Imagine a child
who is born with a passive, dependent nature, a child that seeks the approval
of others in order to feel worthwhile.
Imagine he is born into a family that teaches that some people (blacks, Jews,
Muslims, atheists, Hindus, women, gays, etc) are like a plague on the earth,
and need to be eradicated for the good of all.
He is taught that this murder would not be murder, but a gift to god,
and that anyone doing such holy service to god will be loved by all.
This child grows up
and kills one of these “evil” people.
Knowing the biological and social influences on this child’s behavior,
can it be said that he had a choice in the matter? Given these preconditions, could he have
chosen otherwise? But if you ask this killer why he did it, he would say that
he chose to do it. What seems clear is
that while he “chose to do it,” he had no choice about his choice.
This same illusion of choice underlies every “choice” that
we make. All of our choices are governed
by forces that are beyond our control (our genetics and past history). We can seem to make choices but we cannot
choose or control those choices. We are
as responsible for our choices to the same degree that the killer is
responsible, and that is not at all.
When we recognize this we are offered total freedom from guilt and the
belief in sin. Forgiveness can then be
offered to ourselves and everyone when it is seen that no one has had a choice
in the matter. (“Forgive them Father for they know not what they do”) Everyone
is doing the best they can at every moment and there is nobody to praise or
blame. It’s all just happening.
Sorry Jerry, I don't agree with you on this one. The stage you set is so extreme in terms of conditioning that it is easy to say that he had no choice, but that would mean that everyone brought up in a fundamentalist Muslim, or other, nation would be killing Americans, and while we can understand why they would, they simply don't.
ReplyDeleteAlso what happens when that individual meets with other, contradictory influence, like the supposedly evil person saving his life. Now he has 2 sets of conflicting info. Which one is he conditioned to choose? I guess I have no choice but to choose free choice ;)
I will concede that people are generally creatures of habit with predetermined tendencies, but they are still mutable, not fixed or absolute. Be well and many blessings!
The murder you speak of, as an example, is a driven desire with a neurological correlation.( I believe it will be impression into his/her DNA for life 'until' beyond time) It is THAT desire informing his/her destiny, and it is THAT seed that makes us who we are. The young child that grows up, as you say, to murder does have a choice because he/she KNOWS it is wrong to kill but does it anyway. Why does he/she do it any way? This is the critical junction where you see the individual murdering as 'not having a choice' because he/she needs to experience the murder in this lifetime even though he/she KNOWS it to be wrong.I agree with your critical thinking but some people may not be able to fathom such circumstances; to be both a part of yet separate from this particular act you exemplify. Interesting discussion.
ReplyDeleteOne more vital point I have witness during moments.....there is only one point of freedom with regards to choices and that is whether a desire will remain attached or unattached. At some point in our many lives, when our experiences are no longer needed, successfully synthesizing all opposites, we become CONSCIOUS of our attachments and will proceed to let go and become unattached; the point of freedom that every desire is and has.
ReplyDeleteThis would be true if the child was raised in isolation with only his parents influence. Fortunately a diverse range of views are available if one participates in society, although the parents view may well have most influence as the learning of it may have involved threats to survival. I hope that in the course of life people acquire some insight into how things work and that their parents view is only one of many views to be had from many people, dead and alive. I realize there may be some people who are incapable of much insight into anything, but the more we put out a positive, loving and inclusive view of the world the better.
ReplyDeleteWe are all children of God. And the negative power here is not of the light. God gave us free will
ReplyDeleteand we do have a choice in all of our actions. Our alignment is important, along with our environment and our attitude toward life. We are all one and as we awaken on our planet
we will realize that our actions are a reflection of our thoughts. All life is precious and a new thought is created with a prayer for peace and hope.
There is a mystery about God, his nature, origin, past, present, his location, his relationship to nature and its forces. Most people don't question this and wish to account for the world as it is, so it is accredited to God. Yet he does not reveal how he created the world or how he manages it? All the mystery about God seems essential to a lot of us. But what if this mystery where to vanish? So would God vanish. How can a God(s) have identity independent of the identities of his worshippers?
ReplyDeleteThis is indeed a mystery worth pondering and in doing so I have discovered that the mystery lies in each one of us. Thus far I have discovered the Light only a few times and was the Self without the body and senses but it is enough to understand that we are the mystery worth pursuing.