Fate

"Do you believe in fate, Neo?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't like the idea that I'm not in control of my life."

What do you think of fate? Are we really in control of our own lives, or are we all part of some greater plan?

I'm not entirely sure myself. I don't like the idea that my future is planned out, but on the other hand, I sometimes feel like it is. When horrible things happen to people, they obviously didn't choose to have them happen. Is there a reason for these things to happen? Or is it just coincidence?

I don't believe in fate, I totally believe you are in control of your future, I mean that is where taking decisions come decisions, for example either you choose to attend a certain school, fate doesnt decide that. and yes people dont choos bad things to happen to them, but if bad things didnt happen how in the world would you ever savor the good things, i dont think it's fate, it's life.

Fate is an interesting concept when you think about it. Especially when it's believed by those same people who believe in heaven and hell.

If you have no control over your own actions then how can god blame you and send you to hell for killing someone when you are simply living out your "fate" that he created for you. Never really made sense to me.

I don't believe in fate at all. I believe life is what you make it. Thats why I really hate it when people say "Maybe it was meant to be" when something goes bad because I don't view things that way.

*looks at sig*
Then Túrin asked him: "What is Fate?"

I don't believe in fate in the sense of somebody having full control of your life, the course of your whole life practically written down somewhere, only waiting for the time to come and make everything happen as predicted by some higher being.

But I also don't think that our choices, changing our future, are totally free, our life, our environment makes us what we are and everything we do is just the reaction and logical effect, inevitable because of the given causes and backgrounds. We are predictable... if we'd know our own personality good enough, all our life would be a straight stairway of cause and effect, given the same circumstances we cannot escape the following results which would always be the same.

But it's our own personality, not Fate.

But this is not a reason, this is not a "why". [...]
It is, of course, the way of all things. You see, there is only one constant, one universal, it is the only real truth: causality. Action. Reaction. Cause and effect.[...]
Causality, there is no escape from it, we are forever slaves to it. Our only hope, our only peace is to understand it, to understand the "why"

Fate sucksm, it's an excuse for ppl not to do anything in life.

well.not quite, but i don't believe in fate either.
You don't choose what horrible things to happen to you, revam. and when they do....you can't really go "oh..gee..this had to happen...it's fate" They just happen.

The idea of fate contradicts the idea of God in religious sense. You cant have both. You either believe in God or you either believe in fate.

I'm with Neo on this one. However I can't say there is NOTHING controlling me, which is beyond my control. That doesn't mean it's some divine being or beings with a set plan for me - that has always sounded like people in desperate need of a meaning with their lives.
What I mean is, that I can't know everything which influences me. Or my choices. I can never see all my choices, either because of upbringing, experience, stubbornness, stupidity, emotions etc.
So none of us can be said to be in complete control of our lives. But I do not think there is a set meaning with life, nor a destiny, nor fate.

Originally posted by lil bitchiness
The idea of fate contradicts the idea of God in religious sense. You cant have both. You either believe in God or you either believe in fate.

'Cannot' in what sense? Many religious philosophies believe in both.

Alright, let me rephrase it. In such religions as Christianity, Islam, Judeism..etc..that believe in God and Heaven and Hell, the idea of fate contradicts with the idea of God, Heaven and Hell.

John Calvin, a 16th century theologan believed in predestination ie that there are the elect and the reprobate and noone can do anything to chage their category - some are fated to go to Heaven and others are fated to go to Hell.

Originally posted by The Omega
I'm with Neo on this one. However I can't say there is NOTHING controlling me, which is beyond my control. That doesn't mean it's some divine being or beings with a set plan for me - that has always sounded like people in desperate need of a meaning with their lives.
What I mean is, that I can't know everything which influences me. Or my choices. I can never see all my choices, either because of upbringing, experience, stubbornness, stupidity, emotions etc.
So none of us can be said to be in complete control of our lives. But I do not think there is a set meaning with life, nor a destiny, nor fate.

Well put. That's what I think as well, only you're better with words than I am... 😉

That Christianity thing that Backfire and lil brought up is interesting, I never thought about that. However, I wouldn't say you can't believe in both God and fate--just that if you believe in both, your image of God has to be considerably different from the Christian one.

There is a very well known branch of Christian theology called Calvinism/Predestination that believes firmly in the existence of both God and Fate.

I didnt say its impossible, i said its contradictory.

People can believe what they like really, there is, afterall a 'Flat Earth society'

Not all that contradictory if the God in question is omnipotent He would have already had to decide who he is going to eternally torment.

Flat Earth society eh... I might join that if there are any benefits.

Originally posted by shaber
Not all that contradictory if the God in question is omnipotent He would have already had to decide who he is going to eternally torment.

Flat Earth society eh... I might join that if there are any benefits.

So, if thats true, what is the point of ''being sent to earth'' in the first place? Why not just send you straight to Hell.

Im making a thread about Flat Earth Society ✅ in GDF.

It would be more satisfying to give them some sort of comparison to make Hell all the more agonising as they would have had a higher state of being to compare it to.

So would you get free snacks at the meetings? I would join just for that ✅

Ah, you're wrong Shaber, because being on earth is a suffering. our life in itself is suffering, Buddha was totally right.

If God wanted to make it more agonising for those damned to hell, he would send them to heaven, the absolute extreame, not to earth.

Well I'm speaking in Hell-Fire sermon mode. If God is intending to torment someone forever then he probably wouldn't allow them a taste of Heaven... however, Marlowe (a playwright) did have one of his rebel angels say that the worst torment of being in Hell was the deprivation of Heaven which certainly makes sense.