Is God Omniscient ? If so, do we have free will?
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Does God know everything before it happens?
If God exists, He is all knowing.
That means that in advance he knows what we will do.
If He knew yesterday that today I will do the laundry - am I free to NOT do the laundry today?
There is a conflict between our assumption that we have free will, and God's all knowing nature (as seen by Christian and Muslim theologians).
So, what do you think... is God all knowing?
Does God know all, everything, the future, the past, your innermost thoughts?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, of course. Being omniscient is one of the divine attributes of God
grandpamac says:
God is spirit; there are no coordinates of heaven nor of hell in that they are spiritual. Just like Saturday morning cartoons personify bears and rabbits so children can get their arms around the concepts being taught, humans (including Moses) have personified God so their listeners can grasp the lessons being taught. Satan was personified even though evil has no boundaries; God was personified even though the creating force called God also has no boundaries. People call God their "king" even though they have never served under a king so that metaphor only shrinks God. People also call God their "father" even though nobody over the age of 20 has any intention of doing everything their father wants them to do. Moses relates the story of God testing Abraham with Isaac and at the end of the story he tells them that God is not omniscient in that God did not know until the very end whether Abraham would do it. All great teachers use license to teach. The Bible did not fall out of the sky. People were inspired to write things to teach their audience. Because assigning omniscience in one story and removing it in another resembles a parent's efforts to teach a young child.
Posted February 14, 2012
surabhi says:
God knows every thought of our heart. and it,s 100 % sure but I don't know that God really loves us and did
God created us or we are just made as the science discuss the story of life
Posted February 14, 2012
Gwendolyn J Ketterer says:
In the Bible God loved Jacob and hated Esau before they were ever born. It asks us if we think that's unfair and then it tells us that it is up to God to be the way He is and that we, as mere humans have no right to question God.
It also says that it is not whether a man wills, or whether a man runs, the outcome is up to Him. I believe in predestination and fate, because God said in His word that " you were preordained and predestined even before the foundation of the world. Jesus talks about " the ones My father has chosen" If you read in the book of St. John, He talks about His father's chosen children. God said " My children know my voice and they follow me " it doesn't say they follow me if they choose to..etc
Posted February 12, 2012
may says:
You have that free will to go to Hell, if that is what you choose.
Posted February 07, 2012
Simon Cowell says:
God knows everything about you, he even knows you have fungal problems
Posted January 31, 2012
timeforwhatisright says:
C'mon, why would an omni-benevolent God invent such a sick game where he punishes humans that he created for not choosing the right answer..God would already know what you will choose before he creates you...Why bother playing the game....I surely believe God is much smarter than this....Oh wait i know....He wants to assume the form of his Son and sacrifice himself to himself to save us from the things that he created in the first place...this is absolutely ridiculous.....
Posted January 01, 2012
Hashim Barakah says:
Laura Wirges so your saying that God so loved and evil, corrupted, and blasphemous world that he gave his only pure and good son to die for an evil world? Does that make sense to you? Maybe you should take a few steps back and actually observe what it is your religion believes in. Or maybe you should convert to Judaism or Islam.
Posted December 23, 2011
says:
Yes, God is all-knowing, and yes, we do have free will. It is by the free will of some that they go to hell. They choose, not God. We have a choice to love and believe God; He gives that to us. That does NOT make Him evil or uncaring. Parents have children; they teach their children in the way they believe is best for them. Not always do the children go that way, and sometimes they get hurt or killed going against what their parents say. Does that make those parents evil or uncaring? I'm sure the parents could chain the kid to his/ her bedpost and force them to do as they say, but most would consider that evil and uncaring. God doesn't want forced love. He wants us to love Him, have faith in Him, see that He is caring and loving (because He DID send His ONLY SON to die for us so that we might have life - that's love).
Posted December 13, 2011
Cole says:
for all those who say "if there is a God, why is there so much hurt and pain?" well, i once heard someone say "there is no such thing as dark. there is only the absence of light. there is no such thing as evil. there is only absence of good deeds" now, im no expert christian theologist but i am a dedicated follower of Christ and I came to the web looking for an answer to the "if God is all knowing, do we have free will?" question. because simply, i enjoy asking questions that dont have worldly answers. so, as i read someone say "preachers say 'have Faith' because they dont know" it is not because they dont research, or dont care, its simply because God doesnt intend for us to have all the answers. God wants one thing and one thing only from us; FAITH. to believe in that which we dont see or understand.. for some of us its harder then others. believe me, its hard for me too. i struggle with it every day. but something inside me knows that there has to be more to life than the evolution of pond scum to monkeys, then monkeys to humans. and if you're an evolutionist, answer me this..how come we have billions of humans, but we still have monkeys?.. wouldnt we just have humans, or monkeys? as i said, im no expert theologist but i am an expert human being with my many faults and many quirks. however, i dont simply "deal" with my quirks and flaws. I redeem myself through Jesus Christ, and I will continue to do so for as long as He will have me.
Posted December 11, 2011
asdfasdf says:
Quantum mechanics
Posted December 09, 2011
Ganapathi says:
Yes there is a supreme counciousness behind the universe (not supreme its a conciousness able to think and feel like me and feel its own existence like me and u).
for that supreme being to create everything in universe u must know everything (omniscient). if he know everything he can do everything (omnipotent). if he can do everything he can be anywhere or everywhere (omnipresent). since he is omnipotent and omniscient he know the need of freedom or free will of others (he knows the importance of freedom) hence he caused this universe just for the reason to cause this universe (love just for the reason u love - expect nothing in return) he expect nothing in return and thats benevolent.
and he is omnipotent to create so many godly being in a place called heaven (like peoples in earth gods in heaven). and he is definitely not alone (i mean each god can create one universe of their own but they are not singular - there are many god and their is only one god who create our universe)
hence wat i feel is a consciousness with most knowledge can reach god
knowledge is power
knowledge is salvation
comments welcome
Posted December 08, 2011
sabrina says:
You are assuming that we understand time correctly or at least the way God reads time. How about this....we have used our free agency or free will but before we came here. We planned out this existence with God and God left it up to us to come here and begin the process. By process I mean the birth of our spirit into a body into a life into an existence away from His direct influence and energy, on our own if you will BUT together with each adding a huge new detention to our existence and ability to navigate correctly or in our own and everyones own best interest. It is interesting that when we are using our free will correctly for lack of a better term, we usually have a positive effect not only on our own lives but on others lives as well. Conversly when we act selfishly or use our agency incorrectly it using results in a neg for us as well as others. Good tool on our journey here, Jesus knew when he said (as well as Buddha, Gandhi, etc) do unto other as you would have done unto you. Karma, the golden rule is probably more like a law than a rule and it is set in place, as is time and space, to move us along in a fair and just manner. Anyway, that is my stab at it.....I love this stuff
Posted December 05, 2011
Major Tom says:
If i were to give my son a bowl of cocoa pebbles and a bowl of poop and I were to tell him to choose one, I know he will choose the bowl of cocoa pebbles. One might ask "How do you know that for sure?" I know my son will choose the cocoa pebbles because I know him well enough to know what decision he'll make. Does my knowledge of that stop my son from choosing or making a decision? No. and thats how it is with God. God knows everthing there is to know about us and our personalities. He knows us so well that he ultimately knows what decisions we'll make.
