Is God Aware of Being God?

[ThePainefulTruth]

Those other things are not compatible with omniscience....they belong to the world of the finite

Sounds boring as hell. And how do you know they're incompatible with omniscience anyway?

 

[Kirran]

In my school of thought God/Brahman is best defined as pure sat-cit-ananda (being-awareness-bliss). Awareness is what God is. It's fundamental and has no components.

I think 'best defined' is an important term here. This isn't, in my view, what Brahman is, but is a description of the experience of form of Saguna Brahman closest to Nirguna Brahman. Realising Nirguna Brahman is a nonexperience, and therefore can't be described.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

Assuming god exists, are there any reasonable grounds on which god can be said to have self-awareness. i.e. consciousness?

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

I'm not trying to suggest that a scriptural citation equates to "reasonable grounds." However, it provides demonstrable evidence that the monotheistic Judeo-Christian faiths are worshiping a being that they believe is aware of its own existence.

Additionally, the Bible demonstrates God's raging, unchecked ego in case after case after case.

If so, what are those grounds? If not, why not?

Interesting question(s) ... even if we set the scriptures aside.

Does an allegedly omnipotent/omniscient being know it is omnipotent/omniscient? And that question prompts what are perhaps even more interesting questions: If such a being knows what it's going to do before it does it, does such a being have free will?

Don't Christians typically claim that their god cannot choose to do evil? That it'd be a violation of the very nature of their god for that to happen? Yet they also claim that humanity can opt to do evil. Does it follow that they're worshiping a creator deity whose creations are capable of doing more than it can itself?

 

[Kolibri]

Additionally, the Bible demonstrates God's raging, unchecked ego in case after case after case.

Proper "jealousy" or "exclusive devotion" is not a bad thing. (There is certainly improper jealousy). Re 4:11 states that God is worthy of this exclusiveness in devotion as it was "because of his will [that all things] came into existence and were created."

Because the Jews were in a legal contract, or covenant with their God, they were more accountable to him then the rest of mankind in general. So their reliance on other Gods and national neighbors for blessings or saving acts was seen as prostitution. Because they were his people, the way the neighbors rejoiced in their discipline was taken into account too. The book of Obadiah called Edom to account for the way they gleefully watched and took part in making matters worse for the Jews when Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C.E. (Obadiah 11-14) Their attitude and actions made them enemies of the God that the Hebrews were contracted to be loyal too. The Israelite nation was an adulterous wife to Jehovah, but she was still his wife. And yet if we read the book of Jonah, we can see that Jehovah is not a person that looks to destroy, but he is a person who looks for a reason to forgive. Jonah said he ran because he was afraid God would show mercy and make him look like a false prophet. (Jonah 4:2)

Jehovah's ego is appropriate to his sovereignty. He has nothing to be modest about as he has no limitations. But he is humble. (Ps 18:35)

 

[Nakosis]

For "God", whatever the ground of being is, I don't think there exists a "self" to be aware of.
I think there is the potential of self to manifest. However once manifested it is no longer accurate to describe as God.

Once self has manifested/been defined it is no longer omnipotent/omniscient. It no longer can be other then self or have knowledge of being other than what is defined. Nor can self become God and remain self.

God exists in the absence of self and self exists in the absence of God. The absence of God is of course an illusion but an illusion necessary for experiencing self.

 

[NulliuSINverba]

Proper "jealousy" or "exclusive devotion" is not a bad thing. (There is certainly improper jealousy). Re 4:11 states that God is worthy of this exclusiveness in devotion as it was "because of his will [that all things] came into existence and were created."

It is alleged that God created everything, therefore God is allowed to act badly? Is that what you're saying?

The Israelite nation was an adulterous wife to Jehovah, but she was still his wife.

Am I to take that assertion literally, or is it an example of poetical language?

And yet if we read the book of Jonah, we can see that Jehovah is not a person that looks to destroy, but he is a person who looks for a reason to forgive.

Wow. How long did it take for him to figure that out? Why couldn't he have simply forgiven Adam and Eve? Why all the Downfall of Man hoop-jumping and the apparently unavoidable crucifixion fiasco?

Jonah said he ran because he was afraid God would show mercy and make him look like a false prophet. (Jonah 4:2)

"I've never let that fear stop me from shootin' off my mouth in the name of The Almighty, amen!"

Jehovah's ego is appropriate to his sovereignty. He has nothing to be modest about as he has no limitations. But he is humble. (Ps 18:35)

God is humble? Please. Spare me.

It's worth noting that scores of translators have evidently been unable to bring themselves to arrive at the word "humble" from the copy of the copy of the copy of the copy (Ad nauseam) that they're working from.

Some translate it out as "help" or "gentleness" or "discipline."

The Darby Translation renders the word(s) from Psalm 18:35 as "condescending gentleness."