question about god

[paintballbrad]

I was sitting in my database class and a question popped into my head. Does God think? At first it seemed a pretty easy question to answer, but after I thought about it long enough I realized it is really complicated. I just want peoples opinions on the issue.

I'll start it off if, if god is all knowing what would he have to think about? In that since can he think at all?

But if he is all knowing why do people pray? Are you trying to change his mind?

[Mico]

Their are two ways that Omniscience can be defined.
1. God knows all things.
2. God knows all things that are knowable.

In the second form of omniscience, the future is not yet settled and is, therefore, not knowable. Hence, as God comes to know it, he thinks and reacts to it, like us. This way of viewing omniscience is more consistent with the Bible. This does not mean God does not have enormous forthought; he does, after all, know everything that is knowable.

Your second question deals with god's passibility. Many people believe that a perfect being could not change, other wise he would (a) change for the worse or (b) change for the better. Both of these are inconsistent with a perfect being. They ignore a second possibility, God could just change. It is possible to change without changing for the better or worse.

Further, in asking this question it is taken for granted that everything that happens is God's will. I, for one, don't believe everything that happens is God will. This, of course, entails that God is not absolutely sovereign in the classical Christian sense. I would agree with this. Clearly, God does not force you to think or act, or he would be responsible for all of your thoughts and actions. He is at least limited in this way, and I believe many others. It is not completely inconceivable that we empower God through prayer, or that through prayer we more closely align ourselves to his will as he more closely understands ours, and if our desires are compatible with whatever he deems to be righteouss, he helps us to accomplish these desires.

just some thoughts...

[paintballbrad]

cool, thanks for your imput.