The term floats around through "secular" & "sacred" society as a choice weapon for debate. As we understand it, "free will" is defined as a free choice. But, a free choice of what? To choose God; or not. At this juncture, predestination and determinism enter the scene. Common understanding of predestination is that God has already chosen who He is going to choose. The question to this method is this: wherein lies Grace and the Cross? Determinism, as I understand, suggests that we have no free will because external causes impress upon us. Herein lies the psychological nature versus nurture paradigm. But, can Free Will be understood with a fresh lens?
Before he can formulate a word, an infant takes cues off of the expressions of his caretaker's face. As he ages, he learns to understand the dialect that is impressed upon him. These are beautiful phenomenons. He grows up learning the rules set down for him and, all the while, learns which rules can be bent and which cannot. Society sets its standards and he takes his cue from it as to which part he should play. His caretakers, along with social cues, encourage him in his "gift" or utility for the continuation of the society.
Before I proceed too far, let me set the stage in a more natural setting. Man, before modern invention, comes in the midst of this wild mysterious world. He has to protect himself amidst the external forces: beasts & weather. Mankind invents hunting parties to catch the kill. Mankind becomes sedentary and develops astrology and major festivals to assist with agriculture and also to keep the seasons in mind - patterns are learned and the society is better prepared for Mother Nature.
What is will? Mankind's will, whether in civilized society or indigenous society, is to survive. This is a given. But, in a civilized society, when the population is ever growing, and it feels like we are nothing more than a speck of salt in the ocean, the will to survive becomes more abstract. An interesting thing about indigenous festivals - and we can demonize them to the moon or we can glean something from them - is that, especially in the harsh winter, they are utilized to bring a certain peace among the community. It follows then that these cultures knew quite well that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. So much of today's society focuses on the body that it seems that the health of the mind is oft ignored. And, why? If we paid more attention to it, we'd realize how much control people practice over us. If we become aware, we'd have the choice whether to allow them this opportunity or reap whatever consequences there may be of resisting.
Though, in America, we live under a democracy, and not a monarchy, we like to think that all our thoughts are original. There is no Spanish Inquisition or "State" coercing us into submission; consequentially, we want to believe that our minds are free. If this were the case, Public Relations would have no business to manipulate public opinion. Though our caretakers no longer induce obedience from us, we are still guided by our fears and our desires. What is one of the greatest fears of today? Rejection. What's one of the greatest desires? To be accepted. This concept has been elucidated and it’s redundancy wanes into but a droning resonance. Heretofore, these basic motives of the will are what businesses, politicians, and revolutionaries (and parents for that matter) have known throughout the course of history - even if only by unconscious intuition. We see that we have a will but how can it possibly be free?
I am inclined to reimagine Free Will as an ambiguous term. Perhaps Free Will is something different - something more sacred than meets the eye. In Revelations, Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega. Eastern concepts emanate a strong non-dualistic component where the All is represented, in Hinduism, as that dot in the middle of a perfect circle by which the circle revolves around. Even Pythagoras presents the tetractys wherein the apex represents the complete whole from which everything else emanates from. What does this all mean?
Jesus being the Alpha & Omega conveys the idea of "beyond time". What is time but a human invention? The Godhead which comes to Abraham is in 3 persons. What does 3 represent but time? Past, Present, Future. When I calculate the past, it is a negative from today. When I calculate the future, it is a positive from today yet it is truly unknown. Jesus once said, "be not anxious for tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself." I have thought long and hard about this. Obviously He isn't telling us to not plan for tomorrow. That would be completely idiotic. He said, "Don't be anxious." And, John also states, "Perfect love casts out all fear." What kind of fear are we dealing with here? Fear of immanent danger? Or, fear of the unknown? I wonder if, by an average day standard, it is the latter. But, the Jews were living in tumultuous times and Jesus was trying to help them live with some kind of Peace to sustain them. Perhaps this statement encompasses multiple dynamics. And what of the past? How often have things from the past been suppressed into our subconscious that they govern how we react, today?