Posted December 04, 2011
Joel says:
Ah you have found Pikes example of the problem with Devine foreknowledge. The solution is that God is either A out of time, B. there is something called modal logic in which there is only one thing that is certain and that is logic, and lastly just because p is true does not mean that p has to be true, the world is not just true and false. So God sees all options but once you make a choice god knows it and knows it now, and then, he is again outside of time.
Posted December 03, 2011
kirk says:
Where in the Bible does it mention man's will being free? Man's will is in bondage to sin. "Those in the flesh can not please God" Romans 8:8.
Posted December 03, 2011
Malik Summerlin says:
yes
Posted December 01, 2011
loveleh says:
I know when i start to come up with Question if God knows then why he yet to help? The point is...the question itself is negative. Aint it being negative is not good.
Posted November 16, 2011
belinda says:
Lets say I found a crystal ball. This Ball can predict the future. (predict not change not stop just see what happens) So I use this ball to see into the future of a friend. I do not however tell him what i see. Because I now know all (concerning my friend and what they will do in the future) does that mean he no longer has free will to make the decisions that creates his future? I feel the fact Yahweh Knows my future has nothing to do with the choices I make to create that future. I feel your future changes with every new choice you make. We have free will. Free choice it only applies to ONESELF and it is limited to ones physical ability. It is driven by our own desires. (hunger, sex, smoking, doing good, bad.) I also feel that we are all APART of god. An extension of his spirit. He created and extension of himself to understand himself. He gave us free will (cutting us off from himself/ourself) That is where the free will comes in. Think of a baby. This baby is my dna, it is me. it is also my husbands DNA it is him. When conceptions occurs it becomes a separate being. No longer a physical part of my husband and I. That is how I see GOD and Us. We are him he is us. When he created a physical shell for us to dwell with a brain and body and FREE CHOICE He breathed into it a part of his spirit to bring us into being. And cut us off (gave us free will) from the main spirit which is him/us. We created ourself (man) to understand our self. (god)
Posted November 02, 2011
Anon says:
Psalms 94:11 Jehovah knows the thoughts of man..
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joings and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
God knows everything! I read in a book called the Normal Christian Faith -If there is a book written by God, it must first of all mention God. It must tell you that it is from God and that the author is God. Second it must carry a moral tone that is higher than what we commonly know. if it is a fabrication, it can be at the most be on the same level as man. third if there is such a divine book, it must tell us about thepast and the future of this world. Only God knows clearly what occured in the past and what will happen in the future. Only by telling us these matters wil we know Him as God. Fourth this book must be simple and available so that all may be able to secure and understand it. if there were only one such book in the world, only then a very few people would be able to see it. Only the bible meets all these conditions. The bible though complex in contents, contains history, poetry, laws, prophecis, biographies and doctrines and was written by so many different ones at different times and under different circumstances, yet when you put them together, they surprisingly run as one continuous volume. there is no conflict or contradiction. they are written in one breath. It is a book of life and yet countless numbers of people have lost their lives for its sake...its been translated into 700+ languages, sold over 2million copies,, even if you do not believe that this is God's word, you have to admit there is something unsual about this book.
Ephesians 1:4 Even as He chose us in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love.
Praise the Lord! He knows everything! He knows the choices we make, we may take the wrong turns but He will guide us through everything. We just need to simply trust in Him!
Posted October 30, 2011
joel says:
Yes he is all knowing.
When someone videos you doing something that means there is a record of what you will do now in the future.
The fact that the video will exist in the future does not limit your freedom now.
Since God an see all time he knows what you will do, but it does not limit your freedom.
Having a God that wants us to love him means we are created in free will.If we did not have free will we could not love him as love is only true if it is given freely.
I ask can there be free will within the laws of physics? Or must there be another law which is greater than these to allow for free will to exist? Can it be this law which allows miracles (which seem to break the laws of physics) to happen
Posted October 14, 2011
No, who can be all-knowing?
rmf12 says:
this kind of talk is sensless. in my view the only reason people even care about such a question shows that we all suffer from the same thing. not knowing. knowone knows what happens after death. that's what it all comes down to. would you really even care if a god had all this power but told you when your dead your dead. people are so freaked out by the fact they know there going to die they will believe almost anything. man has alway's gotten most things wrong at first. it's a building or evolution of knowledge that were at where were at now. there a mysteries of the universe we are only scratching the surface. for me the thought of an all mighty god hanging out an concerened with israel a few thousand years ago is ancient history. accept the fact you don't know for sure what happens after death and all this can be put in perspective. fear is keeping it alive.
Posted February 07, 2012
Ben says:
God doesn't exist because by Jesus rejecting the three temptations, he granted us free will. How on earth do we have free will if we're going to hell for not believing in God.
Posted February 06, 2012
GodlessHeathen says:
I don't believe in God, so I believe I do have free will, but a theist could not really believe in free will because of what you have pointed out here. I also used an example like this on my lens "Is God Just Pretend?"
Posted January 29, 2012
i'm a thinker says:
People have said this to put a test on gods powers to be impossiable going on a idea so great and grand try not to see the fauls in this idea
Posted January 29, 2012
James O'Brien says:
Now I believe in God, I just don't believe it is all knowing. I believe however that God is all powerful. God had no beginning and it isn't going to have an end. All God knew was Godself. God wanted to expand it's knowledge and knew of It's infinite potential to create anything it wanted. As is created it caused action. This action was the word(Karma in sanskrit). From this all i know is God gave us free will to learn and learn on our own and learn what we want and to experience. That is why we have free will and why we are in fact in charge of whether our society becomes the way it has or becomes a safe and loving community.
Posted January 15, 2012
keke says:
To atheistrules and fortruth you make good points...but I have decided to make a resolve...if people want to believe god is all knowing and give their hard earned money to the men and women god called to preach....(and some are clearly taking advantage of them)...I say, let them believe in a god that would allow them to be tricked...for their god of old..(the old testament) will get those wicked people one day and give them all their money, energy, love, trust and devoted time back to them. lol
Posted December 15, 2011
Atheistrules says:
I have the anwer.....NO, god is not all knowing there is no "god".
