Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Nothing is Unconditional


I woke up the other morning with the thought it my mind that nothing is truly unconditional. Nothing has no conditions at all. Same with the word "all;" it always means "all within these certain parameters." Think about something unconditional. Let's suppose that I say that I unconditionally love everyone. That would simply mean that I love people with who meet these conditions:
  • -They must exist
  • -They must be people
  • -I must be aware of their existence
Wow - three conditions! Whatever happened to having no conditions? Can anything truly have no conditions whatsoever? I cannot think of anything that has no conditions whatsoever. If any of you can, then I'd love to hear about it.

So then, if nothing actually has no conditions whatsoever, then what is the difference between conditional and unconditional? How could we define the terms so that we can practically use them? It would be pointless to define a word as something that does not exist. In fact, that is why I object to defining "free" as something more than even God has, for He is the most free being of all. What is the actual difference between what we call unconditional, what we call conditional, and what we call random?


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Unconditional: An offer that first determines eligibility with core conditions, and then is enacted for all those who are eligible, whether or not any other conditions are met.
Example: Unconditional love
Core Conditions to determine eligibility:
  • -Must Exist
  • -Must be Human
  • -I must know of their existence.
I will love everyone who fulfills these conditions, and will not cease to love them because of any other conditions.



Random: An offer that first determines eligibility with core conditions, and then is only enacted for select individuals who fulfill conditions which are designed to be most like non-conditions.
Example: A raffle
Core conditions to determine eligibility:
  • -You must exist
  • -You must be human
  • -You must be at a certain event
  • -You must be capable of getting a raffle ticket
  • -You must choose to get a raffle ticket
  • -You must obtain said ticket before the raffle begins
  • -You must not get caught cheat
When all those conditions are met, perhaps twenty people have raffle tickets, but perhaps there is only one prize. I must select only one of the eligible people, so I add some more conditions, which are similar to non-conditions.
  • -You must have a ticket that does not have the same number as any one of the first seven tickets I pull out of my hat and rip up
  • -You must have a ticket that does not have the same number as the next five tickets that I burn
  • -You must have a ticket that has the same number as the ticket on the top, right-most section of my hat that I pull out
If you meet all those conditions, which are designed to be arbitrary and unlike meaningful conditions, then you will get a prize!

This is what we call random. Programmers also design "random number generators" which cannot actually generate a number based on no condition whatsoever, but can be programed to pick different and unpredictable numbers every time by programming several conditionals which are dissimilar to normal meaningful conditions.



Conditional Based on Factors You Cannot Determine: An offer that first determines eligibility with core conditions, and then is only enacted for select individuals who fulfill conditions which they cannot determine.
Example: Racism
Core conditions to determine eligibility:
  • -You must exist
  • -You must be human
  • -I must know of your existence
There are many people who fulfill these core conditions, but I don't want to persecute all of them. So here are some added conditions to narrow it down; conditions which they have no influence or control over fulfilling:
  • -You must be mainly a different race than I
  • -You must obviously be that race
  • -I must have a feeling against that race in particular
If an eligible person fulfills those conditions, through no power of their own, they will receive free persecution from me.

Now, as an added note here, not all offers that are Conditional Based on Factors You Cannot Determine are morally wrong. For example, I only date guys. That is condition based on something people have no control over, and yet it is morally right and fine. It only becomes unjust or unkind when the offer is negative or hurtful. For instance, if I punch every guy I meet, that would not be right anymore.


Conditional Based on Factors You Can Determine: An offer that first determines eligibility with core conditions, and then is only enacted for select individuals who fulfill conditions which they can determine. [Yes, this operates under the assumption that a person can determine stuff. A person is a free agent and determines his or her own choices]
Example: A Sale
Core conditions to determine eligibility:
  • -You must exist, be human, etc
  • -You must be selling a product that I want
  • -You must not be charging more than I am willing to pay
  • -I must not be aware that you are untrustworthy
Still, even if I want to buy something from you, and am willing, based on those conditions, I will not give you money until you fulfill a certain additional condition that you can control:
  • -You must give me the merchandise
Only if you choose to fulfill that condition will I give you money.

As an added note: Not all conditional offers are just and kind either. If I shoot everyone who gives me merchandise, that it conditional based on something they can control, and yet is not just or kind.


Conditional Based on Factors that I Determine: An offer that first determines eligibility with core conditions, and then is only enacted for select individuals who fulfill conditions which only I can determine.
Example: Hypnosis Show
Core conditions to determine eligibility:
  • -You must exist, be human, etc
  • -You must be attending my show
Now there are a lot of people attending my show, but I only want to hypnotize some of them. So I choose that I will only hypnotize the ones that fulfill this one final condition:
  • -They must be pointed at by me
And only if they meet that condition will I hypnotize them. The problem with this type of conditional offer is that it doesn't actually tell us anything. It only begs the question: What were the conditions I used to choose who I picked?



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So there you have it. Those are the four true types of offers, and one false type. It's all very interesting to be sure, and I hope I didn't make it too confusing.

So now the question of the day:
Which category does the offer of salvation fall under?
Which category does election fall under?
Hmm....