#free-will — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #free-will, aggregated by home.social.
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🤔 Ah, the latest tech buzzword: "Omakase Computing"—because who doesn't want their computer served like sushi? 🍣 Instead of making your own choices, just let the 'chefs' of the tech world decide what's best for you, because why live with free will when you can have perfectly curated mediocrity? 🙄
https://learn.omacom.io/3/omacom/76/omakase-computing #OmakaseComputing #TechBuzzword #CuratedMediocrity #FreeWill #SushiTech #HackerNews #ngated -
🤔 Ah, the latest tech buzzword: "Omakase Computing"—because who doesn't want their computer served like sushi? 🍣 Instead of making your own choices, just let the 'chefs' of the tech world decide what's best for you, because why live with free will when you can have perfectly curated mediocrity? 🙄
https://learn.omacom.io/3/omacom/76/omakase-computing #OmakaseComputing #TechBuzzword #CuratedMediocrity #FreeWill #SushiTech #HackerNews #ngated -
🤔 Ah, the latest tech buzzword: "Omakase Computing"—because who doesn't want their computer served like sushi? 🍣 Instead of making your own choices, just let the 'chefs' of the tech world decide what's best for you, because why live with free will when you can have perfectly curated mediocrity? 🙄
https://learn.omacom.io/3/omacom/76/omakase-computing #OmakaseComputing #TechBuzzword #CuratedMediocrity #FreeWill #SushiTech #HackerNews #ngated -
🤔 Ah, the latest tech buzzword: "Omakase Computing"—because who doesn't want their computer served like sushi? 🍣 Instead of making your own choices, just let the 'chefs' of the tech world decide what's best for you, because why live with free will when you can have perfectly curated mediocrity? 🙄
https://learn.omacom.io/3/omacom/76/omakase-computing #OmakaseComputing #TechBuzzword #CuratedMediocrity #FreeWill #SushiTech #HackerNews #ngated -
🤔 Ah, the latest tech buzzword: "Omakase Computing"—because who doesn't want their computer served like sushi? 🍣 Instead of making your own choices, just let the 'chefs' of the tech world decide what's best for you, because why live with free will when you can have perfectly curated mediocrity? 🙄
https://learn.omacom.io/3/omacom/76/omakase-computing #OmakaseComputing #TechBuzzword #CuratedMediocrity #FreeWill #SushiTech #HackerNews #ngated -
🧩💭 The Mind-Body Problem – What Neuroscientists Really Say
Is the idea that our mental #will controls physical #actions an outdated form of #dualism? And is everything in the brain really strictly determined?
📺 https://youtu.be/TPCADLkSBWM
👉 https://philosophies.de/index.php/2024/03/12/grenzen_physik_psychologie
#MindBodyProblem #Consciousness #Neuroscience #PhysicsAndPsychology #WalterVonLucadou #Zoomposium #Philosophy #MindBrain #Embodiment #SystemsTheory #FreeWill #CognitiveScience #JohnDylanHaynes
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I've enjoyed many of Ted Chiang's stories.
"I have a soft spot for three in particular that I refer to as the Free Will Holy Trinity—“What’s Expected of Us,” “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” and “Story of Your Life.”
[…]
They all explore the theme of free will, and upon first reading them, they all left me staring blankly at a wall as I questioned my entire existence."https://reactormag.com/three-ted-chiang-stories-that-broke-my-brain/
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I've enjoyed many of Ted Chiang's stories.
"I have a soft spot for three in particular that I refer to as the Free Will Holy Trinity—“What’s Expected of Us,” “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” and “Story of Your Life.”
[…]
They all explore the theme of free will, and upon first reading them, they all left me staring blankly at a wall as I questioned my entire existence."https://reactormag.com/three-ted-chiang-stories-that-broke-my-brain/
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I've enjoyed many of Ted Chiang's stories.
"I have a soft spot for three in particular that I refer to as the Free Will Holy Trinity—“What’s Expected of Us,” “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” and “Story of Your Life.”
[…]
They all explore the theme of free will, and upon first reading them, they all left me staring blankly at a wall as I questioned my entire existence."https://reactormag.com/three-ted-chiang-stories-that-broke-my-brain/
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I've enjoyed many of Ted Chiang's stories.
"I have a soft spot for three in particular that I refer to as the Free Will Holy Trinity—“What’s Expected of Us,” “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” and “Story of Your Life.”
[…]
They all explore the theme of free will, and upon first reading them, they all left me staring blankly at a wall as I questioned my entire existence."https://reactormag.com/three-ted-chiang-stories-that-broke-my-brain/
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I've enjoyed many of Ted Chiang's stories.
"I have a soft spot for three in particular that I refer to as the Free Will Holy Trinity—“What’s Expected of Us,” “Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom,” and “Story of Your Life.”
[…]
They all explore the theme of free will, and upon first reading them, they all left me staring blankly at a wall as I questioned my entire existence."https://reactormag.com/three-ted-chiang-stories-that-broke-my-brain/
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My first book, *The Machine That Runs You*, launches this Saturday.
It argues that the machine of habit and reaction decides before you do, then hands you the feeling of having chosen.
If you're getting the Kindle, please buy it on Saturday. Amazon ranks books on single-day sales, so one concentrated day helps new readers find it. It'll be $2.99 that day. I'll post the link Saturday morning.
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My first book, *The Machine That Runs You*, launches this Saturday.
It argues that the machine of habit and reaction decides before you do, then hands you the feeling of having chosen.
If you're getting the Kindle, please buy it on Saturday. Amazon ranks books on single-day sales, so one concentrated day helps new readers find it. It'll be $2.99 that day. I'll post the link Saturday morning.
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My first book, *The Machine That Runs You*, launches this Saturday.
It argues that the machine of habit and reaction decides before you do, then hands you the feeling of having chosen.
If you're getting the Kindle, please buy it on Saturday. Amazon ranks books on single-day sales, so one concentrated day helps new readers find it. It'll be $2.99 that day. I'll post the link Saturday morning.
-
My first book, *The Machine That Runs You*, launches this Saturday.
It argues that the machine of habit and reaction decides before you do, then hands you the feeling of having chosen.
If you're getting the Kindle, please buy it on Saturday. Amazon ranks books on single-day sales, so one concentrated day helps new readers find it. It'll be $2.99 that day. I'll post the link Saturday morning.