Posted December 15, 2011
Fortruth says:
Then God didn't care about his son.... if HE indeed send his ONLY "SON" to die for a bunch of wretched "humans". "See how that sounds when you say it that way...would you kill your child for humanity?" Read the Bible for yourself and see that God in the sense you're speaking of....doesn't know all and that the Bible is used as an over inflated book some "rich" people and advertisers had a good run with. I've read the Bible and if you take things literally you're going to always be lost or confused! God is not a man and Jesus is not his only son..go deeper...do the research if you're serious about knowing the truth. It can be an interesting book, but really it's a book of fables revealing a deeper meaning, if you care to do the studying. Most "christians" just surface read and let the minister tell them how to act and that's no good. The Bible tells you to study for yourself and trust NO MAN. I Thes. 5:21 says PROVE all things and holdfast to that which is good. So see you need to read for yourself and if God is good and loving...then, God will be your teacher, you don't need a man telling you his interpretations or using the Bible to his own sneaky advantage. I've noticed the masses of today's christians are non-thinkers, superstitous and not willing to read and do the research required to set themselves FREE!!! They depend on these preachers to save them... not knowing the preachers don't believe the stuff they are preaching.. that's why they commit just as many "sins" as their audience (congregation).
Posted December 15, 2011
Atheistrules says:
So... should I assume there is a God and he is just quiet and don't get in his childrens' business. Yawl know God don't know everything, cause if he did he would have known Satan would try to oust him.. and Adam and Eve would mess up!....unless he is like us and more interested in the lastest gossip and missed the other conversations going on around him. Where are the Bible scholars... show and PROVE to us the existence of god.
Posted December 12, 2011
Fortruth says:
Metaphysics great....I think the Christian Bible is confusing on purpose, here is three reasons why: 1. Hidden motive of the rich oppressers. 2. Secret mythologies..metaphors/allegories to deeper understandings and only the "privileged" or truth seekers and fact finders with attain the Truth. Or 3. It's all FAKE!!! Come on folks.. no religion is above Truth...are the Atheist right... there is no God and once you die, you're just dead forever!..Oh one more thing check out the Old Testament....that God was really cruel asking a man to kill his son, killing off some of his other children.. I mean creations, turning others to stone, have an adulterous David, being a man after his own heart...and poor Job, in the middle of a bet God and Satan made... are you kidding me! Did man make God in his image?? I BET man did create god... lol
Posted December 12, 2011
Keke says:
Quantum mechanics?? So pain and hurt are illusions?.. How is it that some people know these things? They say it with such conviction, I mean giving definitive answers. Is god a HE and if this god He is a Father he sure is a neglectful one....To see a pit-fall or a pot hole and let his child fall in it. I think that no one really knows and everyone is just guessing and making up fables to make themselves feel safe or feel better about this cruel world saying when I die Imma go to heaven for having to had suffered for some reason unbeknownst to me..bad things happening to good people. Explain that and hate filled people having a good life. I would hope if God- He exist wouldn't know everything and is everywhere cause that would mean to me that once again God doesn't give a flip about good or innocent people.
Posted December 12, 2011
Fortruth says:
God is all knowing if you are calling every person on earth GOD AND IF WE ARE ALL CONNECTED, if you are saying God is Nature and all life everywhere.... then I "guess" God is all knowing, cause life IS everywhere...yeah RIGHT..... don't you need to know what God is before you give a definitive answer to this question? See, that's what part- time Christians or fake Christian do.. they just use cliches and traditional rituals, create plays, sermons and songs never tell you what GOD truly is ...you know why....cause they don't know and "HE" DON'T KNOW EITHER... LOL
Posted November 26, 2011
keke mia says:
What is loveleh, SAYING ....anyway! IF GOD IS ALL KNOWING THEN THAT MEANS GOD IS AN EVIL GOD! HOW COULD A LOVING GOD .."PARENT" JUST STAND BACK AND WATCH A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD BE ABUSED OR A MOTHER STRUGGLING TO PAY BILLS AND FEED HER CHILDREN. HOW??? FOREGET FREE-WILL. DO YOU REALLY HAVE FREEWILL-- WHEN YOU CAN BE DAMNED TO HELL IF DON'T GO TO CHURCH OR JOIN THE ORGANIZATION CALLED CHRISTIANITY??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! ..WHERE IS GOD...WHAT IS GOD ? FORGET IF HE'S ALL KNOWING...WHERE IS HE AND WHAT IS HE DOING ABOUT THESE ATROCITIES IN THE WORLD, POVERTY, HATEFUL PEOPLE SPREADING LIES, THESE MINISTERS CHEATING ON THEIR WIVES AND MOLESTING KIDS!!!!!...DOES GOD REALLY KNOW OR DOES GOD EXIST WAY WE HAVE BEEN TAUGHT OVER THE CENTURIES,THAT IT HAS A PERSONALITY... I DON'T THINK GOD KNOWS OR HE DON'T GIVE A DAMN.
Posted November 26, 2011
Confuse-cious says:
@ Belinda: The problem with your crystal ball analogy is this - you did not create your friend, and therefore it's not your fault. But with your god, it's a different story BECAUSE HE IS THE CREATOR. And he is also fore knowing (crystal ball analogy). He can see, before your friend was even created, your friend's future whether he is going to hell or not. So let's say god saw in that "crystal ball" that your friend is going to hell. why the heck would god still CREATE him????
Posted November 20, 2011
TDK95 says:
I believe in god. BUT i do not think god knows or would choose to know what were going to do. I do NOT believe in a pre-determined path. Answer me this simple question. If god is all knowing, why would god create humans that are going to be 'destined' to kill other humans, and go against gods orders? I believe we have our own free will. Period. We choose to follow god or not. If we couldn't and we have a destiny, god would just create all humans to be good and saintly. But we're not. All babies are born the same, and we are influenced in life to decide what we choose to do/follow god or not. That's MY point of perspective. I'm not saying god doesn't have the ability to be all-knowing, but rather not choosing to be as we should be allowed to have free will. Which we do.
Posted November 17, 2011
Fortruth says:
What IS God and why do people give God HUMAN characteristics? What is the point in asking... no one can say for sure! The ministers get upset and say "have faith"- when they can't anwser your question and some are too lazy to do research to help the poor "sinners". If there really is a God and HE had to depend on these crooked and non-researching Preachers to save HIS children, well HE gonna have to appear and save' em HIMSELF.... If GOD knows all things why is there so much hurt and poverty in the world and innocent children being hurt and raped?? Where is this Almight when such horrible things happen....unless God ..HE is MALEvolent!
