The past, present, future is fundamentally the same for us and God since time is unidirectional. God cannot be in a non-existent future (time is not a place or thing), while we are in the present. It is 2008 for God and us. Eternal now simultaneity is incoherent and unbiblical.
I saw a thread here about time, but it was unclear what exactly Bob's stance on the issue was.
err, WHAT?I looked, but can't find the original qupte. Is there anyone else who wants to help, rather than hinder?
For now, I will assume Delmar is his wife, because Delmar said something about a wife in a nearby post.
wwww: too much philosophy and speculation; not enough simplicity and Scripture.
http://revivaltheology.gharvest.com/9_openness/eternity.html
This resonates more with me than physics...
If you were to click on the arrow next to my screen name in the quote in Delmar's post you will be directed to my post, and will see the quotes from Knight under his wife's screen name, and his own.I looked, but can't find the original quote. Is there anyone else who wants to help, rather than hinder?
For now, I will assume Delmar is his wife, because Delmar said something about a wife in a nearby post?!
And?He created man in his own image by man having a rational soul.
Man is created creator. God is uncreated first cause.
Oddly enough I came to this same conclusion as a settled theist. I even wrote a lyric about it.A few years ago when I was recording a bible series with Bob, he'd have to drive quite a bit to pick up my friend and I. So in the car once a week we'd have the most interesting conversations, and my favorite by far was our ongoing conversation about time.
We came to the conclusion that it exists only an abstract concept.
Scripture gives some parameters for this time/eternity discussion, but there are also logical and philosophical issues not fully resolved in Scripture.
The Holy Spirit reveals truth. Greek philosophy may complement or contradict it, usually the latter. John infused new meaning into 'logos' concept, for e.g. Paul opposed Greek philosophy when it was contrary to truth. He alluded to it as a starting point at times (Unknown God; Greek poets...in him we move and have our being, etc.).
Revelation > reason.
You're thinking God "experiences" something the way humans do.
Humans that are composed of essence and existence participate in existence.
As such we perceive "done existence" through our senses and our senses form a phantasm in our mind and from this phantasm we form premises in our reasoning that causes a conclusion to be known.
God as the first cause is not composed of essence and existence. His essence and existence are the same and he is wholly actual. He is "doing experience" and as such (as we only know through the relationship from how humans know something) He would will an end, but willing an end is not the cause of His willing the means, yet he wills an ordering of the means to the end.
The analogy of a human novelist conceiving and willing, all at once, the entire plot of his novel, in which perfect order demands that one event takes place after another.
(arrows represent causality)
Human intellect understanding the premises---->understanding the conclusion.
Divine intellect understanding----->[premise-->conclusion]
Human will willing the end---->willing the means
Divine will: willing------->[end---> mean]
How does Bob view time?
Actually, I've heard Bob opposes wristwatches, since homos love to flop their wrists around as they do.:idunno: with a wristwatch?
Actually, I've heard Bob opposes wristwatches, since homos love to flop their wrists around as they do.
Being a staunch advocate of a strong, central government, Bob favors a strong central timepiece in the form of a big, sturdy grandfather clock.
Are pocket watches ok?
:chuckle: Yup...Weirdest. Thread. Ever.
What I've already said here covers the objection in the article that an eternal God could not create something in sequence.
The idea that creation means change is incorrect. That is change in previously existing material.
A first cause in order to be a first cause must be the complete cause of something and an active agent of change cannot be the complete cause. This is something the article misses completely. Hawking argues that there may not have been an initial change in the universe.
Ex creatio does not post temporal. The dependency is metaphysical based on a line of sufficient reasoning. There may not have been a starting point of time as Hawking suggests, but since the universe is potentially changing all the time it still depends on a wholly actual first cause.
This is a serious flaw in the endless time argument. From waht we know of the big bang, time could very well have a beginning.