vodkatini

If there's no uncertainty - we know certainly what will happen in future and we can't change anything, would the number of people who believe God exists goes down a lot????

Any idea about this problem ? thanks

nemesis855

Personally, I doubt it Christians have the book of Revelations which supposedly is a road map of the end times and hasn't stopped them from believing.

AsimovsProtege

I think if you believe you know the end of a situation (ie - end times), without doubt, that would make you believe more in a God. The end times state that all those against God will die, and all those who love god and accept jesus will be given eternal life.

However, I kinda think end times is a redundant term for an apparently eternal being. If this God lives outside of Time, then he has already lived in every moment of our Time.

Aquila ka Hecate

This doesn't follow does it?
Are you saying that once upon a time god lived within time, and now it doesn't?

And since spacetime is an integral part of the universe, wouldn't that make the universe as of now totally god-free?

AsimovsProtege

"This doesn't follow does it?
Are you saying that once upon a time god lived within time, and now it doesn't?

And since spacetime is an integral part of the universe, wouldn't that make the universe as of now totally god-free?"


No, I'm saying that if he is eternal, he is timeless. Which means he can observe outside of our universe everything that has happened to us, everything that is happening to us, and everything that will happen to us. No, internally it is God-free, as God would not be a part of the Universe. Externally, everything is God. Like a single air bubble in an infinite ocean.

Aquila ka Hecate

I must be unusually dense today.

I laboured under the impression that 'Universe' indicated all that is.

If there is something outside of it, we'd have to revise our definition of the word.

If internally it is god-free, then how can god interact in any way with it's creation?

Or doesn't it?

Jobar

This is the free will vs. determinism problem. Theologians tend to answer that God is outside of time, observing it as a whole; for Him, the universe is a determined system. From the human POV, inside the universe, the future is uncertain and we have free will.

AsimovsProtege

"If internally it is god-free, then how can god interact in any way with it's creation?"

uh....he's god, he can do anything!

vodkatini

thanks for all replies.

some people think that it is "Men make God" but not "God makes Men". People do it because of fear. This fear comes from uncertainty - there are so many things beyond our control. For example, if we find future too unstable, it's not easy for us to give up today's enjoyment in order to make a brighter future. But life without hope is no doubt something not enjoyable, and thus we need someone promises reward if we do something good. for that reason people make God. Therefore if uncertainty goes down, then the number of people who believe God exists would also go down. For example, advance of science has reduced uncertainty so much, and thus the number of people who believe God exists.

One Winged Angel

If we knew the future for certain, it would change the number of believers or non-believers, based on wether there is an afterlife or not.