Posted November 14, 2011
Lee says:
God supposedly assisted the Israelites to escape from Egypt. Why didn’t a perfect god have "pre-knowledge" that the Israelites would need help, and therefore adjust the chain of events prior to this event to keep Him from needing to intervene, or more importantly, why not just leave them to their own fate? This makes God the manipulator of his children, by disallowing them their own experiences that dealing with the threat of the Egyptians on their own would've given to them. Instead, God apparently proved to them how "great" He was by His miracles that saved the Israelites and caused them to have a greater reason to believe in Him. This is typical for a manipulation master, IMHO. Jesus Christ committed the same sin by walking on water, and various other "miracles" in order to manipulate the minds of his disciples, breaking God's own supposed “Natural Laws” to prove a point about faith to his disciples. This type of activity isn’t logical or moral. People, then and now, need to have their own experiences in order to make their own assessments of their experience without manipulation, in order to form their beliefs. This is free will in action. "Supernaturally" manipulating a person's beliefs is not a very honest activity for the supposed "supernatural creature" responsible for the creation of the entire universe, IMHO.
Posted November 12, 2011
Cody says:
This is a major philosophical problem when considering attributing omni-x attribute to a deity. Yes, if god is omniscient, then free will does NOT exist, only the illusion does. You CANNOT have a choice in a matter if it is predestined before, because the outcome HAS to happen.
Posted September 02, 2011
Stephen says:
Future Written in Advance
Anyone who has read the Holy Scriptures knows that they contain literally hundreds of prophecies. Such historical events as the fall of ancient Babylon, the rebuilding of Jerusalem (sixth to fifth century B.C.E.), and the rise and fall of the ancient kings of Medo-Persia and Greece were all foretold in detail. (Isaiah 13:17-19; 44:24–45:1; Daniel 8:1-7, 20-22) The fulfillment of such prophecies is one of the strongest proofs that the Holy Scriptures are indeed God’s Word, for God alone has the power both to foresee and to determine what will happen in the future. In this sense the Holy Scriptures indeed record the future written in advance.
God himself declares: “I am the Divine One and there is no other God, nor anyone like me; the One telling from the beginning the finale, and from long ago the things that have not been done; the One saying, ‘My own counsel will stand, and everything that is my delight I shall do’ . . . I have even spoken it; I shall also bring it in. I have formed it, I shall also do it.” (Isaiah 46:9-11; 55:10, 11) The very name by which God identified himself to his ancient prophets is Jehovah, which literally means “He Causes to Become.” (Genesis 12:7, 8; Exodus 3:13-15; Psalm 83:18) God reveals himself as the One who becomes the Fulfiller of his word, the One who always brings his purposes to realization.
Thus, God uses his power of foreknowledge in the outworking of his purposes. He has often used it to warn the wicked of coming judgment as well as to give his servants hope for salvation. But does God use this power in an unlimited way? Is there any evidence in the Holy Scriptures of things that God has chosen not to foreknow?
Does God Foreknow Everything?
All the arguments in support of predestination are based on the supposition that since God undeniably has the power to foreknow and determine future events, he must foreknow everything, including the future actions of every individual. Is this supposition sound, however? What God reveals in his Holy Scriptures indicates otherwise.
For example, the Scriptures say that “God put Abraham to the test” by commanding him to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering. When Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac, God stopped him and said: “Now I do know that you are God-fearing in that you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.” (Genesis 22:1-12) Would God have made that statement if he knew in advance that Abraham would obey this command? Would it have been an honest test?
Furthermore, the ancient prophets report that God repeatedly spoke of himself as ‘feeling regret’ over something he had done or was thinking of doing. For example, God said that he “regretted [from the Hebrew na·cham′] that he had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:11, 35; compare Jeremiah 18:7-10; Jonah 3:10.) Because God is perfect, these verses cannot mean that God made a mistake in selecting Saul to be Israel’s first king. Rather, they must indicate that God felt sorry that Saul turned out to be faithless and disobedient. God’s using such an expression in referring to himself would be nonsensical if he had foreknown Saul’s actions.
The same term appears in the most ancient of the Scriptures where, in referring to the days of Noah, it says: “Jehovah felt regrets that he had made men in the earth, and he felt hurt at his heart. So Jehovah said: ‘I am going to wipe men whom I have created off the surface of the ground . . . because I do regret that I have made them.’” (Genesis 6:6, 7) Here again, this indicates that man’s actions are not predestined by God. God felt regret, grief, and even hurt, not because his own actions were mistaken, but because man’s wickedness became rife. The Creator regretted that it had become necessary to destroy all mankind except Noah and his family. God assures us: ‘I take no delight in the death of the wicked.’—Ezekiel 33:11; compare Deuteronomy 32:4, 5.
So did God foreknow and even decree Adam’s fall into sin, as well as the calamitous consequences that this would bring upon the human family? What we have considered shows that this cannot be true. What is more, if God did foreknow all of this, he would have become the author of sin when he made man, and God would be deliberately responsible for all human wickedness and suffering. Clearly, this cannot be reconciled with what God reveals about himself in the Scriptures. He is a God of love and justice who hates wickedness.—Psalm 33:5; Proverbs 15:9; 1 John 4:8.
Posted August 26, 2011
Sir Leonard says:
With an emphatic "no." I'm posting the following file copy of a memo I wrote on April 10, 2010, providing biblical proof: To: All Christians, Bible Teachers and Bible Scholars
Subject: You and I are "Not Guilty" (God makes Mistakes, too)
Date: April 10, 2010
Where on earth did Christians, preachers and so many others got the idea that we're not worthy of God's salvation? Look, folks, you'll never hear me tell God or His Son, Jesus Christ, that I'm not worthy to be saved from going to hell. I'll tell you why: because I didn't have anything to do with the creation of the world, the fulfillment of it and nor the making of mankind--all this was God's doing! When all this happened we weren't even born; then how in the hell can we blame ourselves for the screw up? The blame lies with the architect, God Almighty! It wasn't our fault that Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden; it wasn't our fault after God made man, note that I said "made" man and not created him, that something went wrong! I'm hoping you can see where I'm going with this! If you're thinking, "God Almighty is to blame?" Exactly! Correcto!
However, you're blaming yourselves because it's inconceivable that God can make a mistake! Matter-of-fact, since you were always taught that God is impeccable; so rather than you blaming God, for the screw up, you blame yourselves. Many times, I've proved to pastors of large congregations that the God we serve is a God that makes mistakes just like us. And so, without further ado, I refer you to Genesis 6:1-7; and I quote: "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them...the sons of God took (strong-armed them) the beautiful daughters from their parents and married them and bare children...and God saw that the wickedness of man was so great upon the earth that every imagination of thought of his heart was only evil continually...and it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping things, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them!'"
Meanwhile, notice how God acknowledges how He had, unknowingly, created trouble for Himself; and became so frustrated and angry that He was ready and willing to destroy it all; instead of attempting to make it right (or didn't have the power to?). I don't know about you, but this attests to me that God is not all-knowing, all-powerful nor infallible. You do the Math!
