Can humanity surprise God?

[Beaudreaux]

Humans are amazing animals with tremendous capacity for creativity and moral excellence. Given our track record here on earth, though, it must be easy for God to expect the worst of us, but do you think that God is ever surprised by the choices some of us make?

 

[Punnchy]

Well, look at this one for example, in the bible, it states homosexuality is a sin, however it says nothing about viewing images of homosexual practices as being a sin, so those who wrote the bible, didn't fathom this as a possibility.

There are some believe, that god is in control of everything, that he's allowed science and technology to advance to allow such things to exist, that our will to create, is controlled by god's grand design. However I don't believe this to be the case, if god didn't want to be surprised by what we as a human race can create, have created, and will create, then humans wouldn't be instilled with free will.

 

[Smokeless Indica]

I don't think god would be surprised. He's supposed to be all knowing right? Then he would already know everything that's going to happen.

 

[Cypress]

In non-dual traditions, God & human are non-different.
So maybe God is occasionally surprised by himself/herself?

 

[PolyHedral]

Depends entirely on how well God can see the future.

 

[xxclaro]

I guess it depends on your view of God. In the Bible,God is constantly surprised by humans,so I would say yes.:yes: However, the Bible also states that God is all-knowing,so I would say no:no: Make sense?

 

[Beaudreaux]

Well, look at this one for example, in the bible, it states homosexuality is a sin, however it says nothing about viewing images of homosexual practices as being a sin, so those who wrote the bible, didn't fathom this as a possibility.

There are some believe, that god is in control of everything, that he's allowed science and technology to advance to allow such things to exist, that our will to create, is controlled by god's grand design. However I don't believe this to be the case, if god didn't want to be surprised by what we as a human race can create, have created, and will create, then humans wouldn't be instilled with free will.

So, do you think humans can surprise God?

 

[Beaudreaux]

I guess it depends on your view of God. In the Bible,God is constantly surprised by humans,so I would say yes.:yes: However, the Bible also states that God is all-knowing,so I would say no:no: Make sense?

How could that possibly make sense?

 

[McBell]

How could that possibly make sense?

Um...
Think "Trinity"

:run:

 

[jonman122]

no, god would not be surprised by humanity if he is all knowing, and if he is all knowing then we don't actually have free will. That concept is one of the easiest to grasp, but still for some reason people don't think it's right because god is above our knowledge.

just like my cancer-curing tomatoes

 

[fantome profane]

If “God” cannot be surprised I wonder what would be the point of anything .

 

[fantome profane]

Well, look at this one for example, in the bible, it states homosexuality is a sin, however it says nothing about viewing images of homosexual practices as being a sin, so those who wrote the bible, didn't fathom this as a possibility.

I doubt that. Porn has been around since the beginning of humankind (and possibly before that). Not video perhaps, but pornographic images, etched in stone, scrawled on animal skins, made into clay figurines etc. Not only were some of the authors of the Bible aware of this, they were downright obsessed with this.

 

[wmjbyatt]

Beaudreaux, if you're wondering for yourself, you're going to have provide a definition of God. That is, in essence, what this discussion will resolve downwards into. We can determine the feasibility of God being surprised by humans if we begin with God's nature and work upwards from there.

If we accept a classic construction of God wherein God is omniscient, then God could not possibly be surprised. Surprise also mandates a temporal flow, so if God sits outside of time then God could, again, not be surprised.

However, if God exists ONLY in the Now, or if God and the individual are inseparable, then God could, theoretically, be surprised, absolutely.

 

[Father Heathen]

We will surprise god by becoming god, i.e. we will surprise ourselves.

 

[Gauss]

First I do not recognize humans as animals, animals were created for mankind. Secondly, I believe humans can surprise Gods in both ways after they are sent down here. One chooses between becoming a good man or a bad man. In modern times mankind became bad b ut recently some people have started working tremendously hard to improve themselves. These people are called self-cultivators and they surprise Gods in a positive way.

 

[jonman122]

First I do not recognize humans as animals, animals were created for mankind. Secondly, I believe humans can surprise Gods in both ways after they are sent down here. One chooses between becoming a good man or a bad man. In modern times mankind became bad b ut recently some people have started working tremendously hard to improve themselves. These people are called self-cultivators and they surprise Gods in a positive way.

i like how in correlation with this more people are becoming Atheists. Coincidence?

 

[Gauss]

You are right I guess, Master Li Hongzhi has explained that good creates bad in proportion, so during these times, exceptionally good people will create exceptionally bad people to create a balance of good and bad. Look at China where you have 100 million Falun Gong practitioners and some extremely evil people who persecute them(no coincidence as all the prophecies explain). The good ones will prevail and the evil ones will perish forever.

Of course this is only my understanding at my level of cultivation. In cultivation one learns that absolute truth can only be seen at the highest level of this cosmos. The nearer you get to that level the closer to absolute truth you get. Hence what my third eye sees can only give me an insight at my level of wisdom.

 

[jonman122]

You are right I guess, Master Li Hongzhi has explained that good creates bad in proportion, so during these times, exceptionally good people will create exceptionally bad people to create a balance of good and bad. Look at China where you have 100 million Falun Gong practitioners and some extremely evil people who persecute them(no coincidence as all the prophecies explain). The good ones will prevail and the evil ones will perish forever.

Of course this is only my understanding at my level of cultivation. In cultivation one learns that absolute truth can only be seen at the highest level of this cosmos. The nearer you get to that level the closer to absolute truth you get. Hence what my third eye sees can only give me an insight at my level of wisdom.

maybe thats why the fundamentalist religious types are becoming more open to attacking others, because there are more Atheists doing good in the world now trying to stop the spread of religion from soiling any more of our scientific progress with such things as "creationism" which you seem to endorse.

 

[Thief]

All-knowing and prophetic are not the same thing.

 

[Beaudreaux]

All-knowing and prophetic are not the same thing.

What's the difference?