Long ago, maybe years, and far away, in the San Bernardino mountains not too far from Lake Arrowhead, I attended a retreat lead by Marshall Jung. Marshall had been a counselor for Ali, my wife at the time, and he also acted as a couples counselor for both of us.
It was late at night.
Marshall, I, and others were talking about his god (Marshall was a Catholic). I wondered why an all-powerful and all-good god would allow evil.
"Because God grants people free will," Marshall said.
We spoke of the events of 9-11-01 that occurred in New York City and at the Pentagon. I.M.H.O., the hijackers had more freedom than the victims. The victims may have "willed" their own survival. The passengers on Flight 93 willed their survival, their wishes did not come true, but they probably saved others. The hijackers evidently willed to crash Flight 93 into a building to cause massive death and desctruction. Their will was thwarted by the passengers.
We can equate "free will" with "freedom" or we can say that "free will" is the freedom to wish for things. E.g., I have the freedom of will to wish for a hot fudge sundae. My free will allows me to use my willpower to will with all my heart that people will not be tortured to death.
Every day, there are things
1. I can do
2. I want to do
3. I should do (to maximize the chances of my income increasing, or to make my home nicer, or to be kinder to others).
I can't do everything I want to do. I don't want to do some things that I can do. Circle theory might help illustrate this concept.
Obviously, some people have more freedom than others. Bill Gates can buy and pay for a car priced at over $400,000. I can't. President Bush can go on TV pretty easily. Prisoners in jail can't go on TV very easily.
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