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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/8/2008 8:26:16 PM | The God that the bible talks about thinks.
Neh 5:19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
Neh 6:14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jon 1:6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/8/2008 8:31:29 PM | | IMO, it's kinda contradictory to say that God "thinks". For God to think there must be another God who is higher than the former. What we term "thought" is God in motion, that Unparticled Matter that pervades and impels all Things. Just another two cents here. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/8/2008 9:02:37 PM |
I ask this question with very much respect for God. I just want to know more about God. Knowledge of God and aspects of His thoughts are found in the Bible, doll, not geeks like us. ;)
However, if God knows everything then what does God have left to think about? Assuming that God "thinks" as we do is foolishness.
Our minds are bound in ways that His is not.
Some believe, like I have been taught, that God knows EVERYTHING, even the past, present and future.
God may very well know what we perceive as past, present and future, true that.
However, our minuscule idea of reality, in what ever tense, is incomparable to that of the Almighty. 
How are we like God in the manner of thinking We are not.
if God doesn't have anything to think about and we have a whole lot to think about? A question full if deception and confusion, not of Him...
God "meditates on things of man" always, never void of thought and any thoughts we may have are but dust compared to His.
Doesn't knowing everything (past, present, future) exclude God from ever having to think about anything? Again, restricting the Creator of all things to using a mind like ours...that dog wont hunt, doll. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/8/2008 9:36:25 PM |
As to the question of omniscience, in my opinion, having chosen to give us free-will, God has deliberately chosen not to know all of the future.
There are people who would disagree with this of course, but I think it's pretty sound reasoning.
It's commonly held that God exists in the past, present, and future simultaneously, but this reflects a misunderstanding about time. The past and the future do not "exist" as ontological realities. The past is simply the sum of all previous "presents," while the future is simply a projection of all future "presents." God cannot exist in the future right now because there is no future in which God could presently exist. There is only the present.
Secondly, it's commonly held that God knows all things. But what does this mean? A more precise way of saying it would be, "God knows everything that can be known," or "God possesses all knowledge that can be possessed." Does this include, for example, what I'm going to have for breakfast tomorrow morning? The answer would have to be "no," because I still haven't decided. One could not coherently maintain that God knows what I'm going to have for breakfast because there is as yet no knowledge for God to have with regard to that particular matter. When I decide, it will suddenly become something that can be known, and one might reasonably suppose that God would know it.
I'm not saying that I necessarily believe any of this. I think it's fun to think about, though. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/9/2008 11:16:56 AM | I thought I would Chime in on a serious note unlike my other response.
I have thought about this topic before.
If anyone cares to peek at my result of these thoughts here they are.
TIME is the part that is a variable that the Human brain would screw up in trying to discover this answer. The reason is Humans are bound by the Parameter of time and it only flows in one direction. That whole sand in the hourglass thing. The sands of time can only flow in one direction for the human brain and as such a strong factor is considered and God not being bound by that same Timeline things tend to get a bit complex.
Well what if time was just an illusion. Like it is put in place as a restriction to prevent errors to the core function of all things.
To understand my thought of it think this way. TIME doesn't exist it is perception. when you take the variable of TIME out, you would see everything that could happen happening all at the same TIME. There is no flow that would be followed.
I sometimes like to think our consciousness just moves between instances of things happening with the choices we make as being what controls which instance we would walk out.
Does this include, for example, what I'm going to have for breakfast tomorrow morning? The answer would have to be "no," because I still haven't decided.
You may not have decided yet but that doesn't mean your selection choices have not already been decided. How your Body responds to your selection is controlled by your choice.
So think this way. If you choose a food that does not provide you with the energy requirements your body needs to perform specific tasks then those restrictive parameters will be decided upon and followed out based on your food choice.
Like if you chose to NOT eat you would not have the needed energy to run a race. Or if you chose a food that makes you feel tired then you wouldn't be able to do a high energy exercise. So as a result your consciousness would move into the instance that would prevent those activities from being placed in front of you as selections to do after done eating.
