Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at 12:12am
Freewill is more than a word
God gives freewill to all. Bad and good occur daily as a result of free choices we make. In the garden scene of Genesis with Earth and Life (Adam and Eve in Hebrew), neither the God nor the serpent made the couple do anything. The story reveals that both the creating power and the trickster encourage the earthlings to accept a certain philosophy and live accordingly. It seems that the dawn of creation would have been as good a time as any to stamp out freewill, but it was not. The God does not enslave.
Jesus speaks of the son setting the slaves free in John 8:36. We can ridicule freedom if we like. After all, we are free. But consider the last unselfish act you did. You were free to not do it. We have freedom to act. Jesus said he does not call us slaves but friends (John 15:15). Let us show our gratitude by acting positively.
The prophet Zechariah reminds the people of Judah to watch after the vulnerable ones (Zechariah 7:9-11). So often, we use our freewill as an excuse to harm others and to neglect those around us. We call it freedom from responsibility or freedom from prophecy. (Prophets are those who deliver God's words to God's people — i.e. to everyone.)
Whether or not someone believes or trusts in a divine creator does not matter. They have freewill regardless. Freewill is one of those elements in life where, regardless of class or status, wealth or success, race or creed, automatically everyone has it.
I am concerned about the philosophy that promulgates the teaching that people are no more than victims — constant pawns. The creator made us all free. Whether we enslave ourselves or are forced into slavery has nothing to do with this innate gift. Too often, some individuals forego freewill and say that some external force or power makes them chose a course of action. We all are daily encouraged to respond to circumstances in the positive or negative; we never lose our power of choice. A priest in my diocese shows his freewill by delivering his homily in front of the altar near us in our pews. No one makes him forgo the lectern; he chooses freely.
There are, of course, some who choose to act in despicable ways. In North America, Africa and Europe reporters have described episodes of abuse. I shall not go into specific cases, but some individuals seem to believe that they have the right to harm others. Some even go as far to say that either the abused deserves the abuse or that it is a matter of survival of the fittest — stomp or get stomped. How unfortunate when abusers use their freewill and decide to inflict harm on others. Then too, how unfortunate when individuals choose not to show their appreciation for gifts, talents or helping hands which abuses those who gave in the first place — God, family and friends.
I had a conversation and in the course of it the topic of good and bad inner selves — a quasi dual nature in each individual — arose. I do not believe in people having more than one concrete/real nature. I think if people have a good side and a not-so-good side then freewill could not exist. A person's good side would not let the bad side emerge. Conversely, the bad side would not let the good side emerge.
I have continued my dialogue with the aforementioned individual. Whether she believes it or not, she expresses her freewill by continuing the dialogue. It would be easy for her to cease the discussion, but she chooses not to do so.
One of my choices is to live a bookish life. Thus, much to the concern of my physician I need more exercise. Yet, I do exercise my will through music. I play the piano as I feel; I improvise music. Surely, I am no Beethoven, but I don't have to be. I am my free-to-act self just as Beethoven was his free-to-act self. We need to move beyond a slave mentality of irresponsibility, toward action as free-responsible persons.
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Quinton Jefferson, a graduate student at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio is working towards his Masters in Theology. He is a member of a Roman Catholic Church and sings in the choir. Quinton's email is {email Quinton_Marques@yahoo.com}Quinton_Marques@yahoo.com{/email}. © copyright 2005 by Quinton Jefferson.
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UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum is a big tent for all expressions
of faith and spirituality, neither excluding nor favoring any.
All opinions expressed belong to the writer alone, and are
not necessarily shared by UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum.
Jesus speaks of the son setting the slaves free in John 8:36. We can ridicule freedom if we like. After all, we are free. But consider the last unselfish act you did. You were free to not do it. We have freedom to act. Jesus said he does not call us slaves but friends (John 15:15). Let us show our gratitude by acting positively.
The prophet Zechariah reminds the people of Judah to watch after the vulnerable ones (Zechariah 7:9-11). So often, we use our freewill as an excuse to harm others and to neglect those around us. We call it freedom from responsibility or freedom from prophecy. (Prophets are those who deliver God's words to God's people — i.e. to everyone.)
Whether or not someone believes or trusts in a divine creator does not matter. They have freewill regardless. Freewill is one of those elements in life where, regardless of class or status, wealth or success, race or creed, automatically everyone has it.
I am concerned about the philosophy that promulgates the teaching that people are no more than victims — constant pawns. The creator made us all free. Whether we enslave ourselves or are forced into slavery has nothing to do with this innate gift. Too often, some individuals forego freewill and say that some external force or power makes them chose a course of action. We all are daily encouraged to respond to circumstances in the positive or negative; we never lose our power of choice. A priest in my diocese shows his freewill by delivering his homily in front of the altar near us in our pews. No one makes him forgo the lectern; he chooses freely.
There are, of course, some who choose to act in despicable ways. In North America, Africa and Europe reporters have described episodes of abuse. I shall not go into specific cases, but some individuals seem to believe that they have the right to harm others. Some even go as far to say that either the abused deserves the abuse or that it is a matter of survival of the fittest — stomp or get stomped. How unfortunate when abusers use their freewill and decide to inflict harm on others. Then too, how unfortunate when individuals choose not to show their appreciation for gifts, talents or helping hands which abuses those who gave in the first place — God, family and friends.
I had a conversation and in the course of it the topic of good and bad inner selves — a quasi dual nature in each individual — arose. I do not believe in people having more than one concrete/real nature. I think if people have a good side and a not-so-good side then freewill could not exist. A person's good side would not let the bad side emerge. Conversely, the bad side would not let the good side emerge.
I have continued my dialogue with the aforementioned individual. Whether she believes it or not, she expresses her freewill by continuing the dialogue. It would be easy for her to cease the discussion, but she chooses not to do so.
One of my choices is to live a bookish life. Thus, much to the concern of my physician I need more exercise. Yet, I do exercise my will through music. I play the piano as I feel; I improvise music. Surely, I am no Beethoven, but I don't have to be. I am my free-to-act self just as Beethoven was his free-to-act self. We need to move beyond a slave mentality of irresponsibility, toward action as free-responsible persons.
———
Quinton Jefferson, a graduate student at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio is working towards his Masters in Theology. He is a member of a Roman Catholic Church and sings in the choir. Quinton's email is {email Quinton_Marques@yahoo.com}Quinton_Marques@yahoo.com{/email}. © copyright 2005 by Quinton Jefferson.
UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum is a big tent for all expressions
of faith and spirituality, neither excluding nor favoring any.
All opinions expressed belong to the writer alone, and are
not necessarily shared by UPI Religion & Spirituality Forum.