Maybe it has all been coded. Or we are to be coded. It is nature versus nurture. Why do we behave the way we do? Is it just the unveiling of a pre-programmed sequence of actions that began from the very first second of creation, like an eternity-long movie? Or are we truly conscious and sentient enough to influence the courses of our lives, and the universe by extension? Has it all been predetermined, or do we have free will? The subject of freewill is one of the most debated topics in human history. While some believe that we are entirely responsible for the choices we make, the other side of the spectrum argues that we have no say in the events of our lives and the general unfolding of said events. But there is a third group; those that try to find a common ground between the two extremes.
Let’s consider the nature of human actions. Barring reflex actions, which do not require forethought, every action is a product of choice. Therefore, if an action is defined as anything one decides to do and actually does, it then means one’s inactions are also actions. For example, if your alarm rings by 5am and you decide not to wake up, it means you decided to do something – you decided “not to wake up” or “to keep sleeping”. Also, if person A insults person B and person B decides to not react, contrary to all the blood pumping in their veins, the decision to not react is the decision to do something – “to not react” or “to keep quiet”. This recalls a quote from one of my favourite dialogues on TV: “To do nothing is the hardest job of all.” So, if it involves deliberate choice, it is an action, even if the action is doing nothing. This is what the proponents of free will posit.
However, determinists have called this power of choice into question. They argue that the ability to choose is only an illusion, as all choices have been made from an immediate or eternal before. To the determinist, the future is fully predetermined and completely immutable, being the inevitable result of various internal (genetics, biology) and external (environmental) factors. These factors define our tendencies, predispositions, and interests, which ultimately make us predictable. It suggests that everything happens because it is the only possible outcome either according to the laws of science (scientific determinism) or the will of a supreme being (theological determinism or predestination).
To me, there is some intuitive truth to determinism, especially when considering humanity’s limited influence within the vastness of existence. Our sphere of influence is so insignificant that we cannot claim to have substantial control overall. If the sun were to suddenly expand and threaten to swallow up the earth (which will eventually happen according to science), we would be at its mercy and churches would be full on Sundays. Yet, there is no reason this should not happen at any given moment — unless something is preventing it: a determiner. Some say it is the laws of science, but the laws of science are not self-existing, nor are they mutable. They must have been determined too, thereby necessitating the need for an undetermined Determiner.
The Bible also offers insight on this debate, and I always love hearing sermons or apologists sessions about it. There are instances in the book that seem deterministic while others appear to reflect personal decisions. I have often wondered if the fall of man was predetermined or a consequence of free will. Also, did it specifically have to be Jacob over Esau? What did Esau do wrong — or was it about what he would eventually do? Did he not have the option to do otherwise? The betrayal of Jesus required someone to sell Him out for money. Was it just an excellently predetermined plot that the betrayer would be the treasurer, or did Judas make the choice independently? Also, the omniscience of God aligns better with determinism than freewill but Lucifer clearly cooked iniquity within himself by freewill; no one gave him the ingredients. David’s devotion to the Lord, beautifully expressed in his psalms, must also have been a product of personal choice. Similarly, Jesus’ decision to bear the cross and not run away, like I would have, was most definitely a choice – possibly the most difficult one He had to make. Thus, it begs the question: is the Christian worldview deterministic or pro-freewill?
Here's what I think: God is the undetermined Determiner, but He gave us freewill to choose our paths. If there is choice, then there is the possibility of good and bad choices, making us moral agents. However, a good choice is only truly good if, and only if, it aligns with the will of the Determiner.
Tell me what you think. And thank you for reading!
The relationship between God's determinism and human choices is a topic I'd always found fascinating. It's an intricate interplay of divine sovereignty and human responsibility.
We see this delicate balance reflected in the stories of the Israelites and Pharaoh, as well as Esau and Jacob. The notion that God ordains certain outcomes while allowing people to make choices within that framework is profound. It leads me to contemplate whether humans are predestined to fulfill specific roles or if those roles would remain unfulfilled if no one stepped into them.
The example of our Lord Jesus Christ reveals more of this complexity. His voluntary fulfillment of the mandate of salvation, despite being predetermined by God, shows the mystery of human choice within divine determination.
But here's where my question arises: if no one were to step into the designated roles, would God's purpose remain unfulfilled, or would there always be individuals destined to fulfill these roles? (See the case of Judas and our Lord Jesus Christ). What if Judas chose not to betray Jesus? How then would the scriptures be fulfilled?
If there would always be someone to fill in the shoes, then doesn't that make God the ultimate determiner of all things? Does this not translate to the fact that there's indeed no free will? And we are just players of a written script?
I've always believed that there are elements of truths to both postulations, that there's a reason why we act the way we do, it has a place and plays an interesting role in the grand scheme of things.