Society sets standards but society is also a conglomeration of standard-setters. Science and philosophy utilize these standards to categorize them infinitesimally for the assistance in understanding a thing better and also for an increase in abstract thought. But what are words? What does the sun care that you call it a sun? It will still shine. What does a dog care that you call it a dog? It will still bark. But, these are all just words. Zeno and the Apostle John share a very interesting word: Logos. Scriptural translators translate this to the word "Word" but it is the etymological root of the word, "Logic".
A word is an expression of my thoughts. It's easy to criticize somebody for speaking "incorrectly" but all that person is trying to accomplish is conveying what's on her thoughts (what she "feels"). If you look throughout the course of history, the meanings of words evolve. And, it's quite a funny thing that with the constellations of words available to us, it's still much to pull one down, in the moment, to express what we mean - in comes metaphors. And, even after it all leaves our mouth or lands on a page, the hearer or reader, through some natural communication breech, misinterprets what is actually being intended. But the thought is pure thought. And it comes from somewhere. The thought came before the word. So what?
Free Will, in its vulgar use, is nothing but a choice. But our choices are often inconsistent. In fact, often time we say something we truly do not feel inside. Our minds are not in tune with our body. And, in case you forgot (it has evaded my thoughts often, as I am not a neurologist), your neurons reach to every nook and cranny of your body. This is why we use the word "feels" when we speak of emotions. It makes sense to us even if it isn't the most accurate terminology.
Free Will, to me, is a freedom from will itself. It is a will that has been set free. It is free. It's free to go; at least for a moment. The sacred place, the hiding place, the secret place. Call it what you will but it is a freedom that is indescribable. We could write about it until all the ink is dry and there is no paper left be written on but it is a "peace that passes all understanding". And, of course, you need the base "free will" to choose to discover this sacred "Free Will." That's why we say, "Not my will but Yours." This Eternal Will supersedes the little morsel that we experience at any given moment. And this is not escapism, as is wont to be imagined. This is something else. Something....Higher.
Before he can formulate a word, an infant takes cues off of the expressions of his caretaker's face. As he ages, he learns to understand the dialect that is impressed upon him. These are beautiful phenomenons. He grows up learning the rules set down for him and, all the while, learns which rules can be bent and which cannot. Society sets its standards and he takes his cue from it as to which part he should play. His caretakers, along with social cues, encourage him in his "gift" or utility for the continuation of the society.
Before I proceed too far, let me set the stage in a more natural setting. Man, before modern invention, comes in the midst of this wild mysterious world. He has to protect himself amidst the external forces: beasts & weather. Mankind invents hunting parties to catch the kill. Mankind becomes sedentary and develops astrology and major festivals to assist with agriculture and also to keep the seasons in mind - patterns are learned and the society is better prepared for Mother Nature.
What is will? Mankind's will, whether in civilized society or indigenous society, is to survive. This is a given. But, in a civilized society, when the population is ever growing, and it feels like we are nothing more than a speck of salt in the ocean, the will to survive becomes more abstract. An interesting thing about indigenous festivals - and we can demonize them to the moon or we can glean something from them - is that, especially in the harsh winter, they are utilized to bring a certain peace among the community. It follows then that these cultures knew quite well that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. So much of today's society focuses on the body that it seems that the health of the mind is oft ignored. And, why? If we paid more attention to it, we'd realize how much control people practice over us. If we become aware, we'd have the choice whether to allow them this opportunity or reap whatever consequences there may be of resisting.
Though, in America, we live under a democracy, and not a monarchy, we like to think that all our thoughts are original. There is no Spanish Inquisition or "State" coercing us into submission; consequentially, we want to believe that our minds are free. If this were the case, Public Relations would have no business to manipulate public opinion. Though our caretakers no longer induce obedience from us, we are still guided by our fears and our desires. What is one of the greatest fears of today? Rejection. What's one of the greatest desires? To be accepted. This concept has been elucidated and it’s redundancy wanes into but a droning resonance. Heretofore, these basic motives of the will are what businesses, politicians, and revolutionaries (and parents for that matter) have known throughout the course of history - even if only by unconscious intuition. We see that we have a will but how can it possibly be free?
