Today I read a blog post regarding the shunning of family members due to religious beliefs. The blog was this young woman’s way of dealing with issues in a religious family. I admit fully that I have read the Bible in entirety and attended a large nondenominational church. I was on a quest to understand, as much as humanly possible, the meanings of the bible, the origins of the bible and the people and institutions that guard it with such fervor. My quest is far from over, but my faith is as strong as ever. Our creator gave us free will and love, but he gave it with conditions and consequences. He gave us laws. He definitely loves us and becomes frustrated with our own reasoning to violate his laws. He allows us to choose and to suffer from the consequences.
In my humble opinion, love is not unconditional, nor should it be. If we recall the vows we gave to our spouse, “To love, honor, and cherish till death do us part,” we vowed to our creator, with witnesses present, that we would bind ourselves to the highest promise (conditions) of fidelity. The bonds of marriage are so strong that we become as one. This bond is to remain strong that we would even forsake our own parents to protect it.
This leads me to free will. Again in my opinion, attending a church does not by itself make us a believer, it is by our actions. We will make mistakes, some that will harm family members, friends and our community very deeply. Society does not recognize unconditional love. What is does recognize is the need for repentance and justice. With our admission of our faults and the unintended consequences to others, we can ask forgiveness and receive redemption. Most of us will need many chances at redemption until we come to wisdom, where we purposely consider the repercussions before our actions.
If you have ever served on jury, you are given the conditions established by law to pass judgment on another human being. This judgement comes with wisdom, that no one person can pass the judgment and that a diverse group of peers, of varying degrees of education and belief, will take all the facts into consideration eliminating fears and prejudices in that decision. If you have ever been the jury foreman, even greater care has to be taken.
This blog was very timely to me as I continue the quest of writing my nineteen story mythology. Up next in the fourth book is a chapter to be titled “The First Mortal Judgment,” and I will incorporate some thought on unconditional love in the narrative. Yes, it is story of adventure, battle and romance, but it is also my way of dealing with the reason for mortal life and my limited understanding of the unspoken ways and tests of a creator, and the unseen battle between good and evil. One thing is for certain in my mind, I have been given no authority to judge the soul of others, and all I can do is continue the path to self perfection and to treat others as I would want to be treated by them. I will also respect those that choose to believe in nothing.
2 thoughts on “Unconditional Love and Free Will”
Edward, you make some thoughtful and thought-provoking points. It was an honor to be mentioned in your blog.
No, thank you, your post was timely. It is by reading the works and thoughts of others that expands the understanding of this world.