Now that I've proved that God makes mistakes; now let me prove to you that only God and God alone is capable of correcting His mistakes. Being the God and the fair God that He is, Almighty God took upon Himself to take on the form of man and come down from heaven and shed His own blood to redeem man from the sinful state in which He, Himself, caused him to be. That's what makes Him a real God, and a fair God, I'd say! How about you? This is what sets the God we serve apart from other gods who don't have the power to correct their mistakes! The good thing about knowing this truth is that the next time you pray, you can pray with the gratitude of thankfulness to God for
redeeming you from the sinful state in which you were born, through no fault of your own; and for being God enough to correct the miscalculation He made, when creating mankind, by coming down from heaven and shedding His precious blood for you; so you wouldn't be lost and separated from Him, forever. The Bible says, "Boldly come before the throne of grace," not sorrowfully.
Nevertheless, the more I think about what God said, when He was ready to make man, "Let Us go down and make man in Our image"; things begin to make more and more sense! If we're made in the image of God, the Son and the Holy Spirit; then, we're blessed with the attributes and DNA of the Holy Trinity; and it shouldn't come as a surprise that, if we're capable of making mistakes, that the mold from whence we came is also.
Authored
By
Sir Leonard
Posted June 14, 2011
Logical fatalism
a definition
Logical fatalism is the idea that because we can say something about tomorrow that might turn out to be true, the future is already determined today.
Theological Fatalism
Theological fatalism is the idea that an All knowing omniscient God knows today what will happen tomorrow - and so the future is set. Because the future is determined in advance, we as individuals can't do anything about it.
The Divine Attributes... Who or What is God?
More religious debate
A philosophy lens
So: If you don't understand, don't worry: I made this lens precisely because I didn't understand the topic just yet. Philosophy is meant to make you ponder and think - that means confronting stuff you didn't understand at first.
I try to keep things as simple as possible in this lens, but I can't guarantee that everybody can understand what I'm talking about. Do ask any questions you might have in the comments. I will try and answer them.
The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (Fundamentals of Philosophy)
by Linda Zagzebski
The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (Fundamentals of Philosophy)
Amazon Price: $27.51 (as of 02/14/2012)
This is the book that started me on this lens. We read it in our 'philosophy of religion' class at Leiden University - and this subject is one of the ones Linda Zagzebski tackles very well.
Philosophy books are never easy, this one isn't either. Still, it is very interesting.
God knows us - solution no.1
Middle Knowledge / Molinism
This leaves my laundry up to the certainty that I will be doing them - even if I didn't know I would in advance. It means that it has been determined in advance what I will do - and that means my free will is effectively an illusion.
God outside of time - solution no.2
Boethian Solution (Boethius and Acquinas)
But some philosophers say: God doesn't know in advance, because he isn't in time. He just knows - looking at our path from outside of time. He sees where we were and where we are going all in one glance - as if from a mountain top.
In philosophy every solution creates its own problems. In this case:
- If God is outside of time, can He interfere with us at a certain time?
- If God is outside of time, does he know what time it is?
God gives up some omniscience so we can have free will - solution no. 3
I like this solution, but I do think it's a bit strange.Some modern theologians say that God is in time, just like us. And because He wants us to have free will, God freely gave up his omniscience so that we could have free will.
This leaves God in the position to have a relationship to each of us, answer prayers, and act WITHIN TIME.
And if God is alknowing, does that mean we don't have free will?
Omniscience implies the future is set. Does this mean we don't have free will?
If God knows all, does that mean our actions are determined in advance and we don't have free will?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, our free will is an illusion.
Wiinikka says:
The idea of free will boils down to a choice. If an omniscient being knows that tomorrow I'm going to make a left turn instead of a right then I'm not going to be able to make a right turn tomorrow while maintaining that being's omniscience. A choice has to be made at a specific instant in time. Until that instant there has to be the option go either way otherwise there isn't a choice being made. The idea that an omniscient being's knowledge of an event doesn't cause it to occur but for that being to be truly omniscient it has to occur. If I have to make a choice the way God thinks I'll make it for Him to maintain his omniscience then it's not really a choice.
Posted February 13, 2012
lee says:
If we have free will, given by a "god," and Jesus is the son of this god, the gospel of John 14:6 states "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." This means that even though I know of the Christian way, and that I am a good, loving, selfless individual, free thinking, because of my free will, and choosing to not follow Jesus (become Christian by being baptized into a christian faith) I am supposedly doomed to hell...forever. I chose a good, loving way of life, and meet all my responsibilities to my fellow men all through my life, but refuse to believe in the bible's teachings and religions, because I believe it is a lie....Christianity...or any religion. So...god has taken away my free will effectively, by making it mandatory that I believe in Christ. John 14:6 has "locked up free will that will cause me to burn forever...by your "truth."
Posted December 02, 2011
Free Thinker says:
I SO TIRED OF BELIEVERS TALKING IN CIRCLES!!!! You CANNOT have it both ways! Is he all knowing or do we have free will? One or the other, but not both! If he put me on this Earth already knowing that I would make the decisions that would land me in Hell then I did not have the free will to make the right decisions to go to Heaven. Call it predestined if you will, but however you may look at it, HE KNEW I WOULD GO TO HELL BEFORE HE EVEN PUT ME HERE!!!!!!!!! They also say he's "Just", right? More like "Yeah right..." Thanks for nothing... Really justified to put so many people on this Earth that you know are going to fail. Really justified to create a world where your own clergy will be molesting children, stealing money, and being homosexual. Nice Job!
Posted October 20, 2011
karmicchristian says:
Everything happens for a reason and what happens in our life (in this lifetime) is preordained by 'us'. (may sound strange to many)
Posted June 10, 2011
Corey says:
It is actually impossible for someone to be able to look into the future and see what you will do and for you too have free will at the same time. Why? Well because what you will do can already be seen. The opposistion argument is well..God allows us to make our own choices or God knows what we will do but he doesnt make us do it..Well that statement in itself makes no sense. If what you will do is set in stone its your destiny..which means no free. This leaves someone with a few things to think about - God is "evil" and doesnt stop people from making bad choices - God is imperfect and therefore cannot see into the future or finally God doesnt exsist and I make my choices myself. (assuming no disabilities are present of course). Personally I'd go with the latter.
Posted May 31, 2011
LizMac60 says:
My answer doesn't quite belong in either option. I believe God knows all and that free will is what takes us away from God. Adam and Eve had free will, in the truest sense, but chose the wrong way. Since then man has been enslaved to sin. This situation can only be put right in Jesus.
Posted March 28, 2011
Colette McNamee says:
I don't think we have free will. In order for will to be truly free, we would have to have access to all the available choices that choice would entail and that never happens. My financial circumstances, education, upbringing etc. would have the ultimate decision in my will. Which would make it anything but, free.
