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Brain Study Calls Free Will Into Question
siddster notes an account up at Wired of research indicating that brain scanners can see your decisions before you make them. "In a study published Sunday in Nature Neuroscience, researchers using brain scanners could predict people's decisions seven seconds before the test subjects were even aware of making them... Caveats remain, holding open the door for free will... The experiment may not reflect the mental dynamics of other, more complicated decisions... Also, the predictions were not completely accurate. Maybe free will enters at the last moment, allowing a person to override an unpalatable subconscious decision."
This study, while ostensibly demonstrating that free will may not exist based on empirical evidence, is not an exhaustive examination of all choices an individual makes. Perhaps a certain subset of our choices are not predetermined, and these choices constitute what we commonly accept as "free will". That leaves the complimentary set of choices as predestined. For example, in a repressed situation or when under duress, there are strong physiological forces which determine the outcome of our choice. Chemicals and the need to survive trump enlightened decisions. In the absence of repression or duress, the choice is made "freely", or at least of physiological stimuli that interfere with our higher order of consciousness.
It is my personal belief that the higher the number of free choices an individual has in life and the greater the meaning those choices have in significance to the individual, the closer that persons life is to a maximization of the person's spiritual potential. I believe we have a limited number of discrete free-will choices, and that these choices manifest themselves only in the absence of a physiological forces which work against them. I also believe that there is a correlation between the freedom to make choices and the maximization of an individual's spiritual (as opposed to carnal) existence, which has an intrinsic value.
For that reason, I conjecture that the purpose of society ought to be to maximize free will. I believe a society that maximizes each individual's free will (insofar as it does not infringe on others' free will) is a transcendent society, an enlightened society.
A caveat, while having thought about it, I'm pretty naive about the topic, and curious about thoughts you may have, or philosophers who have contemplated this.
That was a lot of assumptions. My religious beliefs are somewhat different than you describe. I wish to explain them, not to belittle you, but to hopefully increase your understanding if you wish.
First, my religion teaches that we were spirits before this life and must get bodies to progress. My understanding is that these bodies are hard things to master. They have appetites and passions. Part of that body includes the brain. This also has appetites and passions and is something that we must also master. Think of somebody who is lazy in their mind. They must discipline their mind through study. I find the brain very much like a muscle, even though it is made of different matter. But I also believe there is something higher, our spirit, which is controlling it.
What is a spirit made of? I don't know and I am OK with that. Just imagine trying to explain radio waves to people 500 years ago. They would have thought you were crazy. Just because we don't understand how it works doesn't mean it doesn't exist and isn't possible.
The God I believe in is not changing. He doesn't change law based on what we call a mood. But He does give us agency to make our own decisions. Sometimes those decisions help alleviate the suffering of others and sometimes they cause it.
When does God come in and destroy a people with something like a flood? Think of it as an orchard with trees. When a tree is so full of disease and rot that it cannot provide any more good fruit wouldn't you destroy it? This happens when people cannot make a choice for good because that society will not allow it.
As far as women, our church has the largest women's organization in the world. We are constantly taught that we should treat our wifes as our equals.
I do not solely rely on ancient texts for my information. We believe in modern scripture, modern prophets, and modern personal revelation. Knowing God is a very personal experience but there is an order established with a hierarchy of leaders to prevent false prophets and confusion.
As I have said knowing God is a very personal experience. This knowledge must be obtained by each person. I have seen plenty of evidence in my own life as to the love, mercy, knowledge, and power of God.
Why does God choose to do things this way? My understanding is that we wouldn't have agency unless God allowed us to choose and come to Him. He is all powerful and by making that power completely obvious would not allow us a proper choice.
Please respond if you have further questions. I hope I have been able to expand your understanding.