Where was God...

[Trailblazer]

God isn't hiding nor sneaky, Man wanted to run things his way, So all God is doing is stepping aside let man have it his way.

I was just joking but in the sense that God never reveals His Essence, God is hiding it.

All though God does has a set time, when God will eventually intervene.
If God does not intervene, Man will only destroy themselves eventually.

So God has sat down a time when God will intervene in the affairs man. To prevent man from destroying themselves.
And that time is upon the world.
That God will intervene

God has already intervened through Baha'u'llah but there is an indication that God will intervene again, and this time it won't be pretty at all...

“The world is in travail, and its agitation waxeth day by day. Its face is turned towards waywardness and unbelief. Such shall be its plight, that to disclose it now would not be meet and seemly. Its perversity will long continue. And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake.Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.” Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 118-119

 

[Trailblazer]

I have been...

 

[MrMrdevincamus]

It is said that God is eternal and created everything. That being the case.....where was God BEFORE God 'created' a place for (Himself) to be?

To answer that question we have to understand the concept of eternal. The concept of 'eternal' is exceedingly difficult to visualize. Since God is eternal he is the uncaused cause. (see psalms 90:2). He being always in exitance eliminates the concept of 'where' and of 'when' and of causality. This means that the Christian God is the uncaused cause and is the only creator. Therefore, 'where' as in 'where was God 'before' he created the universe' requires time, space. And they were not created until the Universe began/was created. This also eliminates the infinite regression problem.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

It is said that God is eternal and created everything. That being the case.....where was God BEFORE God 'created' a place for (Himself) to be?

I think most theists believe God exists outside of space and time, so he doesn't need to create a place for himself to exist. However, I question whether the phrase "exists outside of space and time" is logically contradictory or not. It seems as though existence is contingent upon space and/or time.

 

[shunyadragon]

I think most theists believe God exists outside of space and time, so he doesn't need to create a place for himself to exist. However, I question whether the phrase "exists outside of space and time" is logically contradictory or not. It seems as though existence is contingent upon space and/or time.

The Quantum World of Quantum Mechanics is outside space and time.

 

[osgart]

I do not HAVE to believe that Baha'u'llah knew about science in order to be a Baha'i. I do not care if He knew, because it does not change anything. He had the knowledge of God and that is all I care about that He knew because I can get scientific knowledge by going to college.

I do not have to COVER for Baha'u'llah because He needs no cover.

How do you know Baha'u'llah was more than a mere mortal man? Am i to believe he was divine?

 

[osgart]

If Mohammed, and Bah'u'llah are to be believed as divine messengers then i could never accept that. As for Jesus, you would have to prove he even existed.

The divine messenger plan proves to be greatly ineffective, not to mention inefficient, and truly ambiguous.

At the end of the day, the only things we really know are what we experience ourselves, and what sticks in our memory.

 

[shunyadragon]

How do you know Baha'u'llah was more than a mere mortal man? Am i to believe he was divine?

Humans do nor 'know' we believe as do other theists in their religion.

 

[ACEofALLaces]

If Mohammed, and Bah'u'llah are to be believed as divine messengers then i could never accept that. As for Jesus, you would have to prove he even existed.

The divine messenger plan proves to be greatly ineffective, not to mention inefficient, and truly ambiguous.

At the end of the day, the only things we really know are what we experience ourselves, and what sticks in our memory.

How about that.....a voice of 'reason'.
You are not alone in what you believe.

 

[Trailblazer]

I think most theists believe God exists outside of space and time, so he doesn't need to create a place for himself to exist. However, I question whether the phrase "exists outside of space and time" is logically contradictory or not. It seems as though existence is contingent upon space and/or time.

I think that God is omnipresent, meaning that He knows everything that is going on everywhere all the time, even though God is not constrained by time as we think of time, since God is outside of our earth time zones.

Since God is spirit and not pa physical entity, I think that God exists in the spiritual world, or at least that is where God is more readily perceptible to humans. There is some kind of space and time in the spiritual world, but it is not like the space we experience in the material world, and the time is not the same since it is not measured by the sun, because there is no sun... The following is the best quote I could find related to this subject of time and space and it is tangentially related to where God is.
.

“A friend asked: “How should one look forward to death?”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá answered: “How does one look forward to the goal of any journey? With hope and with expectation. It is even so with the end of this earthly journey. In the next world, man will find himself freed from many of the disabilities under which he now suffers. Those who have passed on through death, have a sphere of their own. It is not removed from ours; their work, the work of the Kingdom, is ours; but it is sanctified from what we call ‘time and place.’ Time with us is measured by the sun. When there is no more sunrise, and no more sunset, that kind of time does not exist for man. Those who have ascended have different attributes from those who are still on earth, yet there is no real separation.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá in London, pp. 95-96​

 

[Trailblazer]

How do you know Baha'u'llah was more than a mere mortal man? Am i to believe he was divine?

I know that Baha'u'llah was more than a mere mortal man because of the evidence; His Person, His Revelation and His Writings.

