Mandal suggests that, since God creates us, we aren't free. But I would strongly disagree with his claim, both in a broad way and a narrow way. It's at least anti-intuitive that the combination of environment and genes determine our selves. We like to think, at least, that our choices in part create who we are. And furthermore, if that combination determines who we are, there's as little room for freedom under a strictly materialist framework as under the most devoutly Christian. Now, more narrowly, I tend to follow the existentialist/Nietzschean notion of self-creation (I say tend because I also tend to like the medieval notion of individual essences, and there's a little tension there.) So, while we have certainly abilities and propensities, we can create ourselves into the person we want to be. I reject the idea, popular among many American protestant, that God has one specific plan for our lives; rather, I believe that he works through our own choices to bring about good in this world.
Finally, Mr Zen, I think we had a thread on "God create rock?" a while back that you might be interested in.
[1]That is, knowledge in the philosophical sense; justified true belief.
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"Die Deutschen meinen, daß die Kraft sich in Härte und Grausamkeit offenbaren müsse, sie unterwerfen sich dann gerne und mit Bewunderung:[...]. Daß es Kraft giebt in der Milde und Stille, das glauben sie nicht leicht."
"The Germans believe that power must reveal itself in hardness and cruelty and then submit themselves gladly and with admiration[...]. They do not believe readily that there is power in meekness and calm."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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