-
My first book, *The Machine That Runs You*, launches this Saturday.
It argues that the machine of habit and reaction decides before you do, then hands you the feeling of having chosen.
If you're getting the Kindle, please buy it on Saturday. Amazon ranks books on single-day sales, so one concentrated day helps new readers find it. It'll be $2.99 that day. I'll post the link Saturday morning.
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A machine learning model can flag suicide risk years before the person living that risk becomes aware of it. The algorithm knows before you do.
If the information that determines your trajectory exists before your consciousness registers it, what is consciousness doing when it believes it is choosing?
New on Materia.
#Consciousness #Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Determinism #BigData #Science
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A machine learning model can flag suicide risk years before the person living that risk becomes aware of it. The algorithm knows before you do.
If the information that determines your trajectory exists before your consciousness registers it, what is consciousness doing when it believes it is choosing?
New on Materia.
#Consciousness #Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Determinism #BigData #Science
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A machine learning model can flag suicide risk years before the person living that risk becomes aware of it. The algorithm knows before you do.
If the information that determines your trajectory exists before your consciousness registers it, what is consciousness doing when it believes it is choosing?
New on Materia.
#Consciousness #Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Determinism #BigData #Science
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A machine learning model can flag suicide risk years before the person living that risk becomes aware of it. The algorithm knows before you do.
If the information that determines your trajectory exists before your consciousness registers it, what is consciousness doing when it believes it is choosing?
New on Materia.
#Consciousness #Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Determinism #BigData #Science
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A machine learning model can flag suicide risk years before the person living that risk becomes aware of it. The algorithm knows before you do.
If the information that determines your trajectory exists before your consciousness registers it, what is consciousness doing when it believes it is choosing?
New on Materia.
#Consciousness #Philosophy #PhilosophyOfMind #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Determinism #BigData #Science
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Aren’t We All Bible Churches?
A while back, I had a couple visit our church as they were looking for a new place to plug into. I was excited that they were testing us out, but they kept mentioning a church down the road that they were especially interested in.
“It just feels like a really solid Bible church,” they kept repeating.
I nodded in agreement, all the while thinking to myself, Did I not just preach the Bible?
That’s when I realized that “Bible church” does not mean “biblical” or “theological” to the average congregant. What many mean by “Bible church” is that the pastor preaches what they think the Bible says.
This is the same vibe I get when I advertise our church at local events. There will always be another church somewhere that advertises itself as a “Bible Church.”
Are there churches that don’t consider themselves Bible churches? I often think to myself. Aren’t we all Bible churches? Isn’t that a given?
The implication, of course, is that their church actually follows the Bible and does what it says, while the rest of us don’t take it seriously. The rest of us are either hindered by tradition and doctrine or we’ve twisted Scripture to appease the beliefs of modernity.
It can be hard to love the Bible, because solid Bible study sometimes force us not to settle for the simple answers we see on the page. Sure, at first glance it looks like Paul says women can’t be in ministry, but then Paul does ministry with lots of women who happen to be evangelists, prophets, and apostles. Sure, it looks like the Bible says a woman should be silent in church, but have you ever tried evangelizing or prophesying in silence? Sure, it looks like Paul says they can’t be pastors, but then why are they allowed to be higher church authorities like prophets and apostles? It is not unbiblical to recognize that something is off here and come to a different conclusion than the conservative view.
If you really love the Bible, you must wrestle with all of the Bible. This ancient omnibus spans various cultures, times, and languages and demands you to struggle with it. It is cheap to settle for theology that doesn’t acknowledge the many variations all throughout Scripture.
You must also wrestle with the Holy Spirit who inspired it. As Christians, we have access to the author whose name is on the front page. Why do we try to study it on our own?
All churches are Bible churches. All Christians are expected to grapple with the Bible. I know it feels like it’s faithfulness to stick our foot down on one verse, but that’s not how proper Bible study works. There is less of a chance that we will have a full meltdown into deconstruction if we have gotten used to wrestling with the various views the Bible can present us with.
Yes, know the safeguards so you don’t venture off into heresy, but certainly wrestle with the Bible, for that is a mark of every good theologian.
#Bible #BibleStudy #biblicalFaithfulness #biblicalInterpretation #BiblicalTheology #ChristianDoctrine #Christianity #church #deconstruction #faith #FreeWill #hermeneutics #HolySpirit #pastors #predestination #Scripture #spiritualFormation #theology #womenInMinistry -
https://theconversation.com/people-in-the-uk-favour-harsher-punishment-than-norwegians-belief-in-free-will-may-help-explain-why-286169; https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/6/868 (open access). Our #criminal #justice system is predicated on the assumption that we are all endowed with #freewill, & are able to choose what course of #action to take - but what if all our #decisions & #actions are #effects of various different #causes, & #determinism (of some sort or other) is true? If it is, the idea of individual #moral & #legal #responsibility is invalid.
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https://theconversation.com/people-in-the-uk-favour-harsher-punishment-than-norwegians-belief-in-free-will-may-help-explain-why-286169; https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/6/868 (open access). Our #criminal #justice system is predicated on the assumption that we are all endowed with #freewill, & are able to choose what course of #action to take - but what if all our #decisions & #actions are #effects of various different #causes, & #determinism (of some sort or other) is true? If it is, the idea of individual #moral & #legal #responsibility is invalid.
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https://theconversation.com/people-in-the-uk-favour-harsher-punishment-than-norwegians-belief-in-free-will-may-help-explain-why-286169; https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/6/868 (open access). Our #criminal #justice system is predicated on the assumption that we are all endowed with #freewill, & are able to choose what course of #action to take - but what if all our #decisions & #actions are #effects of various different #causes, & #determinism (of some sort or other) is true? If it is, the idea of individual #moral & #legal #responsibility is invalid.
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https://theconversation.com/people-in-the-uk-favour-harsher-punishment-than-norwegians-belief-in-free-will-may-help-explain-why-286169; https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/6/868 (open access). Our #criminal #justice system is predicated on the assumption that we are all endowed with #freewill, & are able to choose what course of #action to take - but what if all our #decisions & #actions are #effects of various different #causes, & #determinism (of some sort or other) is true? If it is, the idea of individual #moral & #legal #responsibility is invalid.
