An inventive mechanism (Evolution)

by David Turell , Saturday, September 13, 2014, 16:39 (3722 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained


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> Tony: Simple question, do you think a) God knows the future in every minute detail, or b) do you think that God has a purpose and shapes events to his will as they unfold in order to fulfill his purpose? As a Jew, this question should be near and dear to your heart. Can you give examples from the OT where YHWH adjusted things in order to fulfill his purpose? I can think of several. How can you believe in free will and still believe in version A, how can you believe in the OT and not believe in version B?-Your questions to me I think imply a very personal God. God gave us free will, so that means He can't anticipate the things humans do, but that was His choice. In that sense I view us on our own. It we get into a nuclear war in my opinion He will not step in to save us, if He can. I don't think God answers personal prayers, but belief in God gives a strength to solve your own problems. So, (a) God knows his future and His plans and how they will work out, but hopes we will work out our problems. (b) As I explain below some of God's interventions in the OT are not accepted as real history, but are stories, accepted by Reform Judaism, to make a moral point. Therefore, I stay with my dilemma, and tend to feel God does not intervene. -I rely on Karen Armstrong's "A History of God" to analyze the three Bibles: the OT is somewhat primative in its picture of God, made fun of by Richard Dawkins as vengeful,vindictive, etc. I've listened to Rabbi's sermons based on Talmudic reasoning which accept much of this as allegory and have heard the deeper reasoning that change the words to a softened view. The OT is a book of love. The Quran has its nasty parts also, but it views God primarily through His works, which I view as a very mature way to find God, the path I have followed.-I consider these three books as man-made attempts to understand our religious feeling, feelings we seem to be born with. I do not 'believe in the OT', but I use aspects of it in my thinking. One God, no Trinity.-I deeply appreciate our discussion.