Spooky:
I figure we act according to what we know. For example, a person will choose a negative way of life because he doesn't understand that a life based on love is much more preferable. Once he (his soul) reaches the point where he understands that a love based approach is preferable, he'll make a comparison and choose accordingly.
I figure it's okay if a particular circumstance involves a limited amount of data that determines a limited number of possibilities, as long as I'm not attached to any of the data in a way that prevents me from considering all of the data in a wise way.
I believe what truly matters is that we find a way of existence where we can be truly happy for the rest of eternity. I figure that love and peace will be amongst the data that make a truly worthwhile eternal existence possible.
It doesn't matter if possibilities other than the data I'm dealing with exist, because the zen thing to do is to drink water when you drink water, without worrying about things that have nothing to do with what you're doing. After all, life is an experience, not an intellectual exercise.
On the one hand all of time happens simultaneously. On the other hand, a chronological order exists. For example, I couldn't write my response to your post until "after" you wrote it.
I figure that the only way God could allow us to have free will is to allow us to find out how to have it in our own way, rather than downloading a program into us that already has all of the answers. With his approach we have to take some lumps along the way, but at least ways we find our way more and more as we free ourselves from the lesson plan that initially binds us but eventually helps us become wiser. I say this with the thought that we can't find out what the creative possibilities are, without getting involved with them.
Perhaps this is a better choice than sticking to pure awareness and denying what the creative aspect of our being has to offer. It leads up to many beautiful and wonderful things, including beings who love each other.
spooky2 wrote on May 4th, 2010 at 9:32pm:Quote Recoverer:
"I guess God loves us enough so we have free will."
I guess God loves us enough to have given us cause and effect. If cause and effect is an illusion, then there's only the moment, and then, when there is no past, no future, there is freedom. But it's not "free will", as there would be no person then (since a person is history dependant), and no will (as well history dependant).
Just a reminder.
Spooky