We need more of this.

A real American. I don't think I really need to say much about this link. It speaks for itself.  You will have to copy and paste to view this video. I'm not sure why it won't let me embed it in the blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4zwCMf8dsc&feature=player_embedded

Free Will: Does it really exist?

I have really been doing some thinking on this and am almost to the point that free will is an illusion. I would say that if it does exist it is very limited in most situations of every day life. Many of the decisions we make aren't based so much on what we really want but on what we need and what society says we should do. Lets look at many decisions we make in a day that aren't really based on what we want but what is decided for us. How many of us really want to wake up as early as we do? How many of use really want to wear what we do when we go to work? How many of us really want to drive the speed limit? Ok I do get up earlier then I really have to but that is because I use the time to catch up on the news and read any blog post I find might be interesting. I would still have to get up earlier then I would like due to work. I don't mind wearing the clothes I do for work other then I am expected to wear boots due to safety. I am not a big fan of boots but understand the safety issue. How many people don't really like wearing what they do for work? I would guess a good percentage don't like it. The few questions I asked are just a few you can ask yourself about decisions you make daily not based on what you want but what others want.

I also believe that the amount of wealth one has can make free will more easily used to decide what you are going to do. How many people have enough wealth to allow themselves to do what they want? I think there are a few but anytime you have enough extra cash don't you feel more willing to go against the norms when you feel you will enjoy it?

I guess what I am really saying is that society and those within the group or groups we belong to tend to make many of the decisions for us about what we will do every day. The more involved we all get into the lives of others the less free will we allow ourselves and others. If you look into history you find the only people who have really had any thing close to free will are those that go against society norms and live in isolated areas. I figure those that lived before society became so important had much more free will then we do today. I figure having more free will will actually make life harder for others.

I also believe that both conservative and liberals want the government to involved in our lives. I know many conservatives claim to want less government but the areas they want removed sure aren't the parts that spy into the lives of us citizens. They seem to want to use more money to oppress the citizens. Neither side is really wanting to allow the citizens of this country to run their own lives but want to impose their way of life on all.

What is free will?

My cat Winsill.

I have been reading the comments at Friendly Atheist. There have been many comments about free will by both theist and atheist. I know many christians say that their god gives them free will but I have never seen how such could really be believed. I am basing my view on what some christians have said to me not those that are trained in religion but only know what they have been told and read to try and defend their beliefs. I really think that most christians have a completely different idea of what free will is compared to what non believers and atheist see it as.

I am always hearing how everything happens according to their god's plan. Well that is unless it is something evil and then they blame it on the devil. I can't say how a god would make a plan but from what I know of the christian god, I would say that it would be micro managed. I have done that kind of planning and it tends to force any others involved into doing things in ways they might not want to do them.  When anything is micro managed you can't say you have a free choice on how you are doing something. If their god is doing it this way then how can they say anyone has a choice in what they do? If he/she/it isn't micro managing then how is he running his plan? I have made plans where I just had a basic outline and those never finished exactly as I had hoped they would. If their god has just a basic plan and free will does have a way in this type of plan, how can the end not be changing all the time? I know even simple projects will end differentkly each time you do them if you alter any step even a small amount.

Another part of this question I seem to never get an answer to is how does the devil come into this? Does the devil do the will of their god or does he/she/it go against the will of their god? If the devil is doing the will of their god, doesn't that mean there really isn't anything evil other then how we name them? Since they claim all that their god does is good, that would mean that the devils actions in their god's eye would be acts of good but seen by us as evil.

If the devil is able to go against the will of their god, what does that do to the plan? I know when someone from outside decides to interfere with someone elses plans, it usually screws things up and causes problems that are unseen. Yes I know that christians claim their god is all knowing but that would mean he/she/it knew that the devil would be doing this or that and it was allowed. I would say this means it is part of his plan and will.

The way I see it, if you believe in a plan by any god or goddess you can't believe in free will.