Nature of God

Just a few good things to know :)

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Timeless
God is outside of time and knows the past present and future all at once
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Everlasting
God is constrained by time and knows the past and the present (as we do) but not the future.
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Middle Knowledge
Molina’s conceptthat God knows all the possible connotations or paths or decisions we as contingent beings may make but these are not determined as we are free. Gods middle knowledge depends on the contingent acts of human beings and despite knowing
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Molina’s conceptthat God knows all the possible connotations or paths or decisions we as contingent beings may make but these are not determined as we are free. Gods middle knowledge depends on the contingent acts of human beings and despite knowing
we are totally free to act without constraint
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Liberty of spontaneity
we are free to an extent as our background/upbringing etc may determine the course of action we will take
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Divine retribution
God as a judge will deem the good and righteous to be worthy of reward and the evil or wicked will be punished
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Anti-realist approach
states that the belief in an omniscient God is a product of a form of life. Itis the belief in God’s omniscience that shapes an ethical outlook and way of life for fear of judgement. A key problem with this position is that the belief in God does not
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Grand Chess Master
God as the Chess Master plays us at the game of life. He knows that ultimately he will win as he is God (‘the best!’)but he is not sure how until we make our move – this Gods omniscience is therefore limited and dependant upon what we freely choose.
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Using words like Omniscience to talk about God are problematic because
(a) we are taking our understanding of the word omniscience and applying it to God thereby negating his otherness and perfection and anthropomorphising him.
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Using words like Omniscience to talk about God are problematic because
(b) there are certain types of knowledge that can only be accrued through experience such as what it is like to sin – there are therefore some things that God cannot know.
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Using words like Omniscience to talk about God are problematic because
(c) If God knows all of our future actions, then the future is fixed, but if the future is fixed, it seems that there is nothing that we can do to change it. The ability to determine our future actions, though, is what constitutes human freedom.
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Calvinism
God "freely and unchangeably ordained whatsoever comes to pass." Because of this humans fate is already pre-determined and God knows who will join him in celebration at death and who will meet the devil!
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Aquinas
God is timeless but his knowledge is causal because his attributes are identical, and also because God has caused or created our nature and therefore knows our actions., God moves the free agent to its act of choice but it is a free act.
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Euthyphro Dilemma problems in understanding the relationship between God and Morality:
(a) If what God commands is good BECAUSE he commands it then he IS the moral arbiter but this could suggest we are not responsible for our actions
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Euthyphro Dilemma problems in understanding the relationship between God and Morality:
(b) If what God commands is good and that is why he commands it, then there is a separate objective truth about goodness that has nothing to do with God – therefore God is not omniscient
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

God is constrained by time and knows the past and the present (as we do) but not the future.

Back

Everlasting

Card 3

Front

Molina’s conceptthat God knows all the possible connotations or paths or decisions we as contingent beings may make but these are not determined as we are free. Gods middle knowledge depends on the contingent acts of human beings and despite knowing

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

we are totally free to act without constraint

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

we are free to an extent as our background/upbringing etc may determine the course of action we will take

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
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