[ale] [OT] Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent or Not.

[Brad LaJeunesse]

Oh, boy. I subscribe to a "Linux" list, only to get pulled into an OT thread. This isn't boding well. :)


> > > Why did the Omniscient [Biblical] God create an angel that He 
> knew would
> > > "fall" and become the Devil?
> > > 	In other words, why did God endorse and create the Devil?
> >
> > For the sake of "free will".   A bit of randomness in the pattern is
> > obviously going to produce negative effects from time-to-time, but such
> > randomness is neccessary for humanity (and angels) to be more than
> > sock-puppets on the hand of divinity...
> 
> You're kidding right?
> 1. om·nis·cient - Having total knowledge; knowing everything.

<snip>

I believe you're mixing up a few things. First things first: if we go with the typical concept of the Christian God for this discussion, there is no concept of time. God knows what you've done, what you're doing, and what you're about to do in a blink of an eye. There is no "knowing what you're going to do" or "knowing what you did". Time might be central and important in our human context (reality), but that's not what we're concerned with. Omniscient in the sense of the Christian God goes *beyond* what most dictionaries (besides the theological kind) state.

Just because I know what you're going to do, and I am all-powerful doesn't mean that I *must* act, or control your actions/situation. (I realize that you hit on this below in your message, but keep going.) Presbyterians would have a slightly different take on this, but I'm sticking to "typical" Christian theology.

In order for us to be culpable for our actions (sins, particularly), then we must have free will. We could again get bogged down in endless debate over the fine points, but what it boils down to (in a Kantian sense) is humans are able to make decisions by means of free will, and we are thus held accountable for those actions. If God controlled all of our actions, we wouldn't need the Ten Commandments, civil laws, or philosophers drolling on for hours about what is right and wrong. We'd be puppets, and life would be boring... And we'd probably all use Linux.

When there is free will, and imperfect beings exercising that free will in a reality, "bad" things **will** happen, and those beings will make "mistakes"-- from stealing bubble gum from the store to evils on the scale of Hilter. Sure, God saw (sees) it coming a mile away, but if there wasn't free will in our reality, there is no use for us to be here. It would be no more use than teaching monkeys physics.

 
> 2. Ironically, 30% of the Ten Commandments given by God are seem 
> "egocentric":

<snip>

And? When I'm promoted to God, and get to sit in the Big Chair, 80% of my laws will be egocentric. Oh, and yeah, there will be 20 Commandments. (because I'll make sure the extra 10 aren't dropped and broken).

 
> 3. In summary:

<snip>

I'll pick "C", Bob. None of the above. :)

Of course, if you want to switch gears, and go into another major world religion or another side-track than "typical" Christian theology's God, let me know. More than happy to discuss. ;)

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Brad LaJeunesse, PINES System Administrator
Georgia Public Library Service
www.georgialibraries.org

"Scotty, I need warp speed in three minutes or we're all dead!"
--Admiral James T. Kirk, Star Trek II: "The Wrath of Khan"

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