Re: [Fwd: Re: [asa] God, Chance and Purpose]

If I recall correctly, MacKay used the analogy of an author and the
characters in the novel he's writing. If the writing is realistic, the
characters have to "make" the decisions, that is, express their "free"
choices. The difference is between the characters' views and the author's
view.

To go further, one has to ask a question: does God change? If he does,
then he is in time, and there must be a good answer to the question
Augustine noted as nonsensical: what was God doing before he created the
world? There is a possible answer in process theology, provided the deity
is eternally producing new worlds that self-destroy because it is not
capable of adequate foresight and control in each of the infinite past
worlds and, predictably, in this and all future worlds. In contrast, a
deity of infinite power and knowledge can produce a universe in which
there is space and time for change. Then he can enter the created entity
to redeem it from the bad free choices of the creatures within it. He's
smart and powerful enough to keep it from permanent disaster.
Dave (ASA)

On Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:33:25 -0700 Jim Armstrong <jarmstro@qwest.net>
writes:
> I know this "outside of time" posit is pretty common. But since you
> and
> a few others seem clear on this, in what way would you think that
> God
> and time are interrelated such that time can be a part of Creation,
> but
> at the same time not be in some way a part of the presence and
> reality
> of the Creator? Just askin...... I am just a little suspicious of
> that
> assertion (it is just that, isn't it?).
>
> JimA [Friend of ASA]
>
> gordon brown wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 6 Jun 2008, j burg wrote:
> >
> >> If God knows that I will be in church next Sunday, then I can
> have no
> >> choice in the matter. I can't handle that idea. I understand
> that
> >> others can.
> >
> >
> > God is outside time. Whether an event is past or future to us does
> not
> > make it past or future to God. Therefore the answer to your
> question
> > ought to be the same as the answer to the question "If God knows
> that
> > you were in church last Sunday, does that mean that you had no
> choice?"
> >
> > Gordon Brown (ASA member)
> >
> >
> > To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> > "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
> >
> >
>
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
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>
>
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Received on Fri Jun 6 16:43:59 2008