Since God is everywhere that would include every instance. Meaning, He/She may not know what choice for 100% certainty that you would choose but he would know the results of those choices and as a result of being the Creator could guide you in the correct choice IF you accept guidance.
Does God Think?
I would say there is not enough Data in that question to answer it correctly. First you would need to define which form of thought you would be asking for as a response. Second how sure are you that your way of thinking is the same as someone else’s. You have no way to measure your thought so that means you ASSUME that all Human's think the same way. (proof has shown this is not the case, or we would all get along)
That also ASSUMES that thought is a shared attribute among different cultures races and countries.
What if different area's of the world think differently? That would basically change the definition of thought.
So if your question in long form is "Does God consider the choices and actions of his people to ponder and decide corrections that must be applied to allow for the correct results to occur?" I would say Yes in my opinion that God thinks because it is stated that he does this in many writings.
However, if what you are assuming as thought in the normal terms I would say NO because from what I have gathered for Data most humans consider thought in the flow with the TIME variable enabled. Meaning thoughts are sequenced and in order each thought dependent on the prior thought to form the end result of that thought. We break down whole thoughts into smaller sub parts and calculate the smaller sub thoughts to learn the end result of the whole thought.
These are again Just my opinions. These opinions and five bucks might get you a good coffee. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/9/2008 11:29:49 AM |
These are again Just my opinions. These opinions and five bucks might get you a good coffee.
 As with most all valuable and wise "opinions", this one comes with a "take it or whatever" disclaimer. C.S Lewis, a genius IMHO, constantly told his readers that same thing. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/28/2008 3:28:47 AM | Great comments. Thanks for the mental and spiritual stimulation.
Bear wrote:
"I certainly believe God thinks.
As to the question of omniscience, in my opinion, having chosen to give us free-will, God has deliberately chosen not to know all of the future.
It's simple logic. If God knows all of the future, He knows how we will choose to act, and thus we really do not have free-will. But He has chosen to give us free-will. Therefore, He does not know all of the future.
I don't believe this is a deficiency in God, but a choice."
Here's my response to you, if you actually get a chance to read it, Bear.
I perceive that God knows the future and chooses to block this knowledge from us. Not knowing our future, we can only logically reconcile that we do, in fact, from our perspective, at least, have "free will".
From this perspective, God is remains "all knowing" and we, for all intents and purposes, have "free will".
Fibonacci
"IMO, it's kinda contradictory to say that God "thinks". For God to think there must be another God who is higher than the former."
I don't see what having another God higher than "the former" or "the first thinking God" has to do with God's or anyone's ability to think.
"What we term "thought" is God in motion, that Unparticled Matter that pervades and impels all Things."
Are you saying that unparticled matter, in motion, is thought and that is perhaps where we might find God? That's what I got out of "Mesmeric Revelation" by Edgar Allan Poe. Thanks for sparking my curiosity with your post. This is an interesting line of thinking that warrants further thought and discussion. Please let me know if you find some more discussion in this area, Fibonacci.
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/28/2008 8:07:09 AM | I'm sure that God thinks, if he exists at all that is, and would be a member of Mensa if he could be bothered to join. He's probably a bit of an obnoxious know all, which explains why he's generally content to remain behind the scenes, rather than show up flaunting his intellectual brilliance and making us lot feel inferior.
He may be hooked on crosswords, never missing an edition of Channel 4's "Countdown", and frequently guessing the conundrum in record time. Makes ya sick really. I wouldn't be surprised if he also secretly quite fancies Carol Vorderman, herself unusually gifted in the grey matter department as well as being easy on the eye. I suppose if he wanted to he could freeze time, nip down to Earth, have his wicked way with her and return to heaven without anyone knowing anything about it. Being omnipotent, he'd have no problems "getting it up".
