On the nature of God.

[Archaea]

One difference, which is not understood, but speculated upon is that we really have no beginning, at least not as we understand it.

Although God created our spirit bodies with a Heavenly Mother, our essence or intelligence predated that event. How that manifests itself phenomenally is unclear.

God has internal characteristics, and obeys the laws of the universe and understands them all. We believe we can learn these laws and approach God by obeying more precepts and laws. So it is really a chicken and the egg question, but they are necessarily interrelated. God is the definitiion of good, so his character will prevent him from doing bad. But if he did, the universal, cosmic laws would cause him to cease being God. Yet in order to be God, he had to have a character which wouldn't allow him to do bad.

I believe there are some universal rules of operating which not even God can contravene. I disagree that God made up the laws, but rather as certain essences have always been, certain laws always are, and God always is, because he always complies with those always are laws.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by Archaea

One difference, which is not understood, but speculated upon is that we really have no beginning, at least not as we understand it.

Although God created our spirit bodies with a Heavenly Mother, our essence or intelligence predated that event. How that manifests itself phenomenally is unclear.

God has internal characteristics, and obeys the laws of the universe and understands them all. We believe we can learn these laws and approach God by obeying more precepts and laws. So it is really a chicken and the egg question, but they are necessarily interrelated. God is the definitiion of good, so his character will prevent him from doing bad. But if he did, the universal, cosmic laws would cause him to cease being God. Yet in order to be God, he had to have a character which wouldn't allow him to do bad.

I believe there are some universal rules of operating which not even God can contravene. I disagree that God made up the laws, but rather as certain essences have always been, certain laws always are, and God always is, because he always complies with those always are laws.

Archea goes deeeeeep ... We've had this discussion before. Personally I don't believe in the whole notion of a chicken and egg, or rather that one must've come first. I believe they are simultaneous and that the one cannot exist without the other -universal law and God that is- hence no begining or end!

In comes All-American to disagree ...

[BarbaraGordon]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Archea goes deeeeeep ... We've had this discussion before. Personally I don't believe in the whole notion of a chicken and egg, or rather that one must've come first. I believe they are simultaneous and that the one cannot exist without the other -universal law and God that is- hence no beging or end!

In comes All-American to disgree ...

Well, I apologize if just for my sake you're playing your designated roles in some stage-production that's been performed a few too many times already.

But I do appreciate the input. I'm currently in processing mode.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Well, I apologize if just for my sake you're playing your designated roles in some stage-production that's been performed a few too many times already.

But I do appreciate the input. I'm currently in processing mode.

These are difficult metaphysical questions because they currently cannot be tested physically. However, for us to understand God, I believe as Mike does that God works within some framework both internally and externally, even if we don't understand the framework. It is difficult for me to conceive of a Hellenic God, given to caprice and whim who changes the seasons because he wants summer to be winter and winter to be spring.

The universe or multiverse is ordered because God is a god of order.

[All-American]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Sinner

Though I do like your thinking.

Wow, I lobbed that one RIGHT over home plate, didn't I?

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Well, I apologize if just for my sake you're playing your designated roles in some stage-production that's been performed a few too many times already.

But I do appreciate the input. I'm currently in processing mode.

Don't apologize, I was mostly referencing an old coversation once had here -nothing staged, just interesting dialogue to be shared with anyone who is interested.

[tooblue]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Okay, so God is limited by His own nature. If we assume that God is necessarily good, he is limited in that respect. I see what you're saying.

Now that would be an internal limit. Can God be limited by anything external to himself? These laws that he is subject to? Are they an extension of Himself? Or not? Or we don't know?

On the infinite nature of mankind, traditional Christian teaching is that also the human soul is eternal, but only from the point of creation on. They are not, in a sense, as eternal as God, Who predates creation.

Those are some tough questions that I simply don't have an answer for ... I can share a source of inspiration that pricked my mind and encouraged me to ponder on such mysteries as a boy. Some don't like the following hymn -I like it because of it's monotanous drone:

1. If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?

2. Or see the grand beginning,
Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation,
Where Gods and matter end?
Methinks the Spirit whispers,
"No man has found 'pure space,'
Nor seen the outside curtains,
Where nothing has a place."

3. The works of God continue,
And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression
Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter;
There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit;
There is no end to race.

4. There is no end to virtue;
There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom;
There is no end to light.
There is no end to union;
There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood;
There is no end to truth.

5. There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.
There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.

Text: William W. Phelps, 1792-1872

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by tooblue

Those are some tough questions that I simply don't have an answer for ... I can share a source of inspiration that pricked my mind and encouraged me to ponder on such mysteries as a boy. Some don't like the following hymn -I like it because of it's monotanous drone:

1. If you could hie to Kolob
In the twinkling of an eye,
And then continue onward
With that same speed to fly,
Do you think that you could ever,
Through all eternity,
Find out the generation
Where Gods began to be?

2. Or see the grand beginning,
Where space did not extend?
Or view the last creation,
Where Gods and matter end?
Methinks the Spirit whispers,
"No man has found 'pure space,'
Nor seen the outside curtains,
Where nothing has a place."

3. The works of God continue,
And worlds and lives abound;
Improvement and progression
Have one eternal round.
There is no end to matter;
There is no end to space;
There is no end to spirit;
There is no end to race.

4. There is no end to virtue;
There is no end to might;
There is no end to wisdom;
There is no end to light.
There is no end to union;
There is no end to youth;
There is no end to priesthood;
There is no end to truth.

5. There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.
There is no end to glory;
There is no end to love;
There is no end to being;
There is no death above.

Text: William W. Phelps, 1792-1872

I love this hymn, but I thought I was the only one.