Why does God have to 'care'?

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Thomas123
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Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #1

Post by Thomas123 »

Caring is a natural trait.
A mountain does not care!
It can be an obstacle or a shelter.
This is how I think God 'cares'( like a mountain)

What am I missing?

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Post #2

Post by Thomas123 »

Personally, I can only assimilate God as an impartial, objective reference.
I cannot envisage any actual, mood, emotion or intent in God's continuous presence except when I ascribe these things subjectively to visible natural movements that I experience.

Do you see things in the same way?

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Charles
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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #3

Post by Charles »

Thomas123 wrote: Caring is a natural trait.
A mountain does not care!
It can be an obstacle or a shelter.
This is how I think God 'cares'( like a mountain)

What am I missing?
ImCo:
GOD has personhood, likes and dislikes and a moral base. Persons care. GOD is a Father in truth, not just simile; HE creates and HE cares.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #4

Post by Dimmesdale »

If a God is a person, he has the qualities that a person has. OR ought to have. Obviously there are narcissists and psychopaths who are persons, yet do not care.

But God is not defective. Part of the definition of God, that is commonly accepted at least, is that he is perfect in everyway. And so if he is a person, he is a perfect person. And a perfect person is not a psychopath.

Everyone who is a balanced human being cares, about himself and others. Without this dynamic, a person is not complete. If God is of the nature of Love, then that admits of relationships and reciprocation of feelings. I believe God is a personal being, thus he cares.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

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Post by Miles »

Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:58 pm If a God is a person, he has the qualities that a person has. OR ought to have. Obviously there are narcissists and psychopaths who are persons, yet do not care.

But God is not defective.
Part of the definition of God, that is commonly accepted at least, is that he is perfect in everyway. And so if he is a person, he is a perfect person. And a perfect person is not a psychopath.
But anyone who makes mistakes is necessarily defective/imperfect in some way.


.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #6

Post by Dimmesdale »

Miles wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:20 pm
Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:58 pm If a God is a person, he has the qualities that a person has. OR ought to have. Obviously there are narcissists and psychopaths who are persons, yet do not care.

But God is not defective.
Part of the definition of God, that is commonly accepted at least, is that he is perfect in everyway. And so if he is a person, he is a perfect person. And a perfect person is not a psychopath.
But anyone who makes mistakes is necessarily defective/imperfect in some way.


.
What is a mistake you can lay at God's account?

Can you prove that it is a mistake?

Define 'mistake.' Is it a moral failing, or a miscalculation of some sort? I think not even God can control the free wills of his creatures. There are casualties in the war for souls, in my opinion.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #7

Post by Miles »

Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:41 pm
Miles wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:20 pm
Dimmesdale wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 1:58 pm If a God is a person, he has the qualities that a person has. OR ought to have. Obviously there are narcissists and psychopaths who are persons, yet do not care.

But God is not defective.
Part of the definition of God, that is commonly accepted at least, is that he is perfect in everyway. And so if he is a person, he is a perfect person. And a perfect person is not a psychopath.
But anyone who makes mistakes is necessarily defective/imperfect in some way.


.
What is a mistake you can lay at God's account?

Can you prove that it is a mistake?

Define 'mistake.' Is it a moral failing, or a miscalculation of some sort? I think not even God can control the free wills of his creatures. There are casualties in the war for souls, in my opinion.
Any action by god which he was sorry for, repented, or regretted can be considered to have been a mistake

Genesis 6:6

ICB

The Lord was sorry he had made human beings on the earth. His heart was filled with pain.

KJV
And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

ESV
And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.



1 Samuel 15:35

CEV
Even though Samuel felt sad about Saul, Samuel never saw him again. The Lord was sorry he had made Saul the king of Israel.

KJ21
And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.

CEB
Samuel never saw Saul again before he died, but he grieved over Saul. However, the Lord regretted making Saul king over Israel.

.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

Post #8

Post by Dimmesdale »

Miles wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:04 pm
Any action by god which he was sorry for, repented, or regretted can be considered to have been a mistake
And what does that prove, that God has regrets?

It certainly doesn't mean he isn't all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good.

Consider this example: I wish to play in a tennis match with my friend.

I know beforehand that I will lose some points. That is the nature of a game of tennis. That is where much of the fun consists. Does my regretting a certain shot in-game, that I miss, cause me to say that the game as a whole was for naught and in vain?

Of course not. Mistakes happen. That is the nature of tennis.

Transpose that into God working on the world. Assuming free will, God knows that there will be casualties in the course of history. And He has the right to grieve for them. God can do all he can to providentially arrange events such that his plans are never thwarted, yet he allows for some sinners to harden their own hearts if that is going to be their expression of free will.

Such hardenings of hearts do not cause God to think the Creation as a whole was in vain.

God doesn't himself make mistakes. But he allows for our mistakes. And he doesn't let those mistakes get in the way of his higher purposes.

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

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Re: Why does God have to 'care'?

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Post by Dimmesdale »

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