There's no evidence that he behaves in this way but who knows? Many celebrities have lurid personal lives that rarely come to public attention and God is probably no exception. Even the Bible says he moves in mysterious ways - this description could describe a whole world of unorthodox divine behaviour of which he keeps us oblivious.
God may also have quite a strong, if slightly sick and cruel sense of humour, the story of Isaac being a case in point. In the tale, God asks Abraham to take his son Isaac on a mystery trip to a place called Moriah, then stab him to death on top of a hill. When they get there after a three day trek, Isaac's asking "where's the goat, like?" Abraham assures him that God will provide one. Little does the lad know that he's the goat today, and after a puzzled interlude watching Dad build an altar, finds himself trussed up and laid on it in serious sacrifice mode.
Abraham is poised over him getting ready to plunge the knife, when God steps in and stops him - the whole thing has been a sick and bizarre loyalty test.
The father son relationship has been irrevocably shattered and the pair condemned to a lifetime of flashbacks and continuing psychological damage, probably without the benefit of trained professional trauma counsellors to help them recover.
The Bible tells the tale as a loyalty test, but when you think about it, God is already able to see into our innermost thoughts and judge us accordingly - he's like a divine version of Orwells' thought police. He would have known all along that Abraham was absolutely loyal. A more convincing interpretation of the story is that God was having a joke, and a cruel one at that.
The Biblical equivalent of cooking the cat in a microwave oven. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/28/2008 3:46:51 PM | To answer the question, YES. God thinks.
To presume that thinking requires not knowing something (and thus God thinking is contrary to God omniscient) has not been established. We humans think and we do so about lots and lots of things we already know. Why would God's "thinking" be any different (except in perfection or subjects beyond our knowledge or ability)?
Finonacci: Why does "thinking" require the existence of a higher being? The passages quoted state clearly that God "thinks". He says "my thoughts are not your thoughts and my ways are not your ways", so His "thoughts' and "thinking" are not exactly like ours. I take that to mean that His thoughts are "higher", "better", "more ware", "purer" than ours. But they are still thoughts.
I think thinking is part of the "let us make man in Our own image" of creation. Not only do I think because I am, but I think because I'm made in the image of God.
andsometimeswhy: I like the meatiness of your view of the omnipresence and omniscience of God. Certainly it makes better sense of the issue of Free Will and Predestination and does remove the worrisome of pre-planning meals! 
As an aside, could it also be that God's omnipotence is better described as "God can do all things that can be done"? | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 3/28/2008 4:07:53 PM | I think a better question would be: Does God Need to Think?
Since God sowed the seeds in the field of forever, the premise must be S/HE knew what the harvest would be. :) | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 4/1/2008 8:49:14 AM | | The Living Word of God also known as the Bible says"his thoughts are above our thoughts and his ways above our ways"what does that say to u?Let me make a suggestion,If u don't own a bible then u should get one and I highly recommend the king James version.Try to read a chapter a day and before u do pray and ask God to help u to understand what u r reading and how it applies to ur everyday life in this day and time.It is wonderful reading and awesome stories of ppl back then dealing with some of the same things we deal with now.It talks alot about God to so check it out ok.tc | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 4/1/2008 10:26:02 AM | Could you please use english...and not text speak
It is very difficult to read your posts
Just a request | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 4/1/2008 12:47:12 PM | | I am not sure if u mean me but if u do ravenstar66 then I apologize and will try to clear up some of the letters for u.oops I mean for you,habit.Well as you can see the u=you,the ur=your,if the r is separate then it means r=are.again I apologize tc=take care.hope this helps. | |
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| Does God Think?
Posted: 4/7/2008 7:06:45 PM | | To paraphrase a previous statement, it's verbose to say that God "thinks", since God IS Thought, just like God "exists" is verbose since God IS Existence. As far as Free Will, one wouldn't gainsay that Free Will is limited, limited to the point it almost loses its freeness. An individual finds himself at an intersection whose ramifications carry respective results. Such determinedness once again is an argument towards the existence of God and his (its) timeless omnipresence and ineluctable omniscience. | |
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