Posted March 06, 2011
SeventhDay says:
I believe that we can not make a choice without some persuasion or cause. The fact that we are even making a choice requires a cause to come to that realization. God being omnipotent knows before hand what choice we will make. Also God being our creator is sovereign and is in control of every situation that we encounter. God is the untimate cause in every aspect. He also creates the situation. Never the less we can make choices but not with out a cause. Also we are accountable for the choices we make so that we will understand that God is fashioning us according to his will. Why would God create us if we could not ultimately acknowledge and appreciate his workmanship?
Posted October 07, 2009
Alph4d0g says:
If I'm playing chess with myself and know my own next move, I have created that outcome haven't I?
Some say "God knows all possible outcomes but chooses not to know which outcome will be chosen". There are at least three problems with this conclusion:
1. it has no explicit basis in the Bible itself
2. it contradicts the definition of omniscient: knowing all (rather than merely having the *ability* to know all)
3. God is also omnipresent (having limitless presence through space and time) and therefore has already observed the outcome
Posted March 19, 2009
Paul says:
If God knows all, then He'd have known before He created anything at all what would follow as a consequence of His creation. So each of us would be predestined to go to one of Heaven or Hell irrespective of choices we might make in our lives. So what is the point of creation in that case? Why all the evangelism?
My view is that God know's all the possible paths each of our lives may take through space and time, and all of the possible interactions, but He doesn't know which choices we will make.
Posted January 27, 2009
bgamall says:
I believe that God is the one with free will. I believe that all of us are fallen and therefore we are subject to the wrath of God. Therefore grace and mercy is selective, that is, God chooses who to save. This is both a merciful and disturbing truth. It is merciful because it could be that God would have saved none. It is difficult because family could be lost, loved ones could be lost. That is exceedingly difficult. But what has been written has been written.
Posted November 10, 2008
spirituality says:
I agree with Whiteoak that there are consequences for our actions - whether one believes in God or not. In theosophy, Buddhism and Hinduism this is called: Karma. Whether that impacts our free will is debatable and goes beyond the subject of this lens. Maybe something for a future lens?
Posted May 18, 2008
WhiteOak50 says:
But is "free will" really free when there are consequences?
We have the free will to do what we want, but if we do something against the grain (so to speak) there are consequences of the action.
Posted May 18, 2008
No, God knows what we will be doing. We still have free will.
Your friendly neighboorhood Spider Man says:
If God is omniscient and can move into the future as easily as we can slide our finger along a ruler, then does he only really participate with us in the now or is he sharing/listening/supporting our future self just as we hope he is supporting our current self.
Posted December 23, 2010
Your friendly neighboorhood Spider Man says:
No of course not. Just because an omniscient being knows the final results of our actions does not mean we did not, in each decisive moment, make our own choice and have free will. Think of it as God the observer - he has seen the film of your life and knows the results but you are the one making the myriad choices at each point in time. Your free will allows you to choose as you see fit and all choices lead to consequences - some good, some bad, some unintended.
If you chose for every breakfast, lunch and dinner to eat a healthy well-balanced meal, work out, get regular checkups, refrain from smoking, get plenty of rest then you've made choices consistent with a healthy lifestyle and improved your chances of a healthy robust live. If you chose to skip meals, eat fatty foods, smoke, drink, do drugs, push your body then you've made choices consistent with an unhealthy lifestyle and increased your risk of health problems. At the end of such a life (say a heart attack) one might want to blame God since he knew the outcome but you were the one who made the small choices each step of the way that lead you to that final heart attack.
May I suggest that the more interesting question was raised above by rounder O57 - namely divine intervention. If you and a strange woman get into a minor car accident and you start to date and fall in love/marry/children some may say it was fate/God's will that this should have happened. But if so, at what point did your free will to drive your car (and perhaps avoid the accident) get taken away from you and replaced by God's determinism?
Posted December 23, 2010
Peter.Murray says:
Even though our actions are known in advance and can be painful to God and ourselves, we are still free to do them.
Posted November 22, 2010
Aaron says:
Its quite simple. we have 2 outcomes. when we are still sinners god knows we are going to hell. If we get saved then we walk into gods will. Our personal will outside of gods plans are always evil and or unfruitful. The future is determined for the sinners and believers. In the bible it says do not have favorites. Why would he have favorites if he says treat everyone equally. Free will is awesome when you think about it. just imagine you buying a dog from the pound and it listens to you like it knew you forever. and just imagine if you can let it roam outside and the dog still comes back to you. God is letting us roam outside. He wants all of his (children) to return home after being left alone outside for a while. He leads us by putting some food and water outside his house so we can drink and eat the word of god.
"For God does not show favoritism." Romans 2:11.
"My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism." James 2:1.
"But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers." James 2:9.
-------------------------
if god created people and predetermined some to go to heaven and hell he would be a lawbreaker. Yes god is all powerful and knows everything but....Free will is our god given right as humans.
Free will-
free and independent choice; voluntary decision: You took on the responsibility of your own free will.
If god knew everything that was going to happen then we are merely puppets or robots if you will. Hence free will would not be in play in our world today.
We are sovereign human beings borrowing this human suit created by the most high.
But the sad part is more people will go to hell then heaven according to gods word. The flesh is corrupt. Some people actually 100% genuinely wanna kill someone else. That's free will and in hell they will have what they wanted. Hatred and corruption. And people who love gods children with all there hearts will be rejoicing in heaven and will receive everlasting life.
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10.
once your a christian you walk into what he wanted you to do in the first place. Like an inheritance. But if you say screw it then you forfeit. That's called the blasphemy of the holy spirit. Then and only then are you destined for hell.
Amen and god bless. And don't dwell on this. If your wondering about this than chances are your not going to hell. It is the people who are not even trying to find god. Keep searching and read gods word. Be of good cheer.
God Bless
Aaron Burton,
Posted November 08, 2010
Cynthia Stagner says:
God's omniscience does not take away our free will. God knows how we will exercise our free will, but that does not mean it has been pre-determined. The determination is made when we exercise our will. God just knows how we will do so.
