Does fate exist?

[cazzz1975]

Is life pre planned or does free will shape our lives? why do some inexplicable situations occur that appear to lend themselves to fate or are they really just a bizarre co-incidence?

[237SJ]

My Dad died 5 years ago on April 2nd. On the previous NY Eve I told my friend that I thought my Dad would die in the April of the coming year. In the January I repeated what I had said. Sure enough he did. If life is random and not planned out, how did I know? I still can`t understand that.

[Mojo-Jo-Jo]

I think it's as simple as this.
Certain smells trigger memories. Maybe a day at the seaside, or candy floss, so maybe when faced with a situation, your brain subconsciously reacts to a familiar set of stimuli and acts in a way that has worked well before. Like the candy floss smell triggers memories of a day at the fair with the same emotional response that you had at the time he trigger was set.
I have no evidence for this, but it keeps me happy.

[jomifl]

Do you mean is there a team of cosmic civil servants determining our (and everything else's) every thought and action,or is the universe like a large machine that once set going will follow a predictable path to it's ultimate end?

[cazzz1975]

I have no idea jomifli, sometimes some co-incidences seem a bit too weird to be a random occurance.

http://listverse.com/...amazing-coincidences/

[Brinjal]

My Dad died 16/09/1984. My mum died 16/09/1994.

[Cockney_si]

I would like to say no, but I do believe that although we have free will, sometimes things work out for themselves because of fate stepping in to lend a hand.

[jomifl]

That's what co-incidences are Cazz, it is only because the appear to be unusual that we notice them. I recently looked up a word in the dictionary and I opened it at the right page. Considering the number of words I look up I am surprised it hasn't happened before in the last sixty odd years.
There are only a few hundred pages after all.

[cazzz1975]

thats interesting 237sj, what made you make such a prediction?

I can understand that mojo, but some coincidences can occur that are out of your control.

that is strange brinjal

[gness]

Just a little co-incidence. When my daughter`s school closed down text books were donated or sold to other schools across the county. At the start of the new term, in a school ten miles away,my daughter`s cousin was given a geography book, opened it and inside was my daughter`s name.

[jomifl]

Cazz, all co-incidences are out of our control otherwise they wouldn't be co-incidences.,

[237SJ]

I don`t know cazzz. My Dad was in very good health but I knew it would happen. He had a heart attack when he was strimming the lawn on the saturday. I got into the car and drove the 200 miles to where he was. That was on the 31st March and I was in shock and in a panic. When I got up the road I rememberd my prediction and looked at my mobile phone because I didn`t know what the date was. When I saw the date, I relaxed because I knew there was no point in rushing and driving like the clappers because he wouldn`t die until April. I was right.

[jomifl]

There are points in our lives where a small decision can radically affect our future.

[EDDIE51]

Muslims belive that Allah has a book with a page for every person on Earth , on the page is written your life story in every detail. Or so i was told years ago.

[naomi24]

Pre-planning requires a planner, and since I don't believe a planner exists, then no, I don't believe that fate exists. I mean, let's face it. It would be some pretty warped mind that planned the pain and suffering of millions of innocent babies starving to death in Africa, wouldn't it? Having said that, I've no doubt odd things happen - coincidences mainly - but in some instances perhaps there is an explanation that we've yet to discover.

[jomifl]

What is the connection between co-incidences and fate?

[jomifl]

According to my low coincidence dictionary, fate is defined as an unavoidable destiny, so yes it does exist as we cannot avoid death (and taxes)

[naomi24]

^^ Blimey, it's being so happy that keeps him going. :o))))

[China Doll]

No I don't think so. I think sometimes things happen and the human brain sometims gives meaning to these events depending on your own subjective approach to them.

[ludwig]

No. Stuff just happens. A meteorite could land on my head after writing this, and you might say, well that was your fate, pre-destined from birth.
But I don't think it would be. It would just be something that happened.

[vivandorron]

If live is pre-planned what is the purpose of religion.? Would it not become the case that a supposed God has already decided our fate; whether or not we are believers.?

Ron.