Comments on: Good Intentions, but Whose? http://www.gardenofegan.net/wordpress/2008/10/01/good-intentions-but-whose/ it has nothing to do with gardens, sorry Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:05:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Marvin http://www.gardenofegan.net/wordpress/2008/10/01/good-intentions-but-whose/comment-page-1/#comment-2069 Marvin Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:24:32 +0000 http://www.gardenofegan.net/wordpress/2008/10/01/good-intentions-but-whose/#comment-2069 Ever since I've known you, this perspective of yours has challenged me. You are asking really fair and excellent questions. I don't really know the answer either. I think I do have a different perspective about the whole free will thing, and I think it stems from the way I view myself and my ability to choose. You, I think, have amazing will power. I admire it. I am somewhat intimidated by it, truthfully. I can't, at all, relate to it. You've overcome some things in your life that I feel sure I would not have been able to overcome in mine had I been faced with the same challenges. There are, however, difficult choices that I have made in my life that I know were the right choices but they weren't at all what I wanted to do. I do believe that, left to my own devices, I would have chosen the wrong thing, but there seemed to be, in those times, a higher power compelling me, almost driving me against my own will, to choose to do the right thing. I suppose I could have outright refused to comply, but it would have been like arguing with a 500 pound gorilla who was sitting on my chest. Of course, I make mistakes all the time. It's as if I am being allowed to do so in order to learn from them, but there have been those times in my life when I was about to make a really big, life-altering mistake, and there was a divine intervention to pretty much prevent me from doing it. At least, that's how I perceived it. That said, I really relate to Richard's comment in questioning the goodness of an "old man with a beard" who controls a universe that is so full of pain. I have the same questions. It makes me feel guilty for those spiritual experiences I've had that have yielded significant positive results in my life. I certainly don't deserve those divine "blessings" anymore than anyone else. Anyway, I enjoy your blog and appreciate your candid and thoughtful writing. Ever since I’ve known you, this perspective of yours has challenged me. You are asking really fair and excellent questions. I don’t really know the answer either. I think I do have a different perspective about the whole free will thing, and I think it stems from the way I view myself and my ability to choose. You, I think, have amazing will power. I admire it. I am somewhat intimidated by it, truthfully. I can’t, at all, relate to it. You’ve overcome some things in your life that I feel sure I would not have been able to overcome in mine had I been faced with the same challenges.

There are, however, difficult choices that I have made in my life that I know were the right choices but they weren’t at all what I wanted to do. I do believe that, left to my own devices, I would have chosen the wrong thing, but there seemed to be, in those times, a higher power compelling me, almost driving me against my own will, to choose to do the right thing. I suppose I could have outright refused to comply, but it would have been like arguing with a 500 pound gorilla who was sitting on my chest. Of course, I make mistakes all the time. It’s as if I am being allowed to do so in order to learn from them, but there have been those times in my life when I was about to make a really big, life-altering mistake, and there was a divine intervention to pretty much prevent me from doing it. At least, that’s how I perceived it.

That said, I really relate to Richard’s comment in questioning the goodness of an “old man with a beard” who controls a universe that is so full of pain. I have the same questions. It makes me feel guilty for those spiritual experiences I’ve had that have yielded significant positive results in my life. I certainly don’t deserve those divine “blessings” anymore than anyone else.

Anyway, I enjoy your blog and appreciate your candid and thoughtful writing.

]]> By: Richard Call http://www.gardenofegan.net/wordpress/2008/10/01/good-intentions-but-whose/comment-page-1/#comment-2063 Richard Call Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:39:13 +0000 http://www.gardenofegan.net/wordpress/2008/10/01/good-intentions-but-whose/#comment-2063 Interesting perspective.... I myself always question and refuse to this some "old man with a beard" has a plan for me or anyone. Nor are innocent children dying of starvation a plan. If so that old man in a beard is a total bastard and i don't want to be a part of that. Something out there controls the universe. But waht it is? I don't know and everyone else dosen't either. They are just afraid to either accept it or admit it because it scary. Anyway I could go on forever..... Interesting perspective….

I myself always question and refuse to this some “old man with a beard” has a plan for me or anyone. Nor are innocent children dying of starvation a plan. If so that old man in a beard is a total bastard and i don’t want to be a part of that.

Something out there controls the universe. But waht it is? I don’t know and everyone else dosen’t either. They are just afraid to either accept it or admit it because it scary.

Anyway I could go on forever…..

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