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https://theconversation.com/people-in-the-uk-favour-harsher-punishment-than-norwegians-belief-in-free-will-may-help-explain-why-286169; https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/16/6/868 (open access). Our #criminal #justice system is predicated on the assumption that we are all endowed with #freewill, & are able to choose what course of #action to take - but what if all our #decisions & #actions are #effects of various different #causes, & #determinism (of some sort or other) is true? If it is, the idea of individual #moral & #legal #responsibility is invalid.
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God of the Recalculation
Scripture shows a God who recalculates. This is why faithfulness is so important.
When God speaks a prophetic word over someone or assigns them a mission, the forces of Hell will try to stop it, free will agents will try to block it, and even we can get in our own way of what he’s trying to do.
But if we keep our eyes on God and stay faithful through it all, there is no force that God cannot recalculate around. If we walk away, the prophetic becomes void and the mission unfulfilled.
God is faithful to weave things toward his desires with great patience. Are we willing to be faithful even when long suffering gets in the way?
The Lord will have his way and you’ll want to be there when he does.
#calling #ChristianLiving #endurance #faith #faithfulness #FreeWill #GodSFaithfulness #GodSWill #longSuffering #mission #obedience #patience #perseverance #prophecy #propheticWords #Purpose #Scripture #spiritualWarfare #trustInGod -
Apologetics: Debunking Deconstruction – Is Free Will a Thing?
As I mentioned last week, I got into a debate with an atheist in my comments section who said that free will can’t exist if God knows everything. He believes that if God knows everything, then we can’t actually choose anything for ourselves, and He is ultimately the one causing people to be sent to Hell. This can be a sketchy topic since answering this question can easily send a person into the theological weeds, but here’s my take.
Ultimately, the answer to this question is that knowing doesn’t equal causing. It is true that throughout the Bible, there are plenty of passages about God knowing what will happen. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9-10, where it says:
9Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’However, there are also a myriad of passages which talk about human responsibility. One example is in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, which says:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
From this, we can see that while the Bible says God knows everything that will ever happen, it also says that we have a choice between God’s way and our way. Rather than being contradictory, this is more complementary. As an illustration of how this works, imagine that you have a friend who’s wildly predictable. Even when presented with numerous other choices, you know that they’ll go for the same one every time. They’ll pick chocolate over vanilla or strawberry. They always pick plain T-shirts over graphic Tees. They always wear Converse even if Doc Martins are the better choice. You get the picture.
You knowing what they’re going to pick doesn’t mean that you’re causing them to pick that thing. They could still pick any of the other options, they just don’t.
It’s kind-of like that with God. Though He knows everything we’re going to do, He gives us a myriad of opportunities and chances to pick a new path. If you’re a non-Christian, He gives you chance after chance to turn towards Him. If you’re a Christian, He gives you opportunities to obey Him.
Further, not allowing free will isn’t something that’s in line with God’s character. God is all-loving. If He didn’t give us free will, He couldn’t be all-loving because for love to exist, freedom of choice must exist. If Adam and Eve hadn’t been given the option to eat of the tree of good and evil, they could never have had a true relationship with God.
Now, at this point the question of predestination pops up, since the Bible also emphasizes predestination a lot as well. This one has led to a huge debate, with the two major sides being Calvinism and Arminianism. Some Calvinists are more extreme than others on this question, but the overall view on that end is that God’s grace irresistibly draws in those who have been elected by God to be saved. Calvinists teach that we aren’t completely free and can’t really choose God in our sinful state unless we’ve been chosen by Him and regenerated to follow Him. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith, in which case it’s up to us to accept God’s grace or reject it.
[Author’s Note: Personally, I generally lean more towards Arminianism, but try to stay somewhere in the middle on this one.]
Either way you look at it, it’s not an essential of the faith and there are Bible verses to back up both views. On one hand I can understand the Calvinist view since if your heart is hardened against God, it often takes a work of the Spirit to soften it so you can accept Christ. At the same time, however, I also can understand the Arminian perspective that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. Ultimately, though, there’s a great level of mystery to it that we’re likely not going to totally understand in life, but it’s better than the alternative that atheism provides.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Bible #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #Writing -
Apologetics: Debunking Deconstruction – Is Free Will a Thing?
As I mentioned last week, I got into a debate with an atheist in my comments section who said that free will can’t exist if God knows everything. He believes that if God knows everything, then we can’t actually choose anything for ourselves, and He is ultimately the one causing people to be sent to Hell. This can be a sketchy topic since answering this question can easily send a person into the theological weeds, but here’s my take.
Ultimately, the answer to this question is that knowing doesn’t equal causing. It is true that throughout the Bible, there are plenty of passages about God knowing what will happen. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9-10, where it says:
9Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’However, there are also a myriad of passages which talk about human responsibility. One example is in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, which says:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
From this, we can see that while the Bible says God knows everything that will ever happen, it also says that we have a choice between God’s way and our way. Rather than being contradictory, this is more complementary. As an illustration of how this works, imagine that you have a friend who’s wildly predictable. Even when presented with numerous other choices, you know that they’ll go for the same one every time. They’ll pick chocolate over vanilla or strawberry. They always pick plain T-shirts over graphic Tees. They always wear Converse even if Doc Martins are the better choice. You get the picture.
You knowing what they’re going to pick doesn’t mean that you’re causing them to pick that thing. They could still pick any of the other options, they just don’t.
It’s kind-of like that with God. Though He knows everything we’re going to do, He gives us a myriad of opportunities and chances to pick a new path. If you’re a non-Christian, He gives you chance after chance to turn towards Him. If you’re a Christian, He gives you opportunities to obey Him.
Further, not allowing free will isn’t something that’s in line with God’s character. God is all-loving. If He didn’t give us free will, He couldn’t be all-loving because for love to exist, freedom of choice must exist. If Adam and Eve hadn’t been given the option to eat of the tree of good and evil, they could never have had a true relationship with God.
Now, at this point the question of predestination pops up, since the Bible also emphasizes predestination a lot as well. This one has led to a huge debate, with the two major sides being Calvinism and Arminianism. Some Calvinists are more extreme than others on this question, but the overall view on that end is that God’s grace irresistibly draws in those who have been elected by God to be saved. Calvinists teach that we aren’t completely free and can’t really choose God in our sinful state unless we’ve been chosen by Him and regenerated to follow Him. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith, in which case it’s up to us to accept God’s grace or reject it.
