Spirituality What are God's motivations?

[beancounter]

A thought experiment inspired by Blobbenstein and das_nut...

Assuming god exists, what is his modus operandi?

In my view, he seems like the hands-off type. That is, he set things in motion, and let chaos/randomness take over from there. And perhaps he did inspire some humans to write some books to get society the opportunity to move on a non-self-destructive course. But that's it.

From the perspective on an omnipotent being, humans are probably little more than gnats. The universe is enormous. It just seems likely that he has more important things to attend to than operate like a celestial telephone operator/Santa Claus, focusing all of his attention on a single planet and a single species.

For all we know, humanity is a failed experiment that he didn’t bother canceling.

Your thoughts?

 

[Blobbenstein]

What more important things would God have to be attending to?

We are sentient, and we can suffer. I don't think God likes beings to suffer.
I think ants are sentient...I don't suppose they have that much going on in their little heads, but I will avoid stepping on them, if I see one...I see God's attitude may be the same.

 

[beancounter]

What more important things would God have to be attending to?

We are sentient, and we can suffer. I don't think God likes beings to suffer.
I think ants are sentient...I don't suppose they have that much going on in their little heads, but I will avoid stepping on them, if I see one...I see God's attitude may be the same.

God may avoid causing harm, but clearly some of his creations don't feel the same way.

And as far as I can tell, he doesn't take action to prevent harm, which I think is a good indicator of a hands off approach.

The universe is a big place. It's unlikely to have been created soley for us.

 

[Blobbenstein]

The Universe is probably teeming with life. But I suppose he is on a higher dimension, and can deal with everything going on all over this dimension.

My view is that this universe dropped out of paradise. All the bad things that happen are due to that fall....the paradise laws compromised. Some still in place, some broken....everything from earthquakes to parasite organisms are due to that fall. That's my view. God can only intervene so much without compromising himself. I sort of do believe in some sort of Adam and Eve, but they weren't human, and they weren't on this planet. Their fall created our reality, maybe the big bang, or indefinite string of big bangs....we are still part of God, and still under some of his care......that's my model, for now anyway.

 

[SummerRain]

From the perspective on an omnipotent being, humans are probably little more than gnats. The universe is enormous. It just seems likely that he has more important things to attend to than operate like a celestial telephone operator/Santa Claus, focusing all of his attention on a single planet and a single species.

I don't believe in God, so debating this is probably pointless and meaningless But, since many versions of God are all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving, it would be within Gods power to love and care for every gnat/human/etc, on every country, planet, galaxy, etc, equally. So he could care about me, love me, and care about what I'm up to - and also care for and love every other person/living being on this and every other planet across the universe. Being omnipotent would give him that ability.

 

[beancounter]

The Universe is probably teeming with life. But I suppose he is on a higher dimension, and can deal with everything going on all over this dimension.

My view is that this universe dropped out of paradise. All the bad things that happen are due to that fall....the paradise laws compromised. Some still in place, some broken....everything from earthquakes to parasite organisms are due to that fall. That's my view. God can only intervene so much without compromising himself. I sort of do believe in some sort of Adam and Eve, but they weren't human, and they weren't on this planet. Their fall created our reality, maybe the big bang, or indefinite string of big bangs....we are still part of God, and still under some of his care......that's my model, for now anyway.

That's an interesting perspective. So Genesis is a parable for the fall?

I'm not sure how an omnipotent being could be compromised. What do you mean by that?

 

[Blobbenstein]

I'm not sure how an omnipotent being could be compromised. What do you mean by that?

well, I guess there is some sort of Satan, devil being.....I don't know if he is a fallen angel or whatever he is, but the fall brought us closer to him, and his rules, so God doesn't want to be compromised in relation to the Devil...maybe it depresses him, to get involved with him.

 

[beancounter]

I don't believe in God, so debating this is probably pointless and meaningless But, since many versions of God are all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving, it would be within Gods power to love and care for every gnat/human/etc, on every country, planet, galaxy, etc, equally. So he could care about me, love me, and care about what I'm up to - and also care for and love every other person/living being on this and every other planet across the universe. Being omnipotent would give him that ability.

I suppose an omnipotent being could do that. But caring about, and being actively involved are two seperate things.

If you mean care for in the sense of protect, that's clearly not being done, as humans meet untimely deaths and get serious injuries quite often.

 

[Blobbenstein]

maybe God saves someone from a car crash 99 times, but the 100th time, he can't....we wouldn't know..

