Good and Evil: Born or made?
"It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul." - Piers Anthony, On A Pale Horse, quoted from the poet William Henley.
I have done a lot of things in my life. Some of which I am proud of, and some of which I am not. Some of which I’d love to shout it from the mountain tops, and talk about to my loved ones, and others which I’d rather have buried in the deepest dungeons, never to see the light of day.
I wish I could be as steadfast as William Henley and say that everything that I have thus far done in my life has been without coercion or oppression, but that is sadly not true. I try as much as possible to be the master of my fate and the captain of my soul, but that too, is sadly not true. What then is left? It is a predicament that afflicts every single one else. Our choices in life are buffeted in three different directions, one of which is never under our control, another seldom under our control, and the third, fully under our control.
Yes, I am approaching the topic tangentially, but it does lead rather nicely (I hope!) into what I want to say: That our choices in life may not truly be choices, for they can be forced unto us by how we were birthed, and the circumstances with which we make our choice. Thus are the three directions: birth, circumstances, and free will.
Let us start with birth then. How can birth affect our choices? Picture the baby born with a clubfoot, or a cleft lip, or a skin disorder, or Down Syndrome or any number of other physical afflictions that occasionally crop up. Anything that can mark a baby as "different" or "unusual" may well limit its choices for the rest of life. Worse still, the infamous extra Y Chromosome argument, whereby any male who is born with an extra Y Chromosome is destined to be a criminal. Wouldn’t his choices in life be dictated? Or consider a baby born with AIDS. His choices in life will be constrained not by the breadth of choices, but by the duration of life with which he is able to make his choices, no?
Take next the influence of circumstances on our choices. I choose to buy a solid gold Rolex. Would I be able to make good my choice? No, because I am poorer than a church mouse. (Erm, does anyone out there really know how much a church mouse earns per annum? Perhaps a slice of cheese every time it genuflects?) I choose to marry the woman of my dreams. Can I? Not if she is already attached or married to someone else. So once again, my choices are constrained.
So how can we then exercise free will? The doctrine of free will in Christianity is one of the most hotly debated in the world. Unfortunately, while I fiercely cling to my concept of free will, and the independence afforded therefore, I reluctantly agree that in life, there are actually really precious few choices that are not dictated in some measure by physiological, chemo-mental or circumstantial factors. Yes, when we were created, God did give us the ability to think freely, and choose freely. But He also constrains us (some may say He guides us) by our environment, and ourselves.
Just like everything else in life, do make your choices wisely. It perhaps may be the last choice you can ever make.
I have done a lot of things in my life. Some of which I am proud of, and some of which I am not. Some of which I’d love to shout it from the mountain tops, and talk about to my loved ones, and others which I’d rather have buried in the deepest dungeons, never to see the light of day.
I wish I could be as steadfast as William Henley and say that everything that I have thus far done in my life has been without coercion or oppression, but that is sadly not true. I try as much as possible to be the master of my fate and the captain of my soul, but that too, is sadly not true. What then is left? It is a predicament that afflicts every single one else. Our choices in life are buffeted in three different directions, one of which is never under our control, another seldom under our control, and the third, fully under our control.
Yes, I am approaching the topic tangentially, but it does lead rather nicely (I hope!) into what I want to say: That our choices in life may not truly be choices, for they can be forced unto us by how we were birthed, and the circumstances with which we make our choice. Thus are the three directions: birth, circumstances, and free will.
Let us start with birth then. How can birth affect our choices? Picture the baby born with a clubfoot, or a cleft lip, or a skin disorder, or Down Syndrome or any number of other physical afflictions that occasionally crop up. Anything that can mark a baby as "different" or "unusual" may well limit its choices for the rest of life. Worse still, the infamous extra Y Chromosome argument, whereby any male who is born with an extra Y Chromosome is destined to be a criminal. Wouldn’t his choices in life be dictated? Or consider a baby born with AIDS. His choices in life will be constrained not by the breadth of choices, but by the duration of life with which he is able to make his choices, no?
Take next the influence of circumstances on our choices. I choose to buy a solid gold Rolex. Would I be able to make good my choice? No, because I am poorer than a church mouse. (Erm, does anyone out there really know how much a church mouse earns per annum? Perhaps a slice of cheese every time it genuflects?) I choose to marry the woman of my dreams. Can I? Not if she is already attached or married to someone else. So once again, my choices are constrained.
So how can we then exercise free will? The doctrine of free will in Christianity is one of the most hotly debated in the world. Unfortunately, while I fiercely cling to my concept of free will, and the independence afforded therefore, I reluctantly agree that in life, there are actually really precious few choices that are not dictated in some measure by physiological, chemo-mental or circumstantial factors. Yes, when we were created, God did give us the ability to think freely, and choose freely. But He also constrains us (some may say He guides us) by our environment, and ourselves.
Just like everything else in life, do make your choices wisely. It perhaps may be the last choice you can ever make.
posted by ekkie at 5:16 am
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