It is often said, in any religion, that things are pre-ordained by the higher power. But how far does the pre-destined effect go? Is God or whomever, really deciding what clothes we'll wear the next day? Or how we get our next haircut done? These things seem awfully trivial for our higher powers to be deciding for us. Especially since there are how many billions of people on this Earth?
It is understandable that the larger picture may be pre-ordained, and that at times, the little things in life are as well...in order to reach that larger picture. But to say that every little thing has already been decided for us, it goes against something we humans treasure: free will.
It seems more logical to say that the higher power provides us with choices, paths if you will. These paths may eventually lead to the same place but in the meantime, we choose how our journey goes. It is our choices that make us who we are, and how our lives are. Otherwise we'd have to say that every person is born predetermined good or evil. And that there is no hope for redemption unless it was destined to be that way. I think many beliefs that involve balances of natures such as Yin-Yang, further support the non-predetermined idea.
Even within Christianity you can find instances that seem to show events of choice rather than pre-determination. Now I do not claim to be a biblical scholar, what I voice is simply opinions
based on common knowledge, personal reading or experiences. Take in point, Adam and Eve. God created them and put them in paradise. But in this paradise He put a forbidden tree and told them specifically not to eat the fruit of this particular tree. Does it not seem that they were given the choice to either obey or not to obey? When Eve is persuaded by the serpent to taste the fruit, was she not acting with free will which was guided (misguided) by another voice?
If God had everything pre-determined from the very beginning, what then is the point of putting a forbidden tree in paradise? Doesn't it seem like He may have been testing His new creations? To see what resulted in His giving them this thing called free will?
And then later when God becomes displeased with the way the world is... how evil it has become. He decides to wipe the slate clean save for a couple of good specimens. Doesn't this say that again He seems to be experimenting, allowing man to make mistakes using their freedom of choice?
Another commonly known story is of Lot's wife. Lot and his wife were told to flee and not to look back upon the city. But Lot's wife turns to take one last glance and becomes a pillar of salt. What would be the point of telling them to flee, if it had already been determined that she'd end up as a pillar of salt? Doesn't it make more sense that she was given a choice, and she made the mistake based on her free will?
I'm sure scholars could go on and on with instances where it seems free will reigns over fate. I've just never heard the argument ever brought up on TV or other media within my lifetime.
I believe that people tend to lean upon pre-determined paths because it is easier to explain why things happen (especially bad things) when you can pass it off as something that was meant to be because of a higher purpose or end. And I do believe that SOME things occur because of a higher purpose or plan, but definitely not ALL things. The world would be very boring and unpurposeful if we were not allowed to choose our paths. There would be no real point of us existing if there is no freedom of choice in our lives. We'd be nothing more than thinking rocks or trees that walk. We rightly treasure free will. I thank God we have it. Even if I don't wholeheartedly believe in Him altogether. I think there are force(s) out there but whether they be called God, Allah, Zeus or Osiris, etc. that is still being determined.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Friends are like gardens
Good friendships are fragile things and require as much care as any other fragile and precious thing.-- Randolph S. Bourne (1886-1918) American Writer
My 10 year old daughter's social life is like a soap opera. Every day you don't know whether she's friends or not friends with a particular girl or boy. Mostly the girls. She'll come home from school saying she's not friends with so 'n so anymore, but then the next day if the girl invites her over off she goes. She tells stories of how no one wants to be friends with this girl because she does this and that so she's best friends with the other girl. Then another day it'll be the other girl did this and that so now she's friends with this girl. Frankly, I don't remember my social life ever being so complicated!
I've warned her that it's best to try not to come between two friends. It is hard to be the one in the middle. But you must remain as neutral as possible. I believe it is possible to have friends in more than one group or clique. That is the way I survived high school. I had a friend or friends in just about every classification from popular or jock, to dork or geek. I was neither picked on nor expected to pick on anyone. I strongly hope that my kids can have the same or similar experience. Although I wouldn't complain if they were part of the popular clique.