[Author’s Note: Personally, I generally lean more towards Arminianism, but try to stay somewhere in the middle on this one.]
Either way you look at it, it’s not an essential of the faith and there are Bible verses to back up both views. On one hand I can understand the Calvinist view since if your heart is hardened against God, it often takes a work of the Spirit to soften it so you can accept Christ. At the same time, however, I also can understand the Arminian perspective that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. Ultimately, though, there’s a great level of mystery to it that we’re likely not going to totally understand in life, but it’s better than the alternative that atheism provides.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #Writing -
Apologetics: Debunking Deconstruction – Is Free Will a Thing?
As I mentioned last week, I got into a debate with an atheist in my comments section who said that free will can’t exist if God knows everything. He believes that if God knows everything, then we can’t actually choose anything for ourselves, and He is ultimately the one causing people to be sent to Hell. This can be a sketchy topic since answering this question can easily send a person into the theological weeds, but here’s my take.
Ultimately, the answer to this question is that knowing doesn’t equal causing. It is true that throughout the Bible, there are plenty of passages about God knowing what will happen. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9-10, where it says:
9Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’However, there are also a myriad of passages which talk about human responsibility. One example is in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, which says:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
From this, we can see that while the Bible says God knows everything that will ever happen, it also says that we have a choice between God’s way and our way. Rather than being contradictory, this is more complementary. As an illustration of how this works, imagine that you have a friend who’s wildly predictable. Even when presented with numerous other choices, you know that they’ll go for the same one every time. They’ll pick chocolate over vanilla or strawberry. They always pick plain T-shirts over graphic Tees. They always wear Converse even if Doc Martins are the better choice. You get the picture.
You knowing what they’re going to pick doesn’t mean that you’re causing them to pick that thing. They could still pick any of the other options, they just don’t.
It’s kind-of like that with God. Though He knows everything we’re going to do, He gives us a myriad of opportunities and chances to pick a new path. If you’re a non-Christian, He gives you chance after chance to turn towards Him. If you’re a Christian, He gives you opportunities to obey Him.
Further, not allowing free will isn’t something that’s in line with God’s character. God is all-loving. If He didn’t give us free will, He couldn’t be all-loving because for love to exist, freedom of choice must exist. If Adam and Eve hadn’t been given the option to eat of the tree of good and evil, they could never have had a true relationship with God.
Now, at this point the question of predestination pops up, since the Bible also emphasizes predestination a lot as well. This one has led to a huge debate, with the two major sides being Calvinism and Arminianism. Some Calvinists are more extreme than others on this question, but the overall view on that end is that God’s grace irresistibly draws in those who have been elected by God to be saved. Calvinists teach that we aren’t completely free and can’t really choose God in our sinful state unless we’ve been chosen by Him and regenerated to follow Him. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith, in which case it’s up to us to accept God’s grace or reject it.
[Author’s Note: Personally, I generally lean more towards Arminianism, but try to stay somewhere in the middle on this one.]
Either way you look at it, it’s not an essential of the faith and there are Bible verses to back up both views. On one hand I can understand the Calvinist view since if your heart is hardened against God, it often takes a work of the Spirit to soften it so you can accept Christ. At the same time, however, I also can understand the Arminian perspective that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. Ultimately, though, there’s a great level of mystery to it that we’re likely not going to totally understand in life, but it’s better than the alternative that atheism provides.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Bible #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #Writing -
Apologetics: Debunking Deconstruction – Is Free Will a Thing?
As I mentioned last week, I got into a debate with an atheist in my comments section who said that free will can’t exist if God knows everything. He believes that if God knows everything, then we can’t actually choose anything for ourselves, and He is ultimately the one causing people to be sent to Hell. This can be a sketchy topic since answering this question can easily send a person into the theological weeds, but here’s my take.
Ultimately, the answer to this question is that knowing doesn’t equal causing. It is true that throughout the Bible, there are plenty of passages about God knowing what will happen. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9-10, where it says:
9Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’However, there are also a myriad of passages which talk about human responsibility. One example is in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, which says:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
From this, we can see that while the Bible says God knows everything that will ever happen, it also says that we have a choice between God’s way and our way. Rather than being contradictory, this is more complementary. As an illustration of how this works, imagine that you have a friend who’s wildly predictable. Even when presented with numerous other choices, you know that they’ll go for the same one every time. They’ll pick chocolate over vanilla or strawberry. They always pick plain T-shirts over graphic Tees. They always wear Converse even if Doc Martins are the better choice. You get the picture.
You knowing what they’re going to pick doesn’t mean that you’re causing them to pick that thing. They could still pick any of the other options, they just don’t.
It’s kind-of like that with God. Though He knows everything we’re going to do, He gives us a myriad of opportunities and chances to pick a new path. If you’re a non-Christian, He gives you chance after chance to turn towards Him. If you’re a Christian, He gives you opportunities to obey Him.
Further, not allowing free will isn’t something that’s in line with God’s character. God is all-loving. If He didn’t give us free will, He couldn’t be all-loving because for love to exist, freedom of choice must exist. If Adam and Eve hadn’t been given the option to eat of the tree of good and evil, they could never have had a true relationship with God.
Now, at this point the question of predestination pops up, since the Bible also emphasizes predestination a lot as well. This one has led to a huge debate, with the two major sides being Calvinism and Arminianism. Some Calvinists are more extreme than others on this question, but the overall view on that end is that God’s grace irresistibly draws in those who have been elected by God to be saved. Calvinists teach that we aren’t completely free and can’t really choose God in our sinful state unless we’ve been chosen by Him and regenerated to follow Him. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith, in which case it’s up to us to accept God’s grace or reject it.
[Author’s Note: Personally, I generally lean more towards Arminianism, but try to stay somewhere in the middle on this one.]
Either way you look at it, it’s not an essential of the faith and there are Bible verses to back up both views. On one hand I can understand the Calvinist view since if your heart is hardened against God, it often takes a work of the Spirit to soften it so you can accept Christ. At the same time, however, I also can understand the Arminian perspective that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. Ultimately, though, there’s a great level of mystery to it that we’re likely not going to totally understand in life, but it’s better than the alternative that atheism provides.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Bible #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #Writing -
Apologetics: Debunking Deconstruction – Is Free Will a Thing?
