Board Thread:Questions and Answers/@comment-25235588-20190223172243/@comment-24729606-20190224195430

Well firstly I am very well aware that this is a question and topic that has both a VERY long history and is one that is highly sensitive to a great many people the world over and therefore I must of necessity provide a personal disclaimer for the sake of sensitivity, good taste, and fairness. The views, opinions, and statements I make herein are ones that while I believe them and believe in them to various degrees are nevertheless my opinions and views on the matters this question inquires about. I wish and hope to make it as clear as I can that I do not have any wish, intention, or objective of influencing (intentionally or unintentionally), manipulating (intentionally or unintentionally), or offending (intentionally or unintentionally) any with or by anything I state herein. If anyone is influenced, feels manipulated, or is offended by anything I say or imply herein I offer my fervent and sincere apologies to them. Now on the question at hand. Well firstly I think it only fair to offer my definition of the terms before beginning my informal answer to the question at hand. Faith (as least as I define it) is a firm believe or conviction one has in regards to something or someone who deems to have importance beyond its physical significance. Predestination (at least a I understand it) is the belief that everything that has, might, will, or could happen has been determined beforehand and therefore that everything and everyone has no actual choice in anything we do. Destiny (at least as define and understand it) is the concept that everything that every one will, could, and has done has been determined beforehand. Grand Design Construction (at least as I understand) is a plan conceived of by a being or beings that are beyond corporeality, has been put into place and within which individuals act as cogs of said design, and within which while being may appear to be enacting individual choices said choices were those intended by the grand design and thus every one that has ever and will ever live has no actual choice. If these definitions are workable then I will proceed to the question at hand forthwith. Faith, predestination, Destiny or Grand Design Construction? What is it that determines our lives for us? What we were supposed to have done vs. what we actually did? What was meant to happen vs what actually happened? Well firstly in the convenient viewpoint predestination, destiny, a grand design all seem to be understood as more or less equivalent. That is all three seem to imply that although we might to extremely loath to admit it life has little if any real choice in the sequence of events and decision one makes over the course of one’s life. Faith by contrast (although still with similar connotations) is merely the believe that something will happen or that someone one believes to be more powerful than oneself can make something happen. For example I have faith that (insert desired outcome of given choice here) will happen because of (insert rationale here and evidence here) and if said event does occur (or a similar but still roughly analogous event) then one’s faith is vindicated. Otherwise one’s faith in either oneself or in (enter name of figure of authority here) is shaken or possibly broken altogether. The next question is What is it that determines our lives for us? Well this too has been exhaustively discussed, debated, argued over and along the way much ink, hand wringing, dithering, and blood has been split, done, and split (respectively). In more recent time this question has fallen with the realms of science (i.e. the now defunct nature vs nurture debate). I am personally of the opinion that while nature and genetics does play some part in part course one’s life will follow that role is only as dominant or recessive (terms by the way coined by Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics) as one’s choices allow. For example one’s genes determines one’s hair, eye, and skin color as well as one’s gender and (to a greater or lesser degree depending the authority one consults and/or choices to believe) one’s vulnerability to certain diseases and ailments. But at the same time genes are shaped by one’s environment. For example someone who lived in a climate with little sun but who moved to a very sunny climate thereafter would develop darker skin (assuming one’s profession and/or choice of pastime didn’t interfere overly much with this). Overtime one’s descendants would continue to do so assuming the climatic conditions remained largely unchanged. It is also an observed fact that people of different ethnicities are treated differently outside of native climatological and ethnographic zones. But ethnicity and other physical differences do not have to become crutches. Instead they can become sources of strength if one so chooses. Now it still possible that all existence was created by a deity or deities and if so that they (singular or plural) and if so then all this diversity would be attributable to them in some way or other. The next question I shall attempt to explore is What we were supposed to have done vs. what we actually did? Well firstly I think it only fair to pose a question/dilemma this question itself poses. Supposed and actually are normally construed as opposites or at least as mirror images of each other. But supposed to happen is a question almost unavoidably based on what one wants to happen or thinks will happen. Wishing for something to be the case does not by itself mean things will turn out that way. Now if enough people wish for something over a sustained period of time then its chances of happening increase dramatically. In fact I would argue that unless one has the means, motive, desire, and ambition to actualize one’s desired outcomes they will remain just that desired outcomes. Besides all that there is another issue I would like to raise. Supposed to have done is contemplative and while being contemplative is far from being a bad thing it can also be the opportunities greatest enemy. After all if one spends too much time contemplating what one has done vs what one should have done or what one wants to do vs actually did one will miss opportunities that present themselves during this process. I am not counseling against contemplation but at the same time I am counseling a very ancient but nonetheless valuable piece of wisdom from history and that is moderation. Extremes are useful but nonetheless one should practice moderation within oneself if nowhere else. Then one will have the humility to admit that enough is enough. If nothing else I hope this exploration of questions stated herein makes whoever reads it think about such questions in their own way. But regardless I am glad to have said my piece and hope that others find it useful.