Destiny

I met someone recently at work who was very religious and volunteered her beliefs quite freely. I enjoy hearing about people's beliefs and listened. One thing she said a few times I found interesting.

God had planned her entire life. Even before she was born, everything had been mapped out. In fact, God has planned out everyone's Life.

Really?

So when I was driving home from Santa Monica in the rain this week, determined not to get on the 405 going north, every choice for every turn I made, dictated by either traffic or whim was pre-determined by God before I was even born? Hmmm.

I have a hard time believing that God has pre-determined every move, every thought of every Life of the 6.6 billion people currently alive on the planet. Every person? Even the ones who don't believe in the God she believes in? Muslims? Hindus? Jews? Wiccans? They all believe in something but not exactly what the other believes in. Every person? The people who are serial killers? Terrorists? Child molesters? That seems like a perverse deity to create lives with such a destiny. To cause havoc and pain on the rest of the 6.6 billion of us. That's kind of horrific.

If everything were planned by God, Allah, or whomever, what woud be the purpose of Life? He wrote the book of EVERYTHING, but still let's it run it's course? If everything is pre-determined then isn't Life merely and academic exercise? Redundant?

I like to think I am in charge of my Destiny. I choose, however right or wrong, whether I turn right or left based upon my own intution and the conditions of the 405. Do I make the right choices all the time? Certainly not.

If God planned each Life, every moment, wouldn't that make him a big control freak?