As I mentioned last week, I got into a debate with an atheist in my comments section who said that free will can’t exist if God knows everything. He believes that if God knows everything, then we can’t actually choose anything for ourselves, and He is ultimately the one causing people to be sent to Hell. This can be a sketchy topic since answering this question can easily send a person into the theological weeds, but here’s my take.
Ultimately, the answer to this question is that knowing doesn’t equal causing. It is true that throughout the Bible, there are plenty of passages about God knowing what will happen. Take, for instance, Isaiah 46:9-10, where it says:
9Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’However, there are also a myriad of passages which talk about human responsibility. One example is in Deuteronomy 30:19-20, which says:
19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
From this, we can see that while the Bible says God knows everything that will ever happen, it also says that we have a choice between God’s way and our way. Rather than being contradictory, this is more complementary. As an illustration of how this works, imagine that you have a friend who’s wildly predictable. Even when presented with numerous other choices, you know that they’ll go for the same one every time. They’ll pick chocolate over vanilla or strawberry. They always pick plain T-shirts over graphic Tees. They always wear Converse even if Doc Martins are the better choice. You get the picture.
You knowing what they’re going to pick doesn’t mean that you’re causing them to pick that thing. They could still pick any of the other options, they just don’t.
It’s kind-of like that with God. Though He knows everything we’re going to do, He gives us a myriad of opportunities and chances to pick a new path. If you’re a non-Christian, He gives you chance after chance to turn towards Him. If you’re a Christian, He gives you opportunities to obey Him.
Further, not allowing free will isn’t something that’s in line with God’s character. God is all-loving. If He didn’t give us free will, He couldn’t be all-loving because for love to exist, freedom of choice must exist. If Adam and Eve hadn’t been given the option to eat of the tree of good and evil, they could never have had a true relationship with God.
Now, at this point the question of predestination pops up, since the Bible also emphasizes predestination a lot as well. This one has led to a huge debate, with the two major sides being Calvinism and Arminianism. Some Calvinists are more extreme than others on this question, but the overall view on that end is that God’s grace irresistibly draws in those who have been elected by God to be saved. Calvinists teach that we aren’t completely free and can’t really choose God in our sinful state unless we’ve been chosen by Him and regenerated to follow Him. Arminianism, on the other hand, teaches that God’s election is based on foreseen faith, in which case it’s up to us to accept God’s grace or reject it.
[Author’s Note: Personally, I generally lean more towards Arminianism, but try to stay somewhere in the middle on this one.]
Either way you look at it, it’s not an essential of the faith and there are Bible verses to back up both views. On one hand I can understand the Calvinist view since if your heart is hardened against God, it often takes a work of the Spirit to soften it so you can accept Christ. At the same time, however, I also can understand the Arminian perspective that God’s election is based on foreseen faith. Ultimately, though, there’s a great level of mystery to it that we’re likely not going to totally understand in life, but it’s better than the alternative that atheism provides.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Bible #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #Writing -
🧠 #Matter vs. #Mind: In what worlds does our #brain live? 🌐
Today, #neuroscientists face a fascinating and, at the same time, profound #dilemma.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇
https://philosophies.de/index.php/2022/03/22/kann-das-gehirn-das-gehirn-verstehen/
You can find this exciting interview at:
👉 https://youtu.be/C2FVIbAyaH4
#Brain #BrainResearch #Consciousness #Philosophy #WolfSinger #Zoomposium #Qualia #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Cognition #MindAndBrain #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology
-
🧠 #Matter vs. #Mind: In what worlds does our #brain live? 🌐
Today, #neuroscientists face a fascinating and, at the same time, profound #dilemma.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇
https://philosophies.de/index.php/2022/03/22/kann-das-gehirn-das-gehirn-verstehen/
You can find this exciting interview at:
👉 https://youtu.be/C2FVIbAyaH4
#Brain #BrainResearch #Consciousness #Philosophy #WolfSinger #Zoomposium #Qualia #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Cognition #MindAndBrain #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology
-
🧠 #Matter vs. #Mind: In what worlds does our #brain live? 🌐
Today, #neuroscientists face a fascinating and, at the same time, profound #dilemma.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇
https://philosophies.de/index.php/2022/03/22/kann-das-gehirn-das-gehirn-verstehen/
You can find this exciting interview at:
👉 https://youtu.be/C2FVIbAyaH4
#Brain #BrainResearch #Consciousness #Philosophy #WolfSinger #Zoomposium #Qualia #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Cognition #MindAndBrain #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology
-
🧠 #Matter vs. #Mind: In what worlds does our #brain live? 🌐
Today, #neuroscientists face a fascinating and, at the same time, profound #dilemma.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇
https://philosophies.de/index.php/2022/03/22/kann-das-gehirn-das-gehirn-verstehen/
You can find this exciting interview at:
👉 https://youtu.be/C2FVIbAyaH4
#Brain #BrainResearch #Consciousness #Philosophy #WolfSinger #Zoomposium #Qualia #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Cognition #MindAndBrain #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology
-
🧠 #Matter vs. #Mind: In what worlds does our #brain live? 🌐
Today, #neuroscientists face a fascinating and, at the same time, profound #dilemma.
Share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇
https://philosophies.de/index.php/2022/03/22/kann-das-gehirn-das-gehirn-verstehen/
You can find this exciting interview at:
👉 https://youtu.be/C2FVIbAyaH4
#Brain #BrainResearch #Consciousness #Philosophy #WolfSinger #Zoomposium #Qualia #Neuroscience #FreeWill #Cognition #MindAndBrain #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Epistemology
-
🧠 Is human #consciousness a magical #mystery—or simply a hard-hitting success story of #evolution? 🧬
In this new #podcast, we put on our evolutionary glasses and take a closer look at #materialisticmonism!
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BfpZKFyHwl4LEkTMVme8w?si=RptWM_aMQFq2THiK7k632A
#Monism #Materialism #Philosophy #Dualism #MindAndBrain #ChristianBührig #Evolution #Neuroscience #PredictiveProcessing #Dreams #FreeWill #ArtificialConsciousness #PhilosophyPodcast #KnowledgePodcast
-
🧠 Is human #consciousness a magical #mystery—or simply a hard-hitting success story of #evolution? 🧬
In this new #podcast, we put on our evolutionary glasses and take a closer look at #materialisticmonism!
