Why Create a Universe?

[quatona]

A great artist, making a great painting, can find satisfaction in the resulting work of art even if it is not exactly a surprise for him how it turns out.

That´s because it´s a long and intense process for him, coming with a lot of new and unexpected experiences.
Plus, if there weren´t any uncertainties in the practical creation process, the mere idea would be sufficiently satisfactory. There is nothing thrilling, adventurous about doing what is entirely predictable.
Also, please re-read my post. The keyword wasn´t "satisfaction" but "drama".
Finally, if your God is out to make satisfying experiences (which, btw., is a concept that works only when you experience in time - which, as we keep hearing, doesn´t apply to your God) one would wonder why he doesn´t - like every great artist certainly would -produce creation after creation.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

That´s because it´s a long and intense process for him, coming with a lot of new and unexpected experiences.
Plus, if there weren´t any uncertainties in the practical creation process, the mere idea would be sufficiently satisfactory. There is nothing thrilling, adventurous about doing what is entirely predictable.
Also, please re-read my post. The keyword wasn´t "satisfaction" but "drama".
Finally, if your God is out to make satisfying experiences (which, btw., is a concept that works only when you experience in time - which, as we keep hearing, doesn´t apply to your God) one would wonder why he doesn´t - like every great artist certainly would -produce creation after creation.

Your last thought is a mystery to me. Do you know the universe to be finite instead of infinite? Do you know this is the only universe there ever was? In my conception of God, he HAS/IS created/creating infinite realities.

 

[quatona]

Your last thought is a mystery to me. Do you know the universe to be finite instead of infinite?

No, and was not part of what I said. So no wonder it´s a mystery to you....

Do you know this is the only universe there ever was? In my conception of God, he HAS/IS created/creating infinite realities.

Cool. You will understand, though, that I cannot address all fringe god concepts at the same time.
Time and again I forget to ask "God? What do you mean?" as the first question.
Ok, so we have an infinite God that infinitely keeps creating infinite stuff. I will try to understand and process that idea.

 

[Paul of Eugene OR]

No, and was not part of what I said. So no wonder it´s a mystery to you....

Cool. You will understand, though, that I cannot address all fringe god concepts at the same time.
Time and again I forget to ask "God? What do you mean?" as the first question.
Ok, so we have an infinite God that infinitely keeps creating infinite stuff. I will try to understand and process that idea.

Well, just tout up all the infinities discovered by Cantor and recognize that is what it takes to describe God.

 

[Thewonderer]

Here's a question: why create a universe? And why create life, specifically human beings, on planet earth?

My question would be, why not just create heaven and fill it with people?

Why bother with all the problems of earth?

If all God wants is for us to be saved, there was or is no point in an earth.

 

[durangodawood]

...I don´t create. I modify, rearrange and/or manipulate that which already exists.

What about other people? Can they create?

 

[AsPatat]

No, I am trying to come at this with no presuppositions.

Define what you mean by "God".

The creator of the universe.

 

[AsPatat]

That implies that God wanted or needed somebody to love. (I can't help thinking of the old Jefferson Airplane song, btw. ) Which raises a question about God's nature. The Abrahamic God is generally described as a perfect entity. And not just morally perfect, but perfect in every conceivable way. (If you studied Catholicism, then you know God's absolute perfection was the basis of St. Anselm's ontologic argument for God's existence.) If this is true, then why would such an entity need or want to love someone? A being of total and utter perfection would have no needs or wants of any kind, and would have no reason to do anything at all--let alone create an entire universe, and all the living things in it.

I did not study Catholicism and I don't know St. Anshelm's argument. I do think God is a being of total and utter perfection and I don't think God has needs. I do think He has wants.

 

[GrimKingGrim]

Here's a question: why create a universe?

To show the creeping effect of global warming/climate change that hard headed people don't seem to get. We're like 3 steps away from being one of the SEVERAL DEAD PLANETS AROUND US WITH UNLIVABLE CONDITIONS but don't worry it's all fake.

And why create life, specifically human beings, on planet earth?

Why focus on humans? We're not the strongest or the best. That would be algae. But seriously life just came, it wasn't created by anything. It's just a result of the Earth having specific conditions (that we're destroying)

 

[Tree of Life]

Correct on both counts. God desires community.
He enjoys fellowship.

27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth...

This is theologically (and exegetically) very problematic.

God is a community. He is perfectly satisfied within the community of the Father, Son, and Spirit. He has no need or longing for more beings to commune with - especially beings who are infinitely lower than he is.

An imperfect analogy would be the idea that "I want a friend" and so I decide to have a baby. A baby ain't your friend. A baby is a responsibility that you lovingly assume - one for whom you pour out your life and resources by a free gift of grace. Sure, one day the baby will grow up and, in some ways, become a peer. The difference is that no matter how much we grow up and mature we will never be peers with God.

God did not create the world to satisfy any longing within himself.

 

[quatona]

What about other people? Can they create?

Create stuff from nothing? No, I don´t think so.

 

[durangodawood]

Create stuff from nothing? No, I don´t think so.

I think everyone except you considers that making a novel form out of existing matter is "creating".

 

[Davian]

The creator of the universe.

I do not see how the [alleged] act of creation implies caring. Got anything else?

 

[OldWiseGuy]

Sure...but I'm talking about the union of marriage.

God is the third party.

 

[AsPatat]

I do not see how the [alleged] act of creation implies caring. Got anything else?

I defined what I mean by God. I did not discuss caring.

 

[quatona]

I think everyone except you considers that making a novel form out of existing matter is "creating".

What everyone calls it doesn´t make the differences between "creating" (from nothing - which is the topic of this thread) and "creating" from something go away.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

God created the heavens as a physical realm or estate for the angels that has no boundaries or limits, no end. He created the earth originally as a physical habitation for the angels. He now directs our attention to it so that we can understand what incomprehensible looks like.

 

[Davian]

I defined what I mean by God. I did not discuss caring.

The title of the thread begs the question. If our cosmos was created by a multiverse analog of a toaster oven, popping out universes are some irregular interval, I would not expect it to care about its creations.

But then, why worship [an equivalent to] a toaster oven?

 

[durangodawood]

What everyone calls it doesn´t make the differences between "creating" (from nothing - which is the topic of this thread) and "creating" from something go away.

The topic is the motive to create. The "why".
Its the exact same question whether God used existing matter or created new matter.

 

[Ana the Ist]

God is the third party.

God is a trinity though...so that would make it a party of five.