Posted July 19, 2010
spiritualgirl says:
God gave us free will because He wanted us to choose to submit ourselves to Him, to make that ultimate self-sacrifice for Him. He realises that a lot of people will take the easy way-"many are called, few are chosen". To me, free will implies that we have the ability to make choices by ourselves. But that control is limited by the laws of the universe like karma, gravity etc.-it's like the way there's checks and balances in democratic governments so the power doesn't corrupt. We have free will but within a carefully controlled environment. We can only control our own actions; we can't really control anything else fully despite anyone's best attempts. We were made in God's likeness spiritually so I think He wants us to become Him eventually, by following His path, He is subtly moulding us into His likeness whether we like it or not. Of course, we can halt proceedings but if we forsake God, then we kind of have to go back to scratch, the relationship between us and God is a bit damaged, and it will take time to build it up to the same level of trust again. I think that's what our purpose in life is. I get the feeling that God doesn't like to intercede whenever possible. If we ask for help, then we'll get it but otherwise, I think God will allow us to exercise our free will first. I think this is because He wants us to learn lessons while we are here, to make us assertive rather than passive, to really live instead of just surviving and getting through pain and suffering. I think He can read our minds-that he's psychic. I went to a spiritual healer who could read my mind but didn't advice me and actually said that my life was in my hands, adviced me on the best path to follow but basically said "this is up to you to do, not me". There was an air of serenity about the healer that I rarely encounter and usually only amongst quite religious/spiritual people so I do think this healer was like God's messenger in a way. I told the healer a bit about myself and then the healer was able to read my situation but he wouldn't have probed or prodded if I didn't volunteer the information. Same with God. God wants us to be willing to participate and bring something to the table too. Most people say "what will God do for me?" but you have to say "what will I do for God?" The more you'll do for God, the more He'll do for you. It can't be just a one-way street, it needs to be two-way or else we are still stuck in our ego and not really following God/still self-serving instead of God serving.
Posted May 16, 2010
KZ says:
Knowing vs. Causing : how the hinge on the door moves (causing) is different than our knowledge (knowing) of the hinge's' movement. Free Will (and determination) concerns the 'hinge,' and Omniscience, concerns someone's knowledge of the 'hinge's' movements. We sometimes have knowledge of what our good friends will freely choose, if in a certain context; here our knowledge of what our friend would choose, does not cause their choice - Knowing vs. Causing.
Posted May 07, 2010
SnoopyGirl1 says:
I believe that we are all created with a free will. While God is all powerful and all knowing, he has not made us to be robots, but rather he has made us in his image. We have a free will and are creative as he is. We are free to chose him or reject him. Just because he knows what we will do does not mean he chooses it for us. The Bible says in the book of Romans chapter 1 verse 20 "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities?his eternal power and divine nature?have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." All all are given the opportunity to believe because even creation speaks of his existence. But we are left to actually make that choice for ourselves. He loves his creation and has left the signs for us to follow so that we can find him. God made man because he was seeking friendship. Who after all, including God, would want to have a relationship with someone who was forced to like them as a robot could be programmed to do. He is seeking those who choose to know him. When God created mankind and gave them free will, he took the chance that there would be those who would not follow. For more on this please feel free to visit my lens God 101.
Posted April 08, 2010
ewashington7000 says:
Regarding 'free will,' there seems to be a confusion between the 'semantical' relationship of truth and the 'causal' relationship of truth - in relation to a proposition or statement.
For instance, 'foreknowledge' of a certain event does NOT ''cause this certain event to actualize or transpire. For example, if God foreknows that a certain individual X will commit murder in the year 2028, God's foreknowledge of this individual X committing murder in the year 2028 does NOT cause this individual to commit murder. Rather, it is the individual X's own (i.e., free will) actions that causes he or she to commit murder in the year 2028.
Posted January 19, 2010
john says:
If God knows the future perfectly, then life is 100% fatalistic. If an omniscient god does not exist, than I have no choice but to believe that I do have free will. But if I do have free will, does that stop him from knowing what I will do?
Posted December 04, 2009
dcarrington says:
Knowing what will happen is not the same as causing that thing to happen. A barometer may indicate a change in weather and predict it accurately, but it is not causing the weather to change.
Posted November 25, 2009
Harry says:
How could we judge God using our mindset, our thoughts, whatever we thing is right??? The most important thing in our life is to fill and use the freedom from God to fulfill what he wants us to do, and to maximize the potential that he gave to us.
Posted July 24, 2009
Joel baller says:
No god just knows what we are going to do, he knows our hearts; that's it
Posted June 19, 2009
Tiddledeewinks says:
We have our free will to decide what choices we want to make, but there are laws of the universe in place if we break those laws we must suffer the consequences. For instance, if you kill someone or steal, commit adultery etc. that is your free will, BUT you have taken away someone elses free will in doing so. Then it is only fair you should suffer some consequence, or the other persons free will was in vain. What goes around, comes around (karma). I still just don't understand why God does not always intervene for the helpless (like hurting animals and children). But, justice WILL be done eventually, even though the offender thinks at the time he/she thinks they got away with it.
Posted May 21, 2009
John says:
Yes we do have free will, God sees the choices we have and he knows the choice we will make, but even if it is wrong he wont stop you from making it unless you ask him to, we know right from wrong and good from bad. God is all knowing, lets put it like this: God is a barameter(measure humidity to tell the weather) he can tell the weather but he doesnt make it happen, he knows it will rain but doesnt make it rain(this is just an illustration).
Posted March 08, 2009
Shawna P says:
We do have free will... I think that all this questioning of God is stupid. When it comes down to it, its about faith. When God created us, he gave us free will.. In order to give us free will got created us morally good & morally evil to give us free will because if he took away us performing in a certain matter, then we wouldn't be free.. GOD IS all knowing.. HE KNOWS You more than ANYONE! He doesn't "plan" what we are going to do, he just knows us so well that he knows the choices we will make in EVERY situation. I AM A FIRM BELIEVE OF GOD! And If you are too, and letting people interfere with your beliefs, then you need to go back to church and just pray because the DEVIL got a hold of you! GOD BLESS!
-sHAWNA
Posted November 20, 2008
Alan McDougall says:
Yes god can be allknowing and still llet us have afree will. God can do anything yes? Then he cancreate us and look away and look at what we are doing behind his back from time to time
And then if he does not like what he seen burn us in the refining fire
Posted November 19, 2008
SadieCope says:
We know our own children and what they will do and what path they will take. Yet we don't determine their actions for them. I think it's the same with God. He knows us very well, better than we know ourselves. Just as we know our children better than they know themselves.
Posted September 29, 2008
futurmajic says:
Before saying there isn't a god out there "God" must first be defined. And then remember, there "is" something out there. We are here for free will. The difference between here and where we truly are, is great. Don't veiw God or even our true selves as someone next door, it is more like in a different universe.
Posted August 13, 2008
PositiveChristian says:
The omniscience verses freewill argument seems very silly to me. Why should my freewill stop God from knowing what I will do? It is possible to know about something without controlling it. God's omniscience and our freewill are perfectly compatible.
Posted August 06, 2008
So - free will or not?
This is for those of you who don't want to type into the duel boxes.
More philosophy of religion links
- Metaphysics Philosophy > Modern Theosophy
- A selection of articles on metaphysics, by authors like H.P. Blavatsky, W.Q. Judge and many others.
