God the Creator and Goodness of God

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  • Created by: lydia
  • Created on: 21-04-14 16:17

God the Creator

  • The creation stories in Genesis are attributed to Moses.
  • Genesis 1+2 both tell different stories.

But, both focus on the origins of humanity not why things exist.

  • Genesis 1: World was created by God in 6 days( with an extra for rest).
  • Genesis 2: Looks at the creation of humanity.

BOTH SHOW GOD IN RELATION TO HUMANITY

Other stories such as "PanKu" and "Maori" focus on the creation of humanity.

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Genesis 1

  • Preistly source.
  • World created "ex nihlo"- "in the beginning God craeted the heavens and the earth"
  • Not reshaping pre-existing matter. - reason for existance like Prime mover.
  • God is seperate to creation- transendent.
  • "ex nihlo"- popular idea in Judeao-Chrisitan beliefs- matches Gods omnipotence.
  • Problems in science: e.g Higgs Boson particle. - How can something come from nothing.
  • Augustine suggest time created when world was "in the beginning".
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Genesis 2

  • Yahew source, influenced by Babaloyan myths.
  • God re-orders pre-existing matter.
  • Creates animals: "formed out of the ground all of the animals".
  • Genesis may just be wisdom literature like the psalms. - so myth like.
  • 
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God the creator: rest of the Bible

Comparison to prime mover:

  • Primemover doesnt iteract.
  • God- Yahweh monothestic creator who interacts with humanity: "be fruitful and multiply".
  • Job: "where were you when I laid the foundations of Earth?"
  • Psalms 95: "his hands formed dry land"
  • Nehemiah: God "made the heavens.. the earth and all thats on it".
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Goodness of God

The Bible presents God as good at everything:

  • "They will celebrate your abundent goodness"- Psalm (145: 7-9)
  • "For the Lord is good and his love endures forever"- Psalm (100:5)

God is good through creation:

  • Genesis 1: everything God makes is "very good".

God can be viewed as thorugh the abundance of the Earth.

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Goodness of God: form of good, not so good

Contrast between Plato's form of good and goodness of God:

  • form of good is only a concept
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  • God of the Bible is concerned with humanity. (gives them the 10 commandments).

God of the OT can be jealous and angry- destruction of Ai.

  • Dawkins: "encourage a system if morals which any civilised modern person.. woudl find... obnoxious"
  • Example: Abrahams son
  • But, Aquinas belived God wasn't good in the same way as humans- this would limit his powers.
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Euthyphro Dilemma

  • By Euthyphro- made known by Plato.
  • Is something morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is good?

Good because God commands it:

  • Divine command theroy
  • what if God was to command ****?
  • Some would say he wouldnt command this.
  • but, this would suggest that soemthing is wrong in the actions or God has a limit on his powers.

God commands it because it is good:

  • suggests that their is an external mesaure of goodness which God is also subject to.
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