[rubicon]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

Maybe I'm taking this wrong, but you say that God is a concept, a thought or an idea. Concepts, thoughts and ideas exist only in the mind of a man. It sounds as though you saying that God doesn't exist. He's only something that we imagine.

Then it seems that you are saying that God can be whatever we want Him to be. It sounds as though you are saying that man creates God. If that's what you think, do you think that man is more powerful than God?

As far as your little trick question for the priest, the answer is yes. God can do anything. Can he make a boulder so big that he can't lift it and then lift it and still be able to say that he created a boulder so big that he couldn't lift it? Yes. Do I understand how that is possible? No, but then again, I am not God.

As you say, we will never fully understand God. We can only listen to what he tells us and understand as much as we can. Someone once said that you cannot read the Bible with your mind. You have to read it with your heart.

Hi Dr. Boogie: My words express the complexity of this issue. I did say He was a concept a thought a feeling in the combination of my posts but I also said that He was shaped by one's faith. Those with blind faith are blessed

It is indeed difficult for some of us to come to Jesus as a child, as Christians are taught. I need to be honest with myself and I am not a hypocrite. So until and/or unless I can believe without any hesitation then I must continue to say possibly. I no longer struggle as much with this issue because perhaps one day there will be a moment of clarity, an epiphany if you will.

For those on this thread who are deep believers You are indeed very blessed

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by rubicon

If God can do anything can He build a boulder so heavy that even he could not pick it up?

PS Anyone interested in explaining the boulder puzzle?

How about this question: Did God create himself? We have always been told that there must be a God because the great wonders of the world could not have come about by themselves. Well, what about God? How did he come about by himself? Did he create himself? Or did we create him?

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

How about this question: Did God create himself? We have always been told that there must be a God because the great wonders of the world could not have come about by themselves. Well, what about God? How did he come about by himself? Did he create himself? Or did we create him?

God is eternal. http://www.godandscience.org/apologe...eated_god.html

[tucson]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

How about this question: Did God create himself? We have always been told that there must be a God because the great wonders of the world could not have come about by themselves. Well, what about God? How did he come about by himself? Did he create himself? Or did we create him?

To answer your question;

Who created God? Who made God? Where did God come from?

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by tucson

To answer your question;

Who created God? Who made God? Where did God come from?

Here's what I learned from your link:

1) If anyone asks a serious question, in order to learn something, it is automatically assumed that the person must be an atheist or skeptic.

2) Asking where God came from is tricky and sneaky, as if the person asking the question is trying to trick someone or pull a fast one.

3) God is not a physical "thing", God is no-thing that came from nowhere.

4) The third paragraph of your link, if I understand it correctly, makes some pretty big assumptions. One is that the Universe did not always exist and had to be created. Where is the proof of that?

5) Also, the third paragraph contradicts itself by saying the following: "We know that from nothing, nothing comes." But then it is stated that God (who is "no-thing") is said to have created "something", the Universe.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

God is eternal. If God Created Everything, Who Created God?

You say that "God is eternal" and it is generally assumed that no evidence is needed. Yet your link is critical of cosmologists because "they have no evidence".

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

You say that "God is eternal" and it is generally assumed that no evidence is needed. Yet your link is critical of cosmologists because "they have no evidence".

This is logical. Either the universe created itself out of nothing. Because the infinitely dense matter became too dense? Or, God or whatever you want to call it sparked this Big Bang. What lit the fuse? Something had to have created the force for there to be a reaction.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

This is logical. Either the universe created itself out of nothing. Because the infinitely dense matter became too dense? Or, God or whatever you want to call it sparked this Big Bang. What lit the fuse? Something had to have created the force for there to be a reaction.

There are cosmologists who don't believe in the "big bang" theory. I read a book by one who thought that the Universe always existed in some form. Sorry I don't remember his name or the title of his book. I read it several years ago after borrowing it from the Belvedere Library. What did Einstein say? Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only transferred.

[elbear]

It's a mystery. Are we a spark of the universe? Is God in all of us yet only some have awakened to this? If God is in us and all things, of course God is aware of our rising up and sitting down? We are like the speck attempting to describe the whole and we are such good story tellers.

[Challenger]

Do I hear the words of Locke, Spinoza , the Deists? This thread should get really interesting or maybe it already has and I just didn't read the earlier posts

[karostay]

I believe he would see that succeeded 100 % creating the universe and mother nature and all her glory .
Ruined it by creating man .

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by kittygilchrist

And you shall seek me, and you will find me, when you search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you...
jer.29:13,14a

You would not look in a spelling book for a math question....

You have to look in the right place and a philosophy book won't do it...look to the Bible for the answers you desire.

[Quietman]

I like the discussions in this thread and thought I'd put my two cents in. My opinion (emphasizing my) after reading some of the philosophical references in this thread is that the philosophers are trying to equate God's traits and reasoning to man's abilities and gave me a headache. God created the universe and man in my opinion. Do you really believe that God created man in his (or her) likeness and gave us the same traits and mental capacity as his (or hers?). My pea brain says no. Otherwise we would also be omniscient. I don't begin to understand why we were created and why we have free will but I'm sure he knows and hopefully will reveal it to us at sometime.
Philosophers trying to understand God's mind is built on a false foundation.

[kittygilchrist]

Originally Posted by Quietman

I like the discussions in this thread and thought I'd put my two cents in. My opinion (emphasizing my) after reading some of the philosophical references in this thread is that the philosophers are trying to equate God's traits and reasoning to man's abilities and gave me a headache. God created the universe and man in my opinion. Do you really believe that God created man in his (or her) likeness and gave us the same traits and mental capacity as his (or hers?). My pea brain says no. Otherwise we would also be omniscient. I don't begin to understand why we were created and why we have free will but I'm sure he knows and hopefully will reveal it to us at sometime.
Philosophers trying to understand God's mind is built on a false foundation.

I believe I can answer you from the Bible what is the whole history and purpose of man and the time we are in according to prophecy. It is not for everyone to want to know. Most have no concern for his will on earth.

[rubicon]

To go to the OP's original question can God see the future? My response would be I hope not because if he can then I might ask what kind of a God would allow people to suffer be tortured, etc. Its just inconceivable?

God the concept is a natural thing because human beings have always struggled to understand why they were created by whom how etc.

There are so many different religious beliefs and even sub-beliefs within one organized religion. Just look at the Christian religion wherein the range runs from ultra conservative to very liberal. And for religion it is always the singer and not the song. A bible belting evangelical can have congregation rolling in the aisles pumping up their emotions filling them with the grace of God. another clergy would suggest that their congregation need to suffer for their sins. I believe it is pure conceit when someone tells you they know all about God

We do not know anything before our births and we do not know what people who have died did or did not learn following their demise. Between these to eternities we struggle for truths on so many issues on so many levels. It has exhausted me and I struggle no more. I suffer to see suffering and do pray that mankind can resolve some of these issues. And my prayers are best on hope that someone is listening and to that I am not sure but it is a means to calm my mind and perhaps my soul