Informed Choice: the missing link

Informed Choice:

the forgotten prerequisite for free will.

Making a decision of eternal and final consequence requires informed choice, including all the evidence necessary, all the options possible, and a full understanding of the ramifications of this decision.

Choices are not choices unless they are INFORMED CHOICES.

I’ve worked with people with disabilities for 40 years. There is a gold standard that has been growing stronger and stronger and is both evidence-based and research-based that leads to higher quality outcomes for people with disabilities for their whole lives. Our work must be person-centered meaning that we must put the person first, strengthening voice and choice to direct their own lives. This self determination is not something that is natural in the way we support and nurture others. Mostly, when institutions provide services to people with disabilities, these services are prescribed by the institution, not the individual. It took many years to bend the system to a new way of operating where a person is put first, listened to first, and given first choice and only choice in their own lives. BUT there is one primary key to true choice or freedom in their lives. It is that we go the extra mile to ensure that choice, all choice, is INFORMED CHOICE. Because choices are not choices unless they are informed choices!

The bedrock of democracy is informed consent. (Daniel Dennett)

(also see, Informed Choices for a Stronger Democracy) 

For families, “Informed Choice means that families can make knowledgeable
decisions, which reflect their own culture, values and views. It is based on access to comprehensive, unbiased and evidence-based information, about the full range of options.” 19141 DfES_ES_.indd

For midwifery, see https://nurturingmidwifery.weebly.com/midwifery/category/informed-choice

For retirement insurance, see https://www.informedchoice.com/ 

For funeral planning, see https://www.informedchoice.org/

For patient-centered healthcare, see https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16103473/ 

If we look at the dilemma of true free will that is said to have eternal consequences, we must ask ourselves a few very basic questions:

1. Can we make a free choice without all of the evidence to review prior to
   
   making that choice? Are people damned to hell based on uninformed choices?
2. Or do they go to hell based on their own informed consent of free will?
3. Based on the assumption that god loves us, would he not want to make sure that all people have all the evidence they need to choose god? Or is this god laissez faire about who knows and who doesn’t, who believes and who doesn’t, who is provided with the truth and the evidence necessary to believe?
4. Based on the assumption that god is omnipotent, more powerful than anything in the universe, is there anything that god is not able to do to give evidence to those that require higher levels of evidence than others? Why doesn’t he? Is he less powerful or less loving?
5. Based on the assumption that god is omniscient (more intelligent than any other), would he not know what it is the people need as evidence in order to believe? And if he knows (omniscient), then, is he able (omnipotent), or does he care (omnibenevolent)? Maybe he just doesn’t love those enough that question and doubt things that don't make sense, those that have a higher standard for their belief, those that demand proof, those that use the full potential of their ability to think.
6. Then there is the assumption that god is omnipresent, with every person at every moment, in every situation, for all time. He sees all, hears all, and understands all. Isn’t that an additional reason for him to give more evidence to those that need more and a smaller amount of evidence to those that need less so that he can assure that all people believe guaranteeing that Jesus’ death is not in vain for anyone?
7. An omniscient god would know to do that, an omnipotent god would be able to do that, and an omnibenevolent god would “so love the world” that he would want to do that to make sure all understand enough to choose to believe.
8. Or would this god be so mindless and lazy and sloppy that he would force mankind to make UNINFORMED CHOICES? Is this not nothing more than irresponsible? Is this not simply bad design? Is this not simply heartless? Would anyone of sound mind believe in such a god? A god who sends people to hell even though they were not given an informed choice?

Do all people choose heaven or hell using informed choice? Would anyone choose such a place as hell with informed choice, joyously skipping down that broad path into hell fire?