Friends are often taken for granted. Once we have established a friendship we seem to feel that nothing can break that bond. But nothing can be further from the truth. A friendship is an interaction between two humans. That is, two thinking, feeling human beings. Because of this we must remember that our actions and our words can affect the friendship. Every person reacts to the world differently. Therefore we must watch what we say and do. What may seem like idle humor, can turn out to be a harmful barb to your friend(s).
Friends should be treated like gardens. Gardens, once planted, still need plenty of attention to grow strong and fruitful. Likewise so does a friendship. You must always tend to it with gentle care, kindness and love. Each time you hurt a friend it's like breaking off a branch of a plant. Over time they will recover, but it is a slow process and if you break off too many, the plant will get sick or even die. Likewise the more you hurt your friend, either verbally, emotionally or physically, you add another break to the friendship plant. And too many breaks means a lost friendship.
As well, you must realize that friendship should not be taken for granted. Just because you provide it will the "food" it needs, does not always guarantee it will thrive. Certain plants just don't grow no matter what you do. The same can happen with a friendship. Perhaps it reaches a certain point and then either doesn't grow any further or dissipates altogether.
Plus some plants can hurt you even when you tend to them lovingly, ( e.g. roses). But you know that they bear beautiful blossoms and therefore learn to touch them in such a way to avoid being hurt by their thorns. In this way too you must be wary of how you react to your friends' actions or words. Each plant/friend is different. Some bear more "thorns" than others. And although they may hold beauty within waiting to bloom, their outsides can be hurtful. A good friend knows how see around the protective exterior and nourish the beauty within.
My 10 year old daughter's social life is like a soap opera. Every day you don't know whether she's friends or not friends with a particular girl or boy. Mostly the girls. She'll come home from school saying she's not friends with so 'n so anymore, but then the next day if the girl invites her over off she goes. She tells stories of how no one wants to be friends with this girl because she does this and that so she's best friends with the other girl. Then another day it'll be the other girl did this and that so now she's friends with this girl. Frankly, I don't remember my social life ever being so complicated!
I've warned her that it's best to try not to come between two friends. It is hard to be the one in the middle. But you must remain as neutral as possible. I believe it is possible to have friends in more than one group or clique. That is the way I survived high school. I had a friend or friends in just about every classification from popular or jock, to dork or geek. I was neither picked on nor expected to pick on anyone. I strongly hope that my kids can have the same or similar experience. Although I wouldn't complain if they were part of the popular clique.
Friends are often taken for granted. Once we have established a friendship we seem to feel that nothing can break that bond. But nothing can be further from the truth. A friendship is an interaction between two humans. That is, two thinking, feeling human beings. Because of this we must remember that our actions and our words can affect the friendship. Every person reacts to the world differently. Therefore we must watch what we say and do. What may seem like idle humor, can turn out to be a harmful barb to your friend(s).
Friends should be treated like gardens. Gardens, once planted, still need plenty of attention to grow strong and fruitful. Likewise so does a friendship. You must always tend to it with gentle care, kindness and love. Each time you hurt a friend it's like breaking off a branch of a plant. Over time they will recover, but it is a slow process and if you break off too many, the plant will get sick or even die. Likewise the more you hurt your friend, either verbally, emotionally or physically, you add another break to the friendship plant. And too many breaks means a lost friendship.
As well, you must realize that friendship should not be taken for granted. Just because you provide it will the "food" it needs, does not always guarantee it will thrive. Certain plants just don't grow no matter what you do. The same can happen with a friendship. Perhaps it reaches a certain point and then either doesn't grow any further or dissipates altogether.
Plus some plants can hurt you even when you tend to them lovingly, ( e.g. roses). But you know that they bear beautiful blossoms and therefore learn to touch them in such a way to avoid being hurt by their thorns. In this way too you must be wary of how you react to your friends' actions or words. Each plant/friend is different. Some bear more "thorns" than others. And although they may hold beauty within waiting to bloom, their outsides can be hurtful. A good friend knows how see around the protective exterior and nourish the beauty within.
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