 

[Blobbenstein]

So Genesis is a parable for the fall?

well the garden of Eden wasn't on this planet, wasn't in this universe, in my model....the paradise was a lot more amazing, than some garden, on Earth....probably up there in the higher dimensions, like everything else.

 

[Second Summer]

I don't believe in God, so debating this is probably pointless and meaningless But, since many versions of God are all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving, it would be within Gods power to love and care for every gnat/human/etc, on every country, planet, galaxy, etc, equally. So he could care about me, love me, and care about what I'm up to - and also care for and love every other person/living being on this and every other planet across the universe. Being omnipotent would give him that ability.

I really don't think God can be all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving at the same time. Or at least I've never seen a good explanation as to how that is possible, considering the state of affairs on this planet.

 

[Moll Flanders]

I always thought that free will is the explanation for why God lets evil things happen on earth. He wants humans to be able to choose the correct, moral path for themselves and to let God into their lives and then find redemption. If he created humans in a perfect world then there would be no challenge for us to improve and it would be heaven already.

 

[beancounter]

I always thought that free will is the explanation for why God lets evil things happen on earth. He wants humans to be able to choose the correct, moral path for themselves and to let God into their lives and then find redemption. If he created humans in a perfect world then there would be no challenge for us to improve and it would be heaven already.

But what about the people who choose the correct path and get harmed by others? That would mean that there really isn't any justice, and further lean to an indication of a hands off deity.


Also there seems to be a number of people who view free will as an illusion.

 

[Moll Flanders]

But what about the people who choose the correct path and get harmed by others? That would mean that there really isn't any justice, and further lean to an indication of a hands off deity.


Also there seems to be a number of people who view free will as an illusion.

The good people get their reward in heaven I suppose, even though I remember thinking that I don't know why people who are meant to be loving would be okay with "bad" people going to hell. I think sinners get a chance to repent and accept God before going to hell.

I don't know why I'm answering as I'm not religious but I was taught that was the argument, as I recall! Long time ago now.

 

[Clueless Git]

Assuming god exists, what is his modus operandi?

Their modus operandi, BC ..

God is clearly a committee, not an individual.

Only a committee could ever grant itself so many powers and still not get anything of any importance actualy done.

 

[beancounter]

Their modus operandi, BC ..

Well sure. It's a thought experiment. There's no way to know the answer, so it's an opportunity to express viewpoints.

 

[Mischief]

I really don't think God can be all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving at the same time. Or at least I've never seen a good explanation as to how that is possible, considering the state of affairs on this planet.

I agree.

In addition, none of the versions of "God" that I have learned about are the kind of entities that I would consider worth worshipping, or even spending much time thinking about.

What I do find interesting is what motivates humans to believe in a God.

 

[peacefulveglady]

I believe in God in a different way that is non religious, I believe there is something out there that is called God but I also believe majority of usage of God is with religious people wanting to control the minds and behaviors of people…

 

[FortyTwo]

God's motivations would have to be incredibly complex, convoluted, and above our understanding, if any one of the religions is correct. They're often so contradictory in their claimed mechanisms by which God acts, or the reasons for which God acts... hence the popularity of "God works in mysterious ways," because it's difficult to reconcile them all.

Why would a loving god allow for the suffering of their people? Why would a loving god set up such convoluted scenarios as to hide evidence of their own existence and their own interference? If God exists, there could be answers to these questions, but they wouldn't follow any logic of ours.

 

[Joe]

I think that what C.S. Lewis called The Problem of Pain is an insoluble problem for Christians and that therefore they have to consider it a "mystery."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_of_Pain

Note that

In addition to dealing with human pain, however, the book also contains a chapter entitled "Animal Pain," demonstrating not only the fact that Lewis cast his net wider than human suffering, but also a reflection on a lifelong love of animals.

The traditional Biblical conception of God is that He* is absolutely omniscient. This is sometimes referred to as "the sparrow-watching God."

29 Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.

(New Living Translation.)

http://www.biblestudytools.com/nlt/matthew/passage.aspx?q=matthew 10:29-31

*God, of course, does not have a gender. Yet traditionally God is thought of as "The Father" and referred to as He. The Roman Catholic concept that there is an important feminine principle in the divine pantheon (so to speak) is expressed in the reverence for Mary, aka, "Immaculate Mary," the mother of Jesus. Many Protestant Christians find these views of Mary to be objectionable and perhaps idolatrous.