Free will or fate?

Do we have free will, or are we fooling ourselves? Is what we think and do shaped by our minds? Or is everything we do directed by chemical processes in our brains? Is there a Creator who has planned in advance what we will do? Or are we tested when we experience problems?

Is our free will a beautiful delusion?

People who deny the existence of a Creator will seek another explanation for our thinking and actions. If you believe there is nothing but matter, then our actions must be driven by the chemical processes in our brains. Our brain responds to the stimuli presented to us and the demands of our body.

It is hard to explain our emotions from this point of view. How, then, could we distinguish right from wrong? If you fully embrace this concept, then a murderer cannot be held responsible for his actions. After all, it’s just a response of his brain to his circumstances…

From that perspective, how is it possible that we are capable of loving? And that some are even willing to give their lives for their loved ones? There seems to be more going on in our brains than just a chemical action and response. How can it be explained that we can enjoy beautiful music or nature? These things convinced me that there must also be a spiritual dimension to life.

Are we just robots or puppets?

A computer cannot think for itself. It needs software to do anything. Some computers can perform tasks very well without a user. But the results will be as programmed by the developer. When you work with a computer, it allows you to create all sorts of things that have not been programmed in advance.

I think there are a lot of similarities with the processes in our brains. Our brain controls many functions in our body without us having to think about it. We breathe, digest our food, blink our eyes, and much more. But, we do a lot more with our brains. We can choose to love, learn, and distinguish right from wrong.

Would the Creator control everything?

In the main story on this website, you can discover more about the existence of a Creator. When you study how special people are put together, you can’t deny the Creator’s existence.

Many people assume that all we do has been thought out in advance by our Creator. Therefore, it would mean that the Creator would also be responsible for our thoughts and actions. But most people are aware that we are responsible for our actions – that we are to be held accountable to our Creator.

Everything points to the fact that our Creator has given us some degree of freedom to make our own choices, even when those choices are against what He wants. It is similar to a child who is given some space to make and learn from mistakes during childhood.

Does fate determine our life?

It sometimes seems quite comforting to think that everything we do is determined by fate. It reduces our own responsibility.

Indeed, we cannot control many things by ourselves. Other people’s choices also have an impact on our lives. Circumstances can also have an impact on our lives. Yet it would be too easy to assume that, therefore it doesn’t really matter what we do.

Remember the example of the computer: it can do many things, but you decide which programs you use, which websites you visit, and what sort of emails you write. Likewise, what you do with your thoughts and with your body is your responsibility.

The limits of our freedom

It seems that our desires limit our will. Sometimes we would like to do or not do something, but our body’s craving proves stronger than our will. An addiction is a good example of this.

Also, our free will is limited by the laws of nature and our circumstances. For example, we cannot fly, no matter how much we would like to. Neither can we decide for ourselves when we would like to be born or die. Nor can we avoid the consequences of our choices.

Nevertheless, your choices determine the journey of your life and your ultimate destination. You can learn more about this in the main story on this site.

Addicted to our desires

We often struggle when we have to choose between the things we enjoy and the things that are good for us. I really love chocolate, but I know it makes me fat if I would eat chocolate all day. We often experience inner conflict between temptations and our well-being.

This happens not only on a physical level. Also, on a spiritual level, we often do many things that we know the Creator does not approve of. Yet we often give in to temptations, and it takes a lot of effort to do good.

It seems to be in our nature that we tend to do things that are not right. Since childhood, we have been primarily focused on our well-being. No human being succeeds in being completely honest, just, and good to himself and others. By doing so, we dishonor our Creator and fail to give Him the respect He deserves.

Justice

We all have a sense of justice. Good deserves a reward, and evil requires punishment. In chapter 3, we have concluded that justice must be an attribute of the Creator. Otherwise, justice would not exist in His creation.

Our sense of justice ensures that we are aware of the consequences of our choices. When we do something bad, we know that eventually, there will be consequences. We may be able to hide our bad deeds and thoughts from the people around us, but we cannot hide them from our Creator. Therefore, it is not surprising that many religions also have an awareness of a “last judgment. After we die, we will be held accountable for our choices and our actions.

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Is life a big test?

Some people assume that lifeis a big test, and the Creator will judge whether we have done more good than bad at the end of our lives. This thought is not correct. After all, how could you make up for evil acts like murder? A lot of wrong things we do leave irreparable damage.

We need salvation!

So what is life really about? It becomes much more obvious when we know the Creator’s motives. He is loving and immensely patient with us.

Even when you try to live a good life, you will fail often. We, therefore, need help to get out of this downward spiral. Every other human also struggles with the same problem; thus, no one can help you.

Fortunately, there is also good news! Our Creator has a solution to our problem. This solution can free us from the consequences of our desires and self-destructive behavior forever. If you want to know how then read on!

Or start at Chapter 1 if you’ve dropped in at this page

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