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BfpZKFyHwl4LEkTMVme8w?si=RptWM_aMQFq2THiK7k632A
#Monism #Materialism #Philosophy #Dualism #MindAndBrain #ChristianBührig #Evolution #Neuroscience #PredictiveProcessing #Dreams #FreeWill #ArtificialConsciousness #PhilosophyPodcast #KnowledgePodcast
-
🧠 Is human #consciousness a magical #mystery—or simply a hard-hitting success story of #evolution? 🧬
In this new #podcast, we put on our evolutionary glasses and take a closer look at #materialisticmonism!
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BfpZKFyHwl4LEkTMVme8w?si=RptWM_aMQFq2THiK7k632A
#Monism #Materialism #Philosophy #Dualism #MindAndBrain #ChristianBührig #Evolution #Neuroscience #PredictiveProcessing #Dreams #FreeWill #ArtificialConsciousness #PhilosophyPodcast #KnowledgePodcast
-
🧠 Is human #consciousness a magical #mystery—or simply a hard-hitting success story of #evolution? 🧬
In this new #podcast, we put on our evolutionary glasses and take a closer look at #materialisticmonism!
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BfpZKFyHwl4LEkTMVme8w?si=RptWM_aMQFq2THiK7k632A
#Monism #Materialism #Philosophy #Dualism #MindAndBrain #ChristianBührig #Evolution #Neuroscience #PredictiveProcessing #Dreams #FreeWill #ArtificialConsciousness #PhilosophyPodcast #KnowledgePodcast
-
🧠 Is human #consciousness a magical #mystery—or simply a hard-hitting success story of #evolution? 🧬
In this new #podcast, we put on our evolutionary glasses and take a closer look at #materialisticmonism!
👉 https://open.spotify.com/episode/2BfpZKFyHwl4LEkTMVme8w?si=RptWM_aMQFq2THiK7k632A
#Monism #Materialism #Philosophy #Dualism #MindAndBrain #ChristianBührig #Evolution #Neuroscience #PredictiveProcessing #Dreams #FreeWill #ArtificialConsciousness #PhilosophyPodcast #KnowledgePodcast
-
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – Is Free Will a Thing?
Continuing our discussion about free will, one of the strangest things about atheism is how much atheists brag about how much freedom they have. Without God, they have total free will and can run around doing absolutely anything they want! They have no one to hold them accountable, unless someone with more guns comes in and demands they act a certain way (i.e. the government), but you know…technicalities.
However, despite this seeming lack of responsibility to any higher power, atheists seem to forget one critical point – atheism can’t support the existence of free will.
Atheists, before you get angry at me and start commenting, hear me out on this.
According to atheism, since God doesn’t exist, everything exists by way of random chance. The universe, the earth, the plants, animals, and yourself are all the result of accidental chemical reactions that continue to this day. That means that you as a person are a conglomeration of a bunch of atoms bumping into each other, forming molecules and creating chemicals that react with each other, doing different things, including fueling your conciousness.
This is where the free will thing starts to come into play. Scientists still don’t understand human consciousness. The closest thing they can get to understanding it is by mapping your brain’s activity, seeing what parts of the brain release what, etc. What actually causes consciousness, though, is still a mystery. It’s kind of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario depending on who you ask and what you’re talking about. For example, if someone’s depressed, are they depressed because of a legit neurological or chemical issue that was already there, or is it caused by them thinking about things a certain way that’s causing their brains to act accordingly? Is it a mix of both? Scientists still aren’t quite sure.
I say this is where the free will thing comes in because according to atheism’s worldview, since everything is matter and is the result of matter running into each other and reacting, then that means everything you do is the result of those chemical reactions. Because of that, you can’t actually decide to do anything. You can’t control what the cells that make up your brain do any more than I can control the weather. And if you can’t control that, then ultimately, you can’t have free will, because free will requires some degree of control.
So, what does that mean? If we can’t have free will because everything we do is a chemical reaction, where does that leave us?
The moral dilemma posed by this aside, the existence of free will is something that can only exist if humans have a soul, if humans aren’t just made up of matter alone. Once we acknowledge that we have a soul, then we must wonder who created that soul? After all, a soul can’t be made of matter or anything measurable. It’s supernatural and points to the existence of the supernatural, which should then make you wonder which God or gods has created that soul.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – Is Free Will a Thing?
Continuing our discussion about free will, one of the strangest things about atheism is how much atheists brag about how much freedom they have. Without God, they have total free will and can run around doing absolutely anything they want! They have no one to hold them accountable, unless someone with more guns comes in and demands they act a certain way (i.e. the government), but you know…technicalities.
However, despite this seeming lack of responsibility to any higher power, atheists seem to forget one critical point – atheism can’t support the existence of free will.
Atheists, before you get angry at me and start commenting, hear me out on this.
According to atheism, since God doesn’t exist, everything exists by way of random chance. The universe, the earth, the plants, animals, and yourself are all the result of accidental chemical reactions that continue to this day. That means that you as a person are a conglomeration of a bunch of atoms bumping into each other, forming molecules and creating chemicals that react with each other, doing different things, including fueling your conciousness.
This is where the free will thing starts to come into play. Scientists still don’t understand human consciousness. The closest thing they can get to understanding it is by mapping your brain’s activity, seeing what parts of the brain release what, etc. What actually causes consciousness, though, is still a mystery. It’s kind of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario depending on who you ask and what you’re talking about. For example, if someone’s depressed, are they depressed because of a legit neurological or chemical issue that was already there, or is it caused by them thinking about things a certain way that’s causing their brains to act accordingly? Is it a mix of both? Scientists still aren’t quite sure.
I say this is where the free will thing comes in because according to atheism’s worldview, since everything is matter and is the result of matter running into each other and reacting, then that means everything you do is the result of those chemical reactions. Because of that, you can’t actually decide to do anything. You can’t control what the cells that make up your brain do any more than I can control the weather. And if you can’t control that, then ultimately, you can’t have free will, because free will requires some degree of control.
