On being loved

[inquisitor_11]

Having made the rapid transtition from something of a raving fundamentalist to an increasingly liberal understanding of God, I still have many unresolved nagging questions, of which this is one.

Recent discussions here and elsewhere about Open Theology, and a recent study intensive on Liberation Theology have made me wonder about how we are able to claim that "God is love" above any of the other ideas about the nature of God.

e.g. in Open Theology (or at least my understanding), the omniscience of God is reduced because it chaffes at our concept of a loving God. Liberation(-ish) theology rejects the Calvinist doctrines of predestination, as they again hinder our belief in a loving God.

So why is God love ahead of everything else? Is it simply being taken on an almost blind faith?

 

[Mustaphile]

So why is God love ahead of everything else? Is it simply being taken on an almost blind faith?

Jesus seemed to place an awful lot of emphasis on love. Love God, love your fellow man, love your enemy. His two most important commandments were all about love. He expressed love for all men, even those who betrayed him. All of the new testament talks of its importance. I think the deeper you get involved in theoology and dissecting the nature of God, the more we start losing contact with God as a reality in our daily lives. God loving me is the only certain love I can find. God's judgement has never entered my mind much, not since I left fundamentalism anyway. I was denying God in between that time and the reconstruction of my faith in the aftermath of fundamentalism. Since I've just thought of it now, I'll state that I feel I am a traditionalist in my mind now, and a fundamentalist in my spirit. The child like spirituality of fundamentalism, backed up by the reasoned faith of traditional christianity perhaps.....but I digress..sorry...I'm in a contemplative mood.

 

[simplynix]

e.g. in Open Theology (or at least my understanding), the omniscience of God is reduced because it chaffes at our concept of a loving God. Liberation(-ish) theology rejects the Calvinist doctrines of predestination, as they again hinder our belief in a loving God.

So why is God love ahead of everything else? Is it simply being taken on an almost blind faith?

Let's say God created me exactly the way I am. Let's say that through His omniscience He would know whether i would accpet Him or deny Him.If I were to accept Him, it would only be because I was created that way. The same would go for if I would deny Him.

The problem with omniscience is that it requires predestination. The problem with predestination is that when one comes to God, it is not to the glory of God, but simply the proverbial last domino. Does that answer your question?

 

[elman]

Let's say God created me exactly the way I am. Let's say that through His omniscience He would know whether i would accpet Him or deny Him.If I were to accept Him, it would only be because I was created that way. The same would go for if I would deny Him.

The problem with omniscience is that it requires predestination. The problem with predestination is that when one comes to God, it is not to the glory of God, but simply the proverbial last domino. Does that answer your question?

I am not sure omniscience requires predestination. How are you defining omniscience?

 

[simplynix]

To know everything implies that you know everything that is to happen, as well. If you know everything that is to happen, that must mean it is knowable. If it is knowable, it has already been determined.

I was just in the shower thinking about this, and I came upon another realization.

If God knows everything, He also knows eveything that He will do, also. This means that God must be acting in some determinable way and that He is operating according to His nature set by predetermined laws.

This is why I have a problem with the idea that God is omniscient.

 

[Crazy Liz]

To know everything implies that you know everything that is to happen, as well. If you know everything that is to happen, that must mean it is knowable. If it is knowable, it has already been determined.

I was just in the shower thinking about this, and I came upon another realization.

If God knows everything, He also knows eveything that He will do, also. This means that God must be acting in some determinable way and that He is operating according to His nature set by predetermined laws.

This is why I have a problem with the idea that God is omniscient.

... or you may have to change your theory of epistemology.

I realize that here at CF it is considered heretical to hold any different epistemology, so it may not be discussed in the CO forums, but this isn't a CO forum, so...

 

[CWLite]

I can see some importance in theology, but not at the extent on loosing focus. Remeber that the Pharisees were big in theology and phylosophy (no good at spelling), so mush so that it warped their doctrine. I'm just saying be careful.

Love is the spirit of God. Everything that is is because of love, beccause of God

Romans 5
5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Genesis 1
2 Now the earth was [1] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

If you what to pick apart who God is, it was already done for you.
1 Corinthians 13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails.

Also in the fruits of the Spirit.
Galatians 5
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

There are 710 verses with love in it. The bible is a book of love and...
John 1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Which I believe is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

 

[simplynix]

... or you may have to change your theory of epistemology.

You'd have to change it to exclude knowledge of the future.

 

[Crazy Liz]

You'd have to change it to exclude knowledge of the future.

Correct. Or at least to exclude absolute knowledge of the future. Knowledge of future possibilities need not be excluded.

 

[Mustaphile]

Oops..just realised my post was dissing theology in a Liberal theology forum..Doh!

I should pay more attention to where I am posting. Sorry dudes.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Oops..just realised my post was dissing theology in a Liberal theology forum..Doh!

I should pay more attention to where I am posting. Sorry dudes.

No prob! Liberal theologians question everything.

 

[Charlie V]

No prob! Liberal theologians question everything.

I question that.

Charlie

 

[Mustaphile]

I question that.

Charlie

Hehehe...I'm glad some don't mind. I've been in a particularly anti-intellectualistic mood lately. I'm on retreat from one extreme and retreating into another. At least for a time. I get tired of thinking about it, and just feel like living it. I know it comes in waves, and the cycles will go on. Today, I have no hunger for intellect, tomorrow I will be starving for it. When I am in the anti-something mood , I am not seeing things from the perspective of others, nor empathising well. I realise sometimes I'm just being frustrated that noone is riding the troughs and peaks in synch with me. Which makes me wonder, Where hath I placed my soul mate? Ah..she be sleeping. Oh well.

Now I'm writing my journal entries in Liberal Theology. Doh!

/me skips out of the thread.