Determined To Be Happy OR Work To Be Happy
One thing has been noticed by the human race, we all seek to be happy. But is happiness caused by the choices we make or is our happiness predestined for us? Predestination is defined by Wikipedia, “as the doctrine that all events have been willed by God.” This meaning that everything is ordained before even our time of existence. Free will is defined as “the ability to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints.” There is also belief that we as humans are free willed to make the choices we want that in turn makes us happy. Is one programed to be happy? Are we determined even before our existence that events in our lives are written for us that cause our happiness. Or are we given the Free Will to make choices for ourselves, which in turn, those choices make us happy.
Predestination best stated is, the divine foreordering or foreknowledge of all that will happen; with regards to the salvation of some and not of others. If God has already written everything to happen to us, then doesn’t that mean he’s written out our happiness for us? This evidence is presented by John Calvin’s teaching, Islamic, Christian, and Hindu religions. Predestination is another form of determinism, destiny, fate or doom. Such belief is said that any outcome is determined by forces put in place by the Creator. Wikipedia states, “Predestination in this sense takes on a very literal meaning: pre- (before) and destiny, in a straightforward way indicating that some events seem bound to happen.” Discussions of predestination bring on the thought of whether God is free from limitations of time. Meaning, God may see the past, present and future, so that God knows the future. This being true, if God knows ahead of time what will happen, then events in the universe are effectively predetermined from God’s point of view. This then brings us back to determinism, which implies that God has actually determined (rather than just seen) before hand the destiny of creatures.
Christians who follow the teachings of John Calvin generally accept that God alone decides the eternal destinations of each person without regard to man’s choices, so that their future actions or beliefs follow according to God’s choice, “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” (New International Version, Romans 9:14-16) God put in place these events that happen to us without any regards to human desire. We are merely put in place on this earth to fulfill what God has set before us.
Islam has strong views of predestination very similar to Christianity. In Islam, Allah knows the choices humans are going to make and allows the consequences of those choices based on his form of justice and mercy. Muslims believe that Allah is existing without relation to time, lasts and exist forever, and knowing of everything. The Qur’an affirms human responsibility say for example; “Surely never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change in themselves (with their own souls).” (Qur’an 13:11) A few Muslims though suggest that free will doesn’t actually exist in Islam. They argue that God is omniscient and so has the power to prevent or allow any action from occurring. Therefore, if God does not prevent an act from occurring, then that act is thought to be Allah’s will, “Say: ‘Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has decreed for us: He is our Protector’: and in Allah let the Believers put their trust.” (Qur’an 9:51) This is another form of evidence where God states they those events put in place (whether or not they make us happy) are made by Him.
In Hinduism, predestination is called Vidhi; meaning fortune. In Hinduism, the future is believed to be dependent on karma; Vidhi has been predestined as to what the being does. Meaning the decision a being makes to do good or bad is predestined, even God cannot change or alter the flow of Vidhi. This flow of Vidhi shows readers that predestination does exist and puts in place the flow of karma, which causes the consequences to make us happy.
Free Will, defined by Wikipedia as “the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints.” Wait, does free will even exist? Philosophers and religions have argued its existence for decades. This argument brings us back to determinism, where in this case does not exist. If free will exists, is it the root cause of our happiness? The argument that God’s omniscience becomes incompatible with human free will is the biggest example on how we make ourselves happy. The belief that God has not predestined out lives and has given free will to let us make choices, which the consequences make one happy, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
Other than following John Calvin, Christians view there is a disagreement with predestination. This contrasting Christian view states that God has control over all things but he chooses to give each individual free will. This view is called Arminanism, meaning God knows who believes and will be saved, each person can accept or reject God’s offer of salvation, which God allows man’s choice to determine salvation,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in shall not perish eternal life. For God did not send his son into their world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only son.” (John 3: 16-18)
The Bible shows readers that happiness can be obtained by choices because God has given us free will to make them.
Jews do accept that God is omniscience and maybe has predestined the universe, but reject the idea of predestination being compatible with free will, henceforth is not apart of their religion.
The argument that all the suffering in the world has been placed by mankind’s free will show that we bring our own happiness and suffering into the world. Those who believe in free will argue that God did not make these faults in the world because God is kind, and gave us free will and we used it to cause the suffering.
Before our existence, are the events in our lives written for us that in turn cause out happiness? Or have we been given the free will to make choices that have consequences that play out our happiness. “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his step.” (Prov. 16:9) The argument for predestination if it does exist is God has written out everything for us, thus in turn has written out our happiness. “No misfortune can happen on earth or in your souls but is recorded in a decree before we bring it into existence: that is truly easy for Allah: (Qur’an 57:22) If events in our lives are not predestined, then our free will determines one’s happiness. God’s omniscience is incompatible with free will, there for happiness must also come from oneself. “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” (Deuteronomy 30:19) One thing for sure, predestined to be happy or free willed; one sill seeks happiness at the end of our lifetimes.