So, what does that mean? If we can’t have free will because everything we do is a chemical reaction, where does that leave us?
The moral dilemma posed by this aside, the existence of free will is something that can only exist if humans have a soul, if humans aren’t just made up of matter alone. Once we acknowledge that we have a soul, then we must wonder who created that soul? After all, a soul can’t be made of matter or anything measurable. It’s supernatural and points to the existence of the supernatural, which should then make you wonder which God or gods has created that soul.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #philosophy #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – Is Free Will a Thing?
Continuing our discussion about free will, one of the strangest things about atheism is how much atheists brag about how much freedom they have. Without God, they have total free will and can run around doing absolutely anything they want! They have no one to hold them accountable, unless someone with more guns comes in and demands they act a certain way (i.e. the government), but you know…technicalities.
However, despite this seeming lack of responsibility to any higher power, atheists seem to forget one critical point – atheism can’t support the existence of free will.
Atheists, before you get angry at me and start commenting, hear me out on this.
According to atheism, since God doesn’t exist, everything exists by way of random chance. The universe, the earth, the plants, animals, and yourself are all the result of accidental chemical reactions that continue to this day. That means that you as a person are a conglomeration of a bunch of atoms bumping into each other, forming molecules and creating chemicals that react with each other, doing different things, including fueling your conciousness.
This is where the free will thing starts to come into play. Scientists still don’t understand human consciousness. The closest thing they can get to understanding it is by mapping your brain’s activity, seeing what parts of the brain release what, etc. What actually causes consciousness, though, is still a mystery. It’s kind of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario depending on who you ask and what you’re talking about. For example, if someone’s depressed, are they depressed because of a legit neurological or chemical issue that was already there, or is it caused by them thinking about things a certain way that’s causing their brains to act accordingly? Is it a mix of both? Scientists still aren’t quite sure.
I say this is where the free will thing comes in because according to atheism’s worldview, since everything is matter and is the result of matter running into each other and reacting, then that means everything you do is the result of those chemical reactions. Because of that, you can’t actually decide to do anything. You can’t control what the cells that make up your brain do any more than I can control the weather. And if you can’t control that, then ultimately, you can’t have free will, because free will requires some degree of control.
So, what does that mean? If we can’t have free will because everything we do is a chemical reaction, where does that leave us?
The moral dilemma posed by this aside, the existence of free will is something that can only exist if humans have a soul, if humans aren’t just made up of matter alone. Once we acknowledge that we have a soul, then we must wonder who created that soul? After all, a soul can’t be made of matter or anything measurable. It’s supernatural and points to the existence of the supernatural, which should then make you wonder which God or gods has created that soul.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – Is Free Will a Thing?
Continuing our discussion about free will, one of the strangest things about atheism is how much atheists brag about how much freedom they have. Without God, they have total free will and can run around doing absolutely anything they want! They have no one to hold them accountable, unless someone with more guns comes in and demands they act a certain way (i.e. the government), but you know…technicalities.
However, despite this seeming lack of responsibility to any higher power, atheists seem to forget one critical point – atheism can’t support the existence of free will.
Atheists, before you get angry at me and start commenting, hear me out on this.
According to atheism, since God doesn’t exist, everything exists by way of random chance. The universe, the earth, the plants, animals, and yourself are all the result of accidental chemical reactions that continue to this day. That means that you as a person are a conglomeration of a bunch of atoms bumping into each other, forming molecules and creating chemicals that react with each other, doing different things, including fueling your conciousness.
This is where the free will thing starts to come into play. Scientists still don’t understand human consciousness. The closest thing they can get to understanding it is by mapping your brain’s activity, seeing what parts of the brain release what, etc. What actually causes consciousness, though, is still a mystery. It’s kind of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario depending on who you ask and what you’re talking about. For example, if someone’s depressed, are they depressed because of a legit neurological or chemical issue that was already there, or is it caused by them thinking about things a certain way that’s causing their brains to act accordingly? Is it a mix of both? Scientists still aren’t quite sure.
I say this is where the free will thing comes in because according to atheism’s worldview, since everything is matter and is the result of matter running into each other and reacting, then that means everything you do is the result of those chemical reactions. Because of that, you can’t actually decide to do anything. You can’t control what the cells that make up your brain do any more than I can control the weather. And if you can’t control that, then ultimately, you can’t have free will, because free will requires some degree of control.
So, what does that mean? If we can’t have free will because everything we do is a chemical reaction, where does that leave us?
The moral dilemma posed by this aside, the existence of free will is something that can only exist if humans have a soul, if humans aren’t just made up of matter alone. Once we acknowledge that we have a soul, then we must wonder who created that soul? After all, a soul can’t be made of matter or anything measurable. It’s supernatural and points to the existence of the supernatural, which should then make you wonder which God or gods has created that soul.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
Apologetics: Atheism Confuses Me – Is Free Will a Thing?
Continuing our discussion about free will, one of the strangest things about atheism is how much atheists brag about how much freedom they have. Without God, they have total free will and can run around doing absolutely anything they want! They have no one to hold them accountable, unless someone with more guns comes in and demands they act a certain way (i.e. the government), but you know…technicalities.
However, despite this seeming lack of responsibility to any higher power, atheists seem to forget one critical point – atheism can’t support the existence of free will.
Atheists, before you get angry at me and start commenting, hear me out on this.
According to atheism, since God doesn’t exist, everything exists by way of random chance. The universe, the earth, the plants, animals, and yourself are all the result of accidental chemical reactions that continue to this day. That means that you as a person are a conglomeration of a bunch of atoms bumping into each other, forming molecules and creating chemicals that react with each other, doing different things, including fueling your conciousness.
This is where the free will thing starts to come into play. Scientists still don’t understand human consciousness. The closest thing they can get to understanding it is by mapping your brain’s activity, seeing what parts of the brain release what, etc. What actually causes consciousness, though, is still a mystery. It’s kind of a chicken-or-the-egg scenario depending on who you ask and what you’re talking about. For example, if someone’s depressed, are they depressed because of a legit neurological or chemical issue that was already there, or is it caused by them thinking about things a certain way that’s causing their brains to act accordingly? Is it a mix of both? Scientists still aren’t quite sure.