Baha'u'llah had a two-fold nature, a human nature and a Divine Reality. the best way to explain that is to let Baha'u'llah explain it. The following passage applies to Baha'u'llah and all the other Universal Manifestations of God.

“And since there can be no tie of direct intercourse to bind the one true God with His creation, and no resemblance whatever can exist between the transient and the Eternal, the contingent and the Absolute, He hath ordained that in every age and dispensation a pure and stainless Soul be made manifest in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. Unto this subtle, this mysterious and ethereal Being He hath assigned a twofold nature; the physical, pertaining to the world of matter, and the spiritual, which is born of the substance of God Himself. He hath, moreover, conferred upon Him a double station. The first station, which is related to His innermost reality, representeth Him as One Whose voice is the voice of God Himself..... The second station is the human station, exemplified by the following verses: “I am but a man like you.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 66-67​

 

[MJFlores]

It is said that God is eternal and created everything. That being the case.....where was God BEFORE God 'created' a place for (Himself) to be?

There are things that we as His creatures could not answer.
Where was He before eternity?
Who was the first angel?
Who are the 24 elders with Him in heaven?
What are the functions of the 4 living creatures in heaven?
And many more.

 

[chinu]

Well, from my perspective, something which is "Form-less", "Shape-less", "Body-less", "Place-Less", and we might as well add "Weight-less", and "Mass-less", and of course "Time-less", does not really "exist" at all.

Yes, God resides beyond existence. Because, existence = problem

It is the Creatures, or Man who resides IN existence.

Another name for all Creatures, or Man can also be decoded as "God in Existence"
When a Creature, or a Man jumps beyond existence, Thereafter becomes "God" itself.

Why God created existence ? Why God created this problem ? I am sure this question is buried inside every heart.
Well, the solution to this is to merge-back, or go beyond existence.

The universe can therefore be said to have come into existence, by means of what could be said to have been something on the order of "Spontaneous Expansion/Combustion".

Sorry am not a Scientist

 

[ACEofALLaces]

There are things that we as His creatures could not answer.
Where was He before eternity?
Who was the first angel?
Who are the 24 elders with Him in heaven?
What are the functions of the 4 living creatures in heaven?
And many more.

I bet that there are, if the ones you provided above are an example.
At least MY question is reasonable....yours are simply ridiculous, bordering on ludicrous.
"Where was (He) before eternity?.....you GOTTA be kidding...you aren't serious, are you?...."BEFORE" eternity?

 

[ACEofALLaces]

Well, the solution to this is to merge-back, or go beyond existence.

I am astounded at some of the completely irrational responses I have been getting. I realize that my question may NOT have a rational answer....but to attempt to answer it with something equally irrational, is beyond reason, IMHO, of course.

Sorry am not a Scientist

Neither am I, however I try to not be so obvious about it

 

[ACEofALLaces]

To answer that question we have to understand the concept of eternal. The concept of 'eternal' is exceedingly difficult to visualize. Since God is eternal he is the uncaused cause. (see psalms 90:2). He being always in existance eliminates the concept of 'where' and of 'when' and of causality. This means that the Christian God is the uncaused cause and is the only creator. Therefore, 'where' as in 'where was God 'before' he created the universe' requires time, space. And they were not created until the Universe began/was created. This also eliminates the infinite regression problem.

ALL that, simply to say that you don't know. I honestly don't know either, but I thought I would ask anyway....'just in case'...

 

[ACEofALLaces]

I think most theists believe God exists outside of space and time, so he doesn't need to create a place for himself to exist. However, I question whether the phrase "exists outside of space and time" is logically contradictory or not. It seems as though existence is contingent upon space and/or time.

An interesting point you brought up. Will have to give that one some extra thought and consideration. Thanks

 

[ACEofALLaces]

God has already intervened through Baha'u'llah but there is an indication that God will intervene again, and this time it won't be pretty at all...

This really has nothing directly connected to this discussion..but I gotta ask anyway.
If God is really ALL-KNOWING, what would be the point of having someone like Baha'u'llah "receive messages" FROM this God, IF the God already KNOWS what any one of us humans are going to do anyway?

 

[Trailblazer]

This really has nothing directly connected to this discussion..but I gotta ask anyway.
If God is really ALL-KNOWING, what would be the point of having someone like Baha'u'llah "receive messages" FROM this God, IF the God already KNOWS what any one of us humans are going to do anyway?

Baha'u'llah receives messages so humans will know the Will of God... It not as if Baha'u'llah communicates back to God about what humans are thinking or doing, it is a one-way communication from God to Baha'u'llah...
As you said, God ALREADY knows everything us humans are going to do.

 

[ACEofALLaces]

Baha'u'llah receives messages so humans will know the Will of God

But it's not REALLY God's "will", is it, if God already has (His) mind made up?

... It not as if Baha'u'llah communicates back to God about what humans are thinking or doing, it is a one-way communication from God to Baha'u'llah...

So, what you're saying then, is that God doesn't "listen" to Baha'u'llah anymore than (He) "listens" to us?

As you said, God ALREADY knows everything us humans are going to do.

Which brings me back to home base again.....that being the case, then why BOTHER?