Comments on: God Has Faith in Himself http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself Rants and musings about things political, philosophical, and religious. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:51:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: fontor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14821 fontor Thu, 10 May 2007 10:48:59 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14821 God's status not a certainty? Bruce R. would be having conniptions in his sarcophagus. How could one ever have faith in such a being, if he could somehow fall? Is he going to do something tomorrow that will cause the universe to collapse? (No, because he's perfect.) Well, good for him. Is God all-powerful? A safe answer is yes, but if God has to obey principles, then the principles are more powerful than God is. So who's God anyway? The being or the principles? Saying that God obeys the principles perfectly doesn't entirely mend the split. I think this is one of the bigger holes in Mormon theology. I can see its function: it enables certain other ideas about perfectability. But when you examine it, it's a weak point. And on a personal note, I feel annoyed at myself for ignoring this when I was a believer. God’s status not a certainty? Bruce R. would be having conniptions in his sarcophagus. How could one ever have faith in such a being, if he could somehow fall? Is he going to do something tomorrow that will cause the universe to collapse? (No, because he’s perfect.) Well, good for him.

Is God all-powerful? A safe answer is yes, but if God has to obey principles, then the principles are more powerful than God is. So who’s God anyway? The being or the principles? Saying that God obeys the principles perfectly doesn’t entirely mend the split.

I think this is one of the bigger holes in Mormon theology. I can see its function: it enables certain other ideas about perfectability. But when you examine it, it’s a weak point. And on a personal note, I feel annoyed at myself for ignoring this when I was a believer.

]]> By: Connor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14738 Connor Wed, 09 May 2007 15:11:44 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14738 Good question, fontor. Perhaps God's status as Deity is not a certainty—as Alma 42 indicates, He can fall if He were to have an imbalance of justice and mercy. If that's the case, then perhaps He doesn't have an absolute self-knowledge, but instead must have faith that He will continue to abide by the principles and values that are required of Him? Not sure. It's something worth pondering... Good question, fontor. Perhaps God’s status as Deity is not a certainty—as Alma 42 indicates, He can fall if He were to have an imbalance of justice and mercy. If that’s the case, then perhaps He doesn’t have an absolute self-knowledge, but instead must have faith that He will continue to abide by the principles and values that are required of Him?

Not sure. It’s something worth pondering…

]]> By: fontor http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14733 fontor Wed, 09 May 2007 14:45:38 +0000 http://www.connorboyack.com/blog/god-has-faith-in-himself#comment-14733 Well, as my Little League coach used to say, it doesn't matter what other people think, as long as you believe in yourself. But why would God need to exercise faith in himself? Presumably such a being would have self-knowledge, making faith unnecessary. "For if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it." Alma 32:18 Well, as my Little League coach used to say, it doesn’t matter what other people think, as long as you believe in yourself.

But why would God need to exercise faith in himself? Presumably such a being would have self-knowledge, making faith unnecessary. “For if a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it.” Alma 32:18

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