I think it's a good question. I think about it often.

(February 7, 2018 at 10:17 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: I have a question for our Christians:  Why did God create people?   Further, why did he create anything at all?

Hey, watching monkeys throw poo at each other amuses one only for a limited time, if you catch my drift.

(February 8, 2018 at 9:41 am)alpha male Wrote:

(February 8, 2018 at 9:28 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: So, god was lonely?

No. Fellowship with man can't compare with the fellowship of the trinity.

So, the words ‘love’ and ‘companionship’ have different meanings to god than they do to us?  So, your answer doesn’t actually answer my question, since his reasons, according to you, are neither love nor companionship, as we understand them.  So, again: why?

Quote:If god is so perfect and complete within himself, where did this yearning for parenthood and companionship come from?  Was he missing something?

Quote:don't know. Desires don't necessarily come from needs, so we can't say whether God needed something just from the fact of creation.

Let me ask you: how does an omniscient, omnipresent entity, who (according to Steve’s accountings) experiences all points in time simultaneously, experience desire?  Desire implies a linearity; a time-line with points that represent first, a time when god desired something he did not presently have, and then a time after he had fulfilled that desire?

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(February 8, 2018 at 9:57 am)Wololo Wrote:

(February 7, 2018 at 10:17 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: I have a question for our Christians:  Why did God create people?   Further, why did he create anything at all?

Hey, watching monkeys throw poo at each other amuses one only for a limited time, if you catch my drift.

Hey, you don’t have to follow along.  

(February 8, 2018 at 10:00 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(February 8, 2018 at 9:41 am)alpha male Wrote: No. Fellowship with man can't compare with the fellowship of the trinity.

So, the words ‘love’ and ‘companionship’ have different meanings to god than they do to us?

Not so far, but you're free to explain your reasoning for the charge, rather than just phrasing it in the form of a question as if it's self-evident. I don't see Alex Trebek anywhere...

Quote:Let me ask you: how does an omniscient, omnipresent entity, who (according to Steve’s accountings) experiences all points in time simultaneously, experience desire?  Desire implies a linearity; a time-line with points that represent first, a time when god desired something he did not presently have, and then a time after he had fulfilled that desire?

You should try asking Steve.

(February 8, 2018 at 10:05 am)alpha male Wrote:

(February 8, 2018 at 10:00 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: So, the words ‘love’ and ‘companionship’ have different meanings to god than they do to us?

Not so far, but you're free to explain your reasoning for the charge, rather than just phrasing it in the form of a question as if it's self-evident. I don't see Alex Trebek anywhere...

Heh?!  I’m asking you to clarify what you meant. You said god had a desire for love and companionship, but that these desires differ (categorically?) from the desire for love and companionship that humans experience for one another.

Quote:Let me ask you: how does an omniscient, omnipresent entity, who (according to Steve’s accountings) experiences all points in time simultaneously, experience desire?  Desire implies a linearity; a time-line with points that represent first, a time when god desired something he did not presently have, and then a time after he had fulfilled that desire?

Quote:You should try asking Steve.

Why so defensive?  I’d love to hear from Steve. Do you agree with that  portrayal of god’s nature?  Or, do you have something else in mind?  I’m curious to hear everyone’s perspective.

(February 8, 2018 at 10:18 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: Heh?!  I’m asking you to clarify what you meant. You said god had a desire for love and companionship, but that these desires differ (categorically?) from the desire for love and companionship that humans experience for one another.

Not categorically, they differ in extent.

Quote:Why so defensive?

Because you're being aggressive I suppose.

Quote:I’d love to hear from Steve.  Do you agree with that  portrayal of god’s nature?  Or, do you have something else in mind?  I’m curious to hear everyone’s perspective.

I probably agree with it with regard to this universe.

(February 7, 2018 at 10:17 pm)LadyForCamus Wrote: I have a question for our Christians:  Why did God create people?   Further, why did he create anything at all?

Good questions. 

Why do we desire friendship, spouses? How about the desire to have children? I think it is because relationships add a specific kind of value to the lives of both people. There is joy when the other person succeeds, there is a desire to help when the other is in needs, there is greater satisfaction in shared experiences, there is comfort when there is tragedy, and there is a feeling of peacefulness when everything is good between two people.

I think God created us for those and similar reasons: An eternal relationship has value both to us and to God.

(February 8, 2018 at 9:14 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:

(February 8, 2018 at 8:14 am)alpha male Wrote: Rev 4:11
“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure* they are, and were created.”

Some, perhaps most, translations say "by thy will" here. Personally I agree with the KJV above.

So, for fun basically?  we’re toys?

Why did you decide to have children? For fun? Are your kids toys?

(February 8, 2018 at 10:00 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: Let me ask you: how does an omniscient, omnipresent entity, who (according to Steve’s accountings) experiences all points in time simultaneously, experience desire?  Desire implies a linearity; a time-line with points that represent first, a time when god desired something he did not presently have, and then a time after he had fulfilled that desire?

That is definitely not my belief. God does not experience all points in time simultaneously. Quite the contrary. Before the universe: timeless, since the moment of creation: temporal. Given that, there is no logical contradiction in God having a relationship with someone or experiencing desires.

Certainly wouldn't drown them all if they misbehaved.