What do "free will" and "disease" have to do with each other?

Question

I'm often told that suffering and death are due to "free will", but when a disease causes a death, what does that death have to do with free will?

If we can't chalk it up to the human element, can we chalk it up to anything? Can we blame anyone? Or does bad stuff sometimes just.... happen?

Answer 1

Adam and Eve were given free will to obey or disobey God, they chose to use their free will to disobey Him. As a result of their sin, we're separated from God and His protection and the Earth is cursed, and so we have death and disease. This is the ultimate source of our suffering, our sin and separation from God. As for specific reasons, those are varied, as some are caused by illness arising from the Fall, other suffering is the result of ppl's decisions to do evil.

Answer 2

Suffering and death are due to life, that's just the nature of life. Free will doesn't exist. Disease does. For me, that simplifies matters somewhat. I don't believe that anything has anything to do with free will, I think free will is an illusion, a concept that is just accepted but not often really seriously considered.

Say I choose to engage in some risky behavior and get AIDS. Was that free will? Not necessarily, no. How many gears have to tumble in just that right combination for that to happen? There has to be a brain that functions in such a way that the behavior occurs. All those synapses, all those neurons, all those receptors, all that heredity, nature and nurture, experience, environment, stressors, etc., all come together to cause what? An event that leads to another event, that leads to my death.

I guess that what I'm saying is that while we might like to believe that we control our own actions, we are only life support systems for our brains, and how each person's brain functions is beyond the individual's control. If I decide to stop using drugs, am I exercising authority over my brain? Nope, because where'd the idea to quit using drugs come from? There is no "me" or "I" separate from my brain, that's where the whole "I think, therefore I am" thing comes into play.

Answer 3

Its funny how you would bunch corporatists with capitalists, as capitalists cannot stand corporatism, because corporatism is just a euphemism for fascism. And yes, us free marketers, the capitalists, do absolutely believe in free markets. Natural monopolies are extremely hard to come by because you have to offer the same or better quality product at a lower price than anyone else. If you can do this, then you are doing society a big favor. You should be commended, not frowned upon. If at anytime this monopolist charges more than anyone can offer the same good or service for, other entrepreneurs will come into the market to reap the excess profits.

Answer 4

When God made Adam and Eve the gave them free will, the ability to choose. They chose to disobey God and sin came into the world. Along with sin came death and disease and all the bad things that go on in a "fallen" world. The Earth is not under the control of God but man. Therefore the world is imperfect and full of hate, war, disease, natural disasters, etc.

This is what man chose.

Answer 5

Zero- Do you believe that there are consequences to every action you take? I do.

I smoke. If I don't stop one day I'm going to get lung cancer and die. That is my free will choice because I smoke.

If I suddenly choose to start drinking alcohol again, one day I will get a disease and die because of it. My choice.

If you choose to have sex outside of a safe environment (like marriage where both partners are virgins and don't commit adultery) then you are opening the door for dire consequences. We've all done it, we've all gambled, rolled the dice, pulled the trigger on the Russian Roulette, so to speak. And sometimes we are lucky and sometimes we are not. But it still a choice.

Hope this answers your question and I just wanted to point out that I didn't mention Jesus once in this whole answer! Whoops, rats, well okay just once. :)

Answer 6

When the fall of man occurred in the Garden of Eden, it was done by a conscious choice made with free will, given to Adam and Eve. Eve chose to eat the fruit, as did Adam when she offered it to her.

Therefore, as a result of their choice, the rest of humankind suffers the consequence of this fall...pain, disease, death and turmoil.

There is nobody to blame, because what's done is done. You can choose to turn your belief towards the Triune God and you will be given the gift of eternal life with no pain, suffering or death in Heaven.

Answer 7

Bad stuff DOES sometimes just happen. It's called random chance. Disease is entropy at work.

The entire universe is inherently chaotic/entropic (although introducing energy into a closed system allows for temporary violation of thermodynamics, which is why the earth *appears* ordered. Take away the sun, and this entire planet would go to hell in a handbasket.)

Answer 8

Free will opens up the door for a lot of evil. All disease is not evil, but some of it due to the choices we make with our free will.

God can heal people from sickness. Why He does not heal everyone, I do not know. But one thing I am sure of, that He has the whole eternity to make it up to us if and when we have suffered here. : )

Answer 9

It was the MISUSE of free will by Adam and Eve that led to disease and death. Jehovah has purposed to rid the earth of that and give back everlasing life to mankind. Ps 37:29 rev. 21:3,4

Answer 10

Obviously,free will does impact both our physical and psychological well being.. cirrhosis of the liver,various cancers,heart disease etc...but as you have stated,sometimes negative things just happen,with no clear explanation or sense of fairness.

....Just a personal note...I have been reading the works of Dr. Robert O. Young 4x PHD,for about 4 years now...His therorys are very interesting,to say the least...His basic and foundational statement about his work in a nutshell is that:All sickness and disease have only one cause:The over acidification the the blood and tissues,due to an inverted way of eating,living and thinking,and that these choices lead to cellular breakdown..when healty cells begin to break down they begin giving birth to micro-organisms that acidify the blood and their waste products even further acidify the blood...I could go on forever,....If so inclined,check out,"The Ph Miracle"..authored by Dr Young....