Fate or Free Will

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]

I don't doubt at all that everything a human does has a reason, but I guess I'm only questioning when there are multiple conflicting reasons to do things. It is easy after the fact to see the reasoning behind a decision (hindsight bias), but a lot harder to predict the decision before, as I'm sure you are aware. I don't really have any idea myself, but I can say that I hope that you are wrong. I rather fancy the idea that I am not just the result of a very long, complicated formula of experiences and DNA and that there is something in me that makes my decisions which, while usually in line with those factors, can make them (when it needs to) despite all of that.

GabuEx

Have you ever found yourself in a moral dilemma? If so, what was it, and how did you resolve it?

I am analyzing this story right now and honestly I think it lends to your case. I was unable, despite my desire to abstain, to last any significant amount of time resisting my sexual appetite. What ultimately led to the resistance was me consciously training my brain to resist these physical desires (through fasting and meditation). However I do tend to think that my decision to perform those acts (fasting and meditation) to achieve the desired outcome (resistance to my sexual appetite) could maybe be considered free will. My conscious mind essentially was working to condition my subconscious mind to transform it into what it wanted. What do you have to say about this or how would you explain it?

Well, not sure if this is OT appropriate, or in just plain bad taste, but back when I was trying to become a good Christian (at seminary) I had a problem with masturbation It was a bit of a controversial topic among the men because some thought it was okay. In my opinion, it was intrinsically linked to lust and thus a sin. Mind you, this was not an excessive amount, but I was trying to eradicate this sinful behavior entirely out of my life. When I had a desire to do it, often times I would resist, but eventually over the course of time, say a week or so, I would cave in to it. To make a long story short I spent a lot of days fasting and a lot of time in meditation and prayer to eventually be able to go a very substantial amount (say nearly a year) of time without caving to the desire. Since then I have had a paradigm shift away from organized religion and no longer see anything of the sort as a problem

I am analyzing this story right now and honestly I think it lends to your case. I was unable, despite my desire to abstain, to last any significant amount of time resisting my sexual appetite. What ultimately led to the resistance was me consciously training my brain to resist these physical desires (through fasting and meditation). However I do tend to think that my decision to perform those acts (fasting and meditation) to achieve the desired outcome (resistance to my sexual appetite) could maybe be considered free will. My conscious mind essentially was working to condition my subconscious mind to transform it into what it wanted. What do you have to say about this or how would you explain it?

Plzhelpmelearn

Well, let's ask this question first of all: why did you want to resist these physical desires?

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]

Well, not sure if this is OT appropriate, or in just plain bad taste, but back when I was trying to become a good Christian (at seminary) I had a problem with masturbation It was a bit of a controversial topic among the men because some thought it was okay. In my opinion, it was intrinsically linked to lust and thus a sin. Mind you, this was not an excessive amount, but I was trying to eradicate this sinful behavior entirely out of my life. When I had a desire to do it, often times I would resist, but eventually over the course of time, say a week or so, I would cave in to it. To make a long story short I spent a lot of days fasting and a lot of time in meditation and prayer to eventually be able to go a very substantial amount (say nearly a year) of time without caving to the desire. Since then I have had a paradigm shift away from organized religion and no longer see anything of the sort as a problem

I am analyzing this story right now and honestly I think it lends to your case. I was unable, despite my desire to abstain, to last any significant amount of time resisting my sexual appetite. What ultimately led to the resistance was me consciously training my brain to resist these physical desires (through fasting and meditation). However I do tend to think that my decision to perform those acts (fasting and meditation) to achieve the desired outcome (resistance to my sexual appetite) could maybe be considered free will. My conscious mind essentially was working to condition my subconscious mind to transform it into what it wanted. What do you have to say about this or how would you explain it?

GabuEx

Well, let's ask this question first of all: why did you want to resist these physical desires?

Free will.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]

I don't doubt at all that everything a human does has a reason, but I guess I'm only questioning when there are multiple conflicting reasons to do things. It is easy after the fact to see the reasoning behind a decision (hindsight bias), but a lot harder to predict the decision before, as I'm sure you are aware. I don't really have any idea myself, but I can say that I hope that you are wrong. I rather fancy the idea that I am not just the result of a very long, complicated formula of experiences and DNA and that there is something in me that makes my decisions which, while usually in line with those factors, can make them (when it needs to) despite all of that.

Plzhelpmelearn

Have you ever found yourself in a moral dilemma? If so, what was it, and how did you resolve it?

I am analyzing this story right now and honestly I think it lends to your case. I was unable, despite my desire to abstain, to last any significant amount of time resisting my sexual appetite. What ultimately led to the resistance was me consciously training my brain to resist these physical desires (through fasting and meditation). However I do tend to think that my decision to perform those acts (fasting and meditation) to achieve the desired outcome (resistance to my sexual appetite) could maybe be considered free will. My conscious mind essentially was working to condition my subconscious mind to transform it into what it wanted. What do you have to say about this or how would you explain it?

Fate is just a word people use when they can't make a logical connection between the cause and effect. Fate is born from the absence of responsibility. The only thing "fate" dictates in our lives is the fact that we die.

I believe in free will and the consequences that arise because of it.

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]

Well, not sure if this is OT appropriate, or in just plain bad taste, but back when I was trying to become a good Christian (at seminary) I had a problem with masturbation It was a bit of a controversial topic among the men because some thought it was okay. In my opinion, it was intrinsically linked to lust and thus a sin. Mind you, this was not an excessive amount, but I was trying to eradicate this sinful behavior entirely out of my life. When I had a desire to do it, often times I would resist, but eventually over the course of time, say a week or so, I would cave in to it. To make a long story short I spent a lot of days fasting and a lot of time in meditation and prayer to eventually be able to go a very substantial amount (say nearly a year) of time without caving to the desire. Since then I have had a paradigm shift away from organized religion and no longer see anything of the sort as a problem

I am analyzing this story right now and honestly I think it lends to your case. I was unable, despite my desire to abstain, to last any significant amount of time resisting my sexual appetite. What ultimately led to the resistance was me consciously training my brain to resist these physical desires (through fasting and meditation). However I do tend to think that my decision to perform those acts (fasting and meditation) to achieve the desired outcome (resistance to my sexual appetite) could maybe be considered free will. My conscious mind essentially was working to condition my subconscious mind to transform it into what it wanted. What do you have to say about this or how would you explain it?

Plzhelpmelearn

Well, let's ask this question first of all: why did you want to resist these physical desires?

Right, but why did you care about that?

It's not that we don't have free will.. it's just that this timeline has already played itself out an infinite number of times before. What we consider to be the past is really still happening, and the future that we don't have conscious knowledge of has already happened. It will happen again an infinite number of times, too. Therefore, in a sense.. there is fate. Haven't you ever felt sure that you had been in the same exact place, doing the same exact thing before? Deja Vu. It happens to some people more often than others. I think that there is a level of the human consciousness that is somehow aware of things that have happened, and things that seem yet to come.

[QUOTE="Plzhelpmelearn"]

[QUOTE="GabuEx"]

Well, let's ask this question first of all: why did you want to resist these physical desires?

GabuEx

Right, but why did you care about that?