- Buddhist Philosophy
- Articles on Sunyata. The terms Sunyata (or Shunyata), void and emptiness are synonyms in Buddhist philosophy. They are ways of expressing the sense that all we see, feel and observe is relative, in fact non-essential and not self-sustaining.
- Theosophy | Best spiritual books
- Reviewing the best and most fascinating spiritual books Book reviews Theosophy Best books about TheosophyI’ve studied theosophy since I was 18. These are some recent books about the topic that you should not miss
Terminology
I have tried to keep philosophical terminology to a minimum. Still, I have to learn it, so here are the terms I feel are necessary for me to talk about this subject at the level expected at university.Counter-factuals of freedom
The premise that in a certain circumstance each being will freely do what God knows they would do. If something else were to be done by a being - God would have known that too (counterfactually true).
God choose to create that creation in which the total result of laws of nature plus choices of beings is the best of all possible creations. That must be the creation we are in - apparently God cannot choose a better creation than the one we are in. Free will combines with evil directly, apparently (if there is a loving, all powerful God in the first place).
[Zagzebski, p. 116]
Fatalism versus Determinism
Determinism is the idea that there is no freedom from the law of cause and effect: the future is determined by the past and the present or other causes (like God or Gods).
Fatalism is a common attitude amongst those who don't feel they can influence their life. It's a case of self-fulfilling prophecy: if we don't think we can change our lives, our lives are obviously not going to change.
Determinism can easily become fatalism. If you think that drinking problems are caused by genes, for instance, you are more likely to just give up trying to fight alcoholism.
It's another story if determinism includes the choices we make, and the impact those choices have on our options. After all: working hard leads to results - there is a law to that as well.
On the gender of God
Did this lens make you think about the nature of GOD?
Tell me what you thought of this lens. Too hard? Too simple? Did it make you think about the nature of God - (if you believe in a personal God at all, that is)?
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http://secondjobfromhome.com
Nov 2, 2011 @ 5:44 am | delete
- God Is the Purest Energy
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Anon
Oct 30, 2011 @ 5:59 pm | delete
- Psalm 147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.
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karmicchristian
Jun 10, 2011 @ 5:23 am | delete
- Certainly yes. :)
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Philippians468
Jan 10, 2011 @ 6:53 am | delete
- His Ways are higher than our ways, His Thoughts are higher than our thoughts. yet this i know. He loves us all.
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VivianAldana
Dec 15, 2010 @ 8:35 am | delete
- Unless you are God, then you are not able to answer the detailed questions about when and how. These questions are simply a distraction to the truth. God is God. There is none other. Revelation 1:8 says, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." That is truth. Pure and simple!! Amen
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Do you agree? Share your thoughts on this lens about what the best world religion is. I'm sticking to the world religions, for the sake of brevity, but have...
Khalil Gibran Quotes from The Prophet
Famous for 'The Prophet', Khalil Gibran was also a successful immigrant in the US (from Lebanon). This lens will show you his artwork as well as give...
Best Beautiful Islamic Muslim Jewelry in silver and gold
I've organized this religious jewelry by price: the most beautiful and expensive at the top (over $100), the more affordable and cheap rings and pendants to...
Live Well, Love Much, Laugh Often - Quotes Gifts
I don't think there is any saying that sums up the ideals of our time better than: "Live Well - Love Much - Laugh Often". But it's not as easy to do as it...
Top Spiritual Blogs
There aren't many spiritual blogs out there that I actually enjoy reading. These are them. See the guestbook for blogs people have submitted. You're free to...
List of Lao Tse quotes from the Tao Te Ching
According to tradition, the Tao Te Ching (or Dao De Djing) was written around the 6th century BC by the sage Laozi (or Lao Tzu, Lao Tse, "Old Master"),...
The Upanishads quotes, sayings and concepts
After the Vedas the Upanishads are the most revered texts in Hinduism. What are the Upanishads? The Upanishads are texts which contain the basis of the later...
The Ultimate Questions - religion and spirituality
These are the ultimate philosophy questions we all ask ourselves about religion and spirituality. Vote, get inspired and share what you think about questions...
Best Dalai Lama Books List
The Dalai Lama is that unique mix of a spiritual teacher and a political leader. Unlike the Pope he is virtually uncontested as a spiritual inspiration. His...
Fairies Posters Fantasy Art
Fairies, pixies, gnomes and elves... They stand for magic, imagination, creativity and mystery. Fairies particularly are popular because they are also thought...
Spiritual Cards - with and without quotes
This is a collection of spiritual cards from various traditions. They inspire, guide and help you interpret your day. I especially love the cards that contain...
Horoscope Jewelry, Astrology Zodiac Jewellery
Based on your astrological sign is personal by definition, this jewelry is said by some people to bring good luck. I've found jewelry for each sign in the ...
Islamic silver rings for Muslim men
Following the example of Prophet Muhammad, Muslim men often wear silver rings. In fact, tradition dictates that they don't wear rings of any other metal. No...
Uplifting Spiritual Quotes Xmas Gift Ideas
Who doesn't love spiritual quotes? These are some ways to turn spiritual inspiration into a great spiritual gift. I think these bracelets, posters, silver hangers,...
Salvador Dali - religiously themed surrealistic art
A madman? A genius? A surrealist painter, but also a realist painter. An atheist, but later converted to Roman Catholicism. Despite the many developments in...
The top 10 books about Mindfulness exercises and inspiration
On this page you'll find the best books on mindfulness. These aren't meant to just read from cover to cover. They're meant to help you get back to you. So if all they do is remind you to sit still every once in a while - that's ok too.
Omniscient God? Discussed online
- Recommended: First Thoughts: Didn't we almost have it all?
- Didn't the omniscient god of love give the world contraceptives? Didn't that same god of love give the world atomic weapons? Where is the fervor among the people of faith demanding the abolition of atomic weapons? Keep your religion.
- In God we trust - Why is it so difficult ?
- So when it comes to us, as believers, how willing are we to place our confidence in One who is omniscient, omnipresent, and perfect? We have all read the passage in Proverbs 3:5-6 that advises us to 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart, ...
- You'd think professional haters would get their hate straight
- The tiny church that believes God hates everybody but their own little in-bred congregation has officially sunk to all-new depths. OK, so maybe they changed their puny minds after this column was written. But as of Friday morning, Westboro Baptist ...
- The foolishness of God
- By Femi Aribisala I knelt down in the morning to thank God for his foolishness. He said to me: ?Femi, write it down.? So I put pen to paper and came up with this thank-you note. God is omniscient; but he does not know everything.
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by spirituality
I'm a webmaster and student of religion and spirituality. See my website on religion and spirituality: www.katinkahesselink.net or my spiritual blog: All... more »
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