I say this is where the free will thing comes in because according to atheism’s worldview, since everything is matter and is the result of matter running into each other and reacting, then that means everything you do is the result of those chemical reactions. Because of that, you can’t actually decide to do anything. You can’t control what the cells that make up your brain do any more than I can control the weather. And if you can’t control that, then ultimately, you can’t have free will, because free will requires some degree of control.
So, what does that mean? If we can’t have free will because everything we do is a chemical reaction, where does that leave us?
The moral dilemma posed by this aside, the existence of free will is something that can only exist if humans have a soul, if humans aren’t just made up of matter alone. Once we acknowledge that we have a soul, then we must wonder who created that soul? After all, a soul can’t be made of matter or anything measurable. It’s supernatural and points to the existence of the supernatural, which should then make you wonder which God or gods has created that soul.
Until next time,
M.J.
#Apologetics #Atheism #Blog #Christianity #faith #FreeWill #god #jesus #OpinionPeice #philosophy #Religion #Science #Writing -
About the Author on the Back Cover of my Latest Book “Advaita Vedanta through Name-and-Form Analysis”
No, I am serious in talking about myself that way in the philosophical and spiritual sense.
About the Book
One principle. Pursued without flinching. The whole of Advaita Vedanta unfolds.
The Upanishads teach it through a single homely image: the clay pot. The pot is entirely clay — the name “pot” and the rounded shape are cognitive overlays, not new substances. Strip them away and only clay remains. There never was a pot-substance apart from clay.
This is name-and-form analysis (nāma-rūpa vicāra), and this book makes an audacious claim: this one analytical tool, applied with complete rigor, generates the entire edifice of Advaita Vedanta — its metaphysics, its psychology, its doctrine of liberation, and its practical consequences for how a life is lived.
What the analysis reveals, step by step:
Everything is Consciousness. Body, mind, world — traced to their ultimate ground, all are names-and-forms whose sole substance is pure Consciousness, exactly as every clay vessel is only clay in different shapes.
The ego is not the doer. A name-and-form has no agency independent of its substrate. The pot does nothing that clay is not doing. The ego’s claim to authorship of actions is the pot claiming it shaped itself.
The world was never created. Pushed to its extreme, the analysis arrives at Gaudapada’s ajāta vāda — the doctrine of non-origination, Advaita’s highest and most startling teaching: no creation, no bondage, no liberation, no seeker. Only Consciousness, ever unmodified.
Happiness is your own nature. A meticulous dissection of desire and its satisfaction shows that no object ever contained the happiness attributed to it. The world is a mirror of your own bliss, never its source.
Along the way, the book shows how every central doctrine of Advaita — Brahman, Ātman, māyā, avidyā, the jīva, Īśvara, the three states, neti neti, sat-cit-ānanda, mokṣa itself — is simply name-and-form analysis applied to a different domain. What looks like a sprawling philosophical system turns out to be one insight, endlessly restated.
The exposition is grounded throughout in the classical sources — the Chāndogya Upaniṣad, the Māṇḍūkya Kārikā, the Bhagavad Gītā — and in the living testimony of three modern masters: Ramana Maharshi’s self-enquiry, Nisargadatta Maharaj’s radical pointing, and Ramakrishna Paramahansa’s instrument model of the body-mind. Comparative sidelights from Buddhism, Stoicism, and Taoism confirm the analysis from outside the tradition.
Written by a long-term practitioner in the Ramana Maharshi and Nisargadatta Maharaj traditions with the help of explanations by Claude, this book is neither a survey nor a devotional tract. It is a sustained demonstration — patient, logical, and uncompromising — that the deepest truth of Vedanta is also its simplest.
The clay alone is. The pot was always only clay. Brahman alone is. And you are That — not as a future achievement, but as present fact, obscured only by an unexamined name and form.
For seekers who suspect that beneath Vedanta’s vast literature lies a single key, this book places that key in your hand.
#AdvaitaVedanta #Art #Books #Brahman #ClayAndPotAnalogy #Consciousness #Destiny #Enlightenment #FreeWill #God #Hinduism #Ignorance #KaranaKaaryaPrakriya #Karma #Liberayion #Maya #MyBook #NameAndFormAnalysis #NameAndFormAnalogy #Nirvana #Nonduality #Religion #Self #Spirituality #Truth -
Do I have the #FreeWill to choose to lower my #greenhouse gas #emissions? Who should we look to as we try to lower our greenhouse gas emissions 40 years after Carl Sagan explained #climatechange to the US Senate?
https://www.co2mmit.org/p/free-will-and-climate-action -
Do I have the #FreeWill to choose to lower my #greenhouse gas #emissions? Who should we look to as we try to lower our greenhouse gas emissions 40 years after Carl Sagan explained #climatechange to the US Senate?
https://www.co2mmit.org/p/free-will-and-climate-action -
Do I have the #FreeWill to choose to lower my #greenhouse gas #emissions? Who should we look to as we try to lower our greenhouse gas emissions 40 years after Carl Sagan explained #climatechange to the US Senate?
https://www.co2mmit.org/p/free-will-and-climate-action -
Do I have the #FreeWill to choose to lower my #greenhouse gas #emissions? Who should we look to as we try to lower our greenhouse gas emissions 40 years after Carl Sagan explained #climatechange to the US Senate?
https://www.co2mmit.org/p/free-will-and-climate-action -
Do I have the #FreeWill to choose to lower my #greenhouse gas #emissions? Who should we look to as we try to lower our greenhouse gas emissions 40 years after Carl Sagan explained #climatechange to the US Senate?
https://www.co2mmit.org/p/free-will-and-climate-action -
Your Thoughts Are Not Yours (And You Don’t Even Know It)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgA5Av70yM
#Destiny #FreeWill #Mind #SenseOfDoership #Thinking #Thoughts -
Your Thoughts Are Not Yours (And You Don’t Even Know It)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgA5Av70yM
#Destiny #FreeWill #Mind #SenseOfDoership #Thinking #Thoughts -
Your Thoughts Are Not Yours (And You Don’t Even Know It)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgA5Av70yM
#Destiny #FreeWill #Mind #SenseOfDoership #Thinking #Thoughts -
Your Thoughts Are Not Yours (And You Don’t Even Know It)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMgA5Av70yM
#Destiny #FreeWill #Mind #SenseOfDoership #Thinking #Thoughts
