I have had several experiences recently to observe "free will" in motion, and I have come to believe that how Free Will has been defined no longer fits with what I have observed. Free Will is generally accepted to mean our God given right to make choices for ourselves, but I don't think that is what Free Will means, at all...or was ever intended to mean.
The ability to make choices for ourselves is called Self Will...and has nothing whatsoever to do with Free Will.
The person who refused medical treatment after passing out from heat exhaustion (possibly heat stroke) was exercising Self Will. And, even more profoundly, the diabetic who uses insulin in such a way that he continues to eat whatever and anything he wants because he doesn't want to give up the foods that brought on the diabetes in the first place is also exercising Self Will.
Both of these men were making choices for themselves, but the choices were contrary to anything positive or life supporting. I don't know the first man well enough to understand the deeper motivation, although I do know that he is stubborn to a fault (which seems like an addiction to one's pride or self image). But I do know that the second man is emotionally addicted to the foods that are going to pug him into a diabetic coma (and eventually kill him).
How can any choice that is made to satisfy self-pride or to feed an addiction be considered free will?
It seems to me that choices made to feed any form of addiction is a will that is actually in bondage, a slave to the addiction...and there is nothing free about a will that makes choices out of fear or that support a slave master's agenda.
Self Will is making decisions based on what we want because the self image or addiction coerces us to make that choice. Free Will is a will that is free...and that has nothing at all to do with the convoluted way this concept has been contorted.
I think that a will that is free is a will that is aligned with God's Will. I used to feel confined by this notion, but now I understand that God's Will for me is nothing more than the life purpose encoded in my DNA, and woven through my spirit...so why would I want to make any other choice than what will support this amazing gift of life that I have been blessed to receive?
Freedom is the quintessential struggle of human civilizations throughout the entirety of human history....freedom of mind...freedom of spirit...and, yes, even freedom of choice. But just because we may have the freedom to make a choice, does that, then, mean that any and all choices are equally valid and OK to make?
Each of us must answer this question for ourselves, of course...but I no longer want my will to be a slave (particularly to my fear of what other people think and say about me behind my back). I want a free will, a will that is free to make the best choices possible to suppprt my spirit's purpose on this earth...to align as completely as possible with God's will for me.
I do not think this will be an easy path to walk...but I am going to walk it anyway...