Can God control His omniscience? (choices, choice, experience, bible)

Hope · #1 09-19-2004, 12:48 PM

I had an interesting thought pop into my head today as I was driving down a country lane, on an amazingly beautiful day--the thought started like this: part of the joy and fun in life comes from not knowing what our future holds for us. If we all knew our future, that would take all the surprise and fun out of living ( on the flip side, it might terrify us too! ). Now, I believe in God, and I believe He is an all-knowing God. So it hit me--if He knows everything, does that mean He cannot enjoy things as we do because He already knows they will happen? This mystifies me! Can He perhaps, because He is also all-powerful, prevent Himself from knowing certain things if He chooses?

What are others' thoughts on this? Has this been discussed before?

Ceridwen018 · #2 09-19-2004, 01:47 PM

Good question, Hope! From my perspective, I would say that god doesn't necessarily have emotions, because he isn't human. Emotions cloud our judgment and influence our thinking. Because god is supposed to be a perfect being, it wouldn't make sense for him to have emotions. Bottom line, I don't think god can 'enjoy' things as we think of the word. Perhaps he has his own little perfect set of emotions different from ours, and if that be the case, I'm sure they follow by different rules, so he would be able to 'enjoy' life even if he already knows the punchline.

Lightkeeper · #3 09-19-2004, 02:53 PM

What if God just set things in motion and God is surprised daily at the outcomes?

Corban · #4 09-19-2004, 08:39 PM

First, yes God does have emotions, and lack of emotions are not required for a being to be perfect, God loves his chldren, He is sad when we disobey.

And as to the question, omniscience does not negate enjoyment. God does know all things, He knows the future and exactly what will happen, but this doesn't mean He doesn't have joy.

A couple brief examples can illustrate:

I know in my kitchen there is a hamburger waiting for me. i love hamburgers and look forward to eating it. As soon as i get done writing this i'm going to go in and eat it. I know that will happen (allowing for simplicity that some unknown event will not stop me). I know i will walk in, sit down and eat. I know i will take a few bites, i even know how it will taste, yet myy knowledge of that does not displace any of the joy i will experience as i eat

Another example.

why do we go to amusement parks? because we enjoy the rides? if you have been to one before why would you want to go again, you already know what will happen, you know what rides are available you know what it feels like to ride, then why go again? because the fun is in the expereince.

God knows what choices we will make and what He will do, yet He still finds joy in the doing, in blessing our lives and working for our good.

I would also contend that a perfect knowledge of the future is necessary for perfect joy. i can enjoy the weekend but am sad because i know it will end, i can enjoy my health, but i do not know if it will continue i could get sick or even die tomorrow. God can have perfect confidence in the future because He knows it, He is not worried by a future over which there could be bad surprises.

standing_on_one_foot · #5 09-19-2004, 11:58 PM

*shrugs* I think that God's quite different from us, so I really don't know how God would feel about things. Although I rather suspect God has a sense of humor...I suppose we enjoy being surprised because that's what we have to deal with. Who knows?

retrorich · #6 09-20-2004, 06:30 AM

Let's face it: The concepts of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence are beyond the scope of human intelligence. Are those three qualities actually mentioned in the Bible?

One thing for sure: Having those powers would place a huge responsibility on the possesor.

thomasedison · #7 09-20-2004, 07:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retrorich

Let's face it: The concepts of omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence are beyond the scope of human intelligence. Are those three qualities actually mentioned in the Bible?

One thing for sure: Having those powers would place a huge responsibility on the possesor.

The powers [IMO] are by definition impossible to have whether it is Man or God.

Master Vigil · #8 09-20-2004, 08:36 AM

"First, yes God does have emotions, and lack of emotions are not required for a being to be perfect, God loves his chldren, He is sad when we disobey."

Emotions are come and go, they never last eternity, (or even a single minute without changing.) That makes emotions finite and imperfect. A perfect being ligically cannot possess imperfect attributes. For then it would become imperfect, and no longer be god. So therefore, god cannot love his children, or be sad when they obey.