I voted no because I feel the notion of pre-destiny or destiny goes against my idea's of free will. I cannot prove nor disprove the existence of free will or pre-destiny so I really cannot logically argue against the notion of either existing. I can say though that both arguments have valid points that have to be considered. You can argue; going beyond god or some other deity, that pre-destiny exists in a very simplistic form. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, therefore every action is going to inspire another action. That means that everything that has ever happened is connected in some way. Your parents deciding to having a child in some simple form predestined your existence. It did not choose how you where to live but it decided your existence. Of course it is shear random luck that you where created the way you are, it was still that choice by your parents that lead to your creation but in between those two points is a lot of random events that lead to your creation.
But every choice we make is the reaction of what is going on around us. I could choose to drop my laptop to the ground to prove my point that free will exists but by doing so I proving that it does not. I can choose or choose not to do so but the reason for doing so was created through this post. My action would be my action but the thought or idea that spurred that action was not my own. Not saying I cannot think but my thoughts are influenced by what exists around us. This post inspired me to start thinking about free will and pre destiny thus created the need for me to prove that free will does exist. This is a simplistic view of pre destiny going beyond the existence of some higher being.
The question of the OP has to be considered in this way. First you have to define what is pre destiny and then you have to define the opposite, free will. Without these basic definitions you could argue for both and never be wrong. My definition for free will I will demonstrate through my laptop example. Again it was the idea created from this post that urged me to want to or not want to drop the laptop. The action of doing so or not doing so, means a choice has to be made. This choice to not act or act on some emotion, idea, notion, etc.. is free will. You can install in me the idea that god exists and I may ponder it, but is still my free will to choose to do act on that idea.
I choose to believe in free will because the notion of pre destiny makes bad and good, non existent. There are only actions and reactions in pre destiny. Anything you choose is not your choice therefore it doesn't matter what you choose, the outcome will be the same. If you went to a class you already knew everything about, would you learn something? This is where I disagree with the idea that we come here to learn something but it ends the same no matter what the choose. If that is true than people will always choose the path of least resistance and this will not lead to any learning. Being held responsible for you actions and being told that only you can secure your future puts all the responsibility of your choices on your shoulders. It puts value and meaning to what you do and puts more value on this life than the potential of unknown afterlife.
I am not demeaning the value of an afterlife but I am stating it is less valuable than this life. The simple reason behind this is because I can pretty much prove that this world is real and that you and I are real. The afterlife though I cannot prove without a shadow of a doubt. So it is only logical and rational to make this life the best you can because we know it exists.