I am inclined to reimagine Free Will as an ambiguous term. Perhaps Free Will is something different - something more sacred than meets the eye. In Revelations, Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega. Eastern concepts emanate a strong non-dualistic component where the All is represented, in Hinduism, as that dot in the middle of a perfect circle by which the circle revolves around. Even Pythagoras presents the tetractys wherein the apex represents the complete whole from which everything else emanates from. What does this all mean?
Jesus being the Alpha & Omega conveys the idea of "beyond time". What is time but a human invention? The Godhead which comes to Abraham is in 3 persons. What does 3 represent but time? Past, Present, Future. When I calculate the past, it is a negative from today. When I calculate the future, it is a positive from today yet it is truly unknown. Jesus once said, "be not anxious for tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself." I have thought long and hard about this. Obviously He isn't telling us to not plan for tomorrow. That would be completely idiotic. He said, "Don't be anxious." And, John also states, "Perfect love casts out all fear." What kind of fear are we dealing with here? Fear of immanent danger? Or, fear of the unknown? I wonder if, by an average day standard, it is the latter. But, the Jews were living in tumultuous times and Jesus was trying to help them live with some kind of Peace to sustain them. Perhaps this statement encompasses multiple dynamics. And what of the past? How often have things from the past been suppressed into our subconscious that they govern how we react, today?
Society sets standards but society is also a conglomeration of standard-setters. Science and philosophy utilize these standards to categorize them infinitesimally for the assistance in understanding a thing better and also for an increase in abstract thought. But what are words? What does the sun care that you call it a sun? It will still shine. What does a dog care that you call it a dog? It will still bark. But, these are all just words. Zeno and the Apostle John share a very interesting word: Logos. Scriptural translators translate this to the word "Word" but it is the etymological root of the word, "Logic".
A word is an expression of my thoughts. It's easy to criticize somebody for speaking "incorrectly" but all that person is trying to accomplish is conveying what's on her thoughts (what she "feels"). If you look throughout the course of history, the meanings of words evolve. And, it's quite a funny thing that with the constellations of words available to us, it's still much to pull one down, in the moment, to express what we mean - in comes metaphors. And, even after it all leaves our mouth or lands on a page, the hearer or reader, through some natural communication breech, misinterprets what is actually being intended. But the thought is pure thought. And it comes from somewhere. The thought came before the word. So what?
Free Will, in its vulgar use, is nothing but a choice. But our choices are often inconsistent. In fact, often time we say something we truly do not feel inside. Our minds are not in tune with our body. And, in case you forgot (it has evaded my thoughts often, as I am not a neurologist), your neurons reach to every nook and cranny of your body. This is why we use the word "feels" when we speak of emotions. It makes sense to us even if it isn't the most accurate terminology.
There will always be feuds and revolutions but there is something striking when I contemplate the sign of the cross. The horizontal line necessarily represents earth as we know it. If we only think linearly, we will keep missing the point and the pendulum will always swing; however, if we are more centered, what was once 2-dimensional transforms into something 3- dimensional.
Free Will, to me, is a freedom from will itself. It is a will that has been set free. It is free. It's free to go; at least for a moment. The sacred place, the hiding place, the secret place. Call it what you will but it is a freedom that is indescribable. We could write about it until all the ink is dry and there is no paper left be written on but it is a "peace that passes all understanding". And, of course, you need the base "free will" to choose to discover this sacred "Free Will." That's why we say, "Not my will but Yours." This Eternal Will supersedes the little morsel that we experience at any given moment. And this is not escapism, as is wont to be imagined. This is something else. Something....Higher.
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