nazz
Doubting Thomas
but קֶדֶם qedem, doesn't mean eternal in the sense you are referring to.
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What is the religious definition of eternity?
- Thread starter NoNeed4god
- Start date
but קֶדֶם qedem, doesn't mean eternal in the sense you are referring to.
nazz
Doubting Thomas
No. Nothing cannot exist. But there was something "before" space and time. And that original something is the source of all that exists including space, time, and any and all gods.
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I guess God would not qualify as a thing, and could exist in a dimension of no-thing-ness.
I think things composed of particles require space and time within which to exist. I don't think of "God" like a person, or other substance composed of particles.
psychoslice
Veteran Member
The mind body organism can never know of eternity, eternity is beyond the mind. The mind body organism arises from pure Source or Consciousness, this is where you find what is called eternity, but in truth eternity is beyond time and space, so the concept of eternity is just that, a concept.......as I said the mind cannot get it, drop the mind and you will at least tast what is beyond the mind, this is known as Enlightenment.
NoNeed4god
Member
How can there be "something" before space and time? What did that "something" exist in and during what time did that "something" exist?
nazz
Doubting Thomas
It's hard to talk about it with words. "Before space and time" and anything is just a human way of looking at it. It did not exist in any place or time. Space and time are just expressions of it.
NoNeed4god
Member
If god isn't composed of "something" i.e. particles, and doesn't have any mass, energy, etc, then how can anyone consider god to be anything more than a figment of their imagination? No disrespect to believers, these are just honest questions that are unanswered in my mind, that I'm sincerely curious about and that I'd like to get other people's feedback on!
NoNeed4god
Member
Thanks for your feedback nazz! I'm not trying to change anybody's mind about the way they think. I am just trying to get people to think critically and by doing so, I am forced into critical thought as well by listening to other people's opinions on the matter.
Skwim
Veteran Member
Where is this said?
That, among a lot of other Biblical conundrums, is for Christians to chew out. As an English term, however, "eternal" deals with time.
It unends in all 10 directions.It doesn't unend in both directions.
I don't see your questions as disrespectful. I think it is important to ask honest questions and seek honest answers. I respect that.
I will come back and answer these questions.
(Today is a special day in our household and everyone is now waiting on me and asking when I'm going to get off RF, so I will have to continue this later. I will answer your question.)
Skwim
Veteran Member
I swear that you multidimensional beings will be my undoing yet. :slap:It unends in all 10 directions.
nazz
Doubting Thomas
Is love made of particles?
idea
Question Everything
Eternity is not related to time - it is timeless, or without time, or not bounded by time.
Repox
Truth Seeker
I am not sure about the "religious definition of eternity" inasmuch as there are so many religions. I prefer to synthesized ideas about God and eternity and to reach my own conclusion.
For me, God is eternal because He created all creatures, including Angels. God's eternity must be the absence of time, or no beginning and no ending. Because it is impossible to know the mind or God, we can only speculate. Humans are handicapped by language, a delimiting structure based on culture within a time bound world. The creator has no such handicap, no language restrictions, no grammar to negotiate, and no culture to derive meaning. Outside of time, God's view is beyond our understanding. We can however discuss how God's creatures confront time, a concept related to eternity.
When God created the angels, He created a time line in heaven. For each angel, time is different, but because they were created to be with God for all of eternity, time is of little importance in heaven. Then, when God created the universe, He created a time line for mortal creatures. For humans, time is extremely important, it determines :faint:life in an evolving and changing world. Because we can only relate to time, we have a very limited understanding of eternity. If time is a product of God's creation, eternity is beyond understanding.
Many ideas about God and eternity have been proposed. My favorite idea is that God knows everything that happens before it happens. Well, then why can't God eliminate bad outcomes? I think you have to infer that God has moral character. If it where not so, you could infer that we are all robots without purpose, or we just carry out the program. At this junction, religion becomes relevant, or even philosophy, or any discipline that discusses the meaning of life, and those meanings in the context of human experience.
For me, God is eternal because He created all creatures, including Angels. God's eternity must be the absence of time, or no beginning and no ending. Because it is impossible to know the mind or God, we can only speculate. Humans are handicapped by language, a delimiting structure based on culture within a time bound world. The creator has no such handicap, no language restrictions, no grammar to negotiate, and no culture to derive meaning. Outside of time, God's view is beyond our understanding. We can however discuss how God's creatures confront time, a concept related to eternity.
When God created the angels, He created a time line in heaven. For each angel, time is different, but because they were created to be with God for all of eternity, time is of little importance in heaven. Then, when God created the universe, He created a time line for mortal creatures. For humans, time is extremely important, it determines :faint:life in an evolving and changing world. Because we can only relate to time, we have a very limited understanding of eternity. If time is a product of God's creation, eternity is beyond understanding.
Many ideas about God and eternity have been proposed. My favorite idea is that God knows everything that happens before it happens. Well, then why can't God eliminate bad outcomes? I think you have to infer that God has moral character. If it where not so, you could infer that we are all robots without purpose, or we just carry out the program. At this junction, religion becomes relevant, or even philosophy, or any discipline that discusses the meaning of life, and those meanings in the context of human experience.
idea
Question Everything
I believe God is composed of something
(Doctrine and Covenants | Section 131:7)
7 There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes.
Eternity is timeless. But time exists within the eternal. So does all things.
Time is relative to form. Not to the formless.
Time is a circle drawn on a piece of paper. The eternal is the paper on which the circle is drawn.
idea
Question Everything
The difference between someone saying "I love you enough to die for you" vs. someone actually physically dieing for you - one is just a nice idea, the other is a physical reality.
Love manifests through particles.
NoNeed4god
Member
No nazz, but love is an emotion that we are able to test and doesn't claim to be outside the dimensions of space and time, like god does. In other words, love is present in our everyday lives and can be seen and shown to others, god cannot be tested, seen, or shown to others. Once again, no disrespect. This is just the way I perceive it. I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, I just find the topic fascinating and enjoy discussing it with others, so thanks again for your reply!