Why did God create the universe?

[Whateverist]

I know. Was everything perfect with God before He got busy, or did he create shit because His 'world' was deficient without us all? Was it perfect for him in the void before? If not, was there any rhyme or reason to when He got around to creating it all? Did He nail the timing of creation? Was creation for His pleasure or for us? Was He being self-indulgent or beneficent?

If creation flowed from his generosity (rather than boredom) I wonder why He chose to make us so much less than himself - mortal, limited, omni-nothing. Was that the best He could do? Or did He like having such an enormous power differential? Perhaps He thought: "if I make them really dim and needy they can sing my praises all day, behold Me in awe, and worship everything about Me". Kind of like a man who wants to marry a woman he feels superior to.

[Darwinian]

Pretty simple question that I've never gotten an answer to while I was a Christian. For what reason did God create the universe? Did he have a reason? Did he need to create the universe?

You have been given a window into His nature. After all apart of you was made in His image. So put yourself in a state of nothingness, and ask yourself would you remain there? if so how long before you decided to make a change well with in your ablity to do so?

I think I would have had far more respect for a simple "I don't know."

[Cato]

Astarte told him to.

[Drich]

You're thinking of God in temporal terms.

Aside from identifying 'temporal terms' do you really understand what it is to be outside of time? We do not even have the ablity to be able to verbalize existance outside of ordered time as we know it. so how else can one truly express the nature of existence outside of liner time with out referencing liner time if he is bound by it? So the cloest we can describe an existance outside of time is by pointing to eternity.

You're also treating nothing like it's something.

Same problem, how can one describe a concept of absolute nothingness is all we know are point of creation with nothing in it? It is a concept forgein to us if you are honest with yourself. For even in the nothingness of space you are still apart of creation. so how else can one describe the void in which creation was spoken out of, without pointing to or treating 'nothing like something."

Good observations though. However I do not see any other way to communicate the state and existance in which inspired creation aside from what was said. If you have suggestions I am open to them.

And from what I'm gathering you seem to be saying that God got lonely?

Yes.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Love gives and never ceases giving.

[Drich]

[quote='Chuck' pid='295126' dateline='1338926399']

Since you claim god always was, it would then appear that he must have been fine with a state of nothingness for an infinite length of time.

As Capt. P said before creation there was no time.
This only leaves God.

What was he doing immersed in nothing, I wonder, before he finally decided to put an end to it all and conjure up some free-will to torment.

don't know. Maybe I will get to ask Him one day for you.

[DeistPaladin]

Pretty simple question that I've never gotten an answer to while I was a Christian. For what reason did God create the universe? Did he have a reason? Did he need to create the universe?

If you don't mind an answer from a deist perspective:

We feel the same need to create and do so for its own sake. You may as well ask me why I wrote my music or why my wife wrote her stories.

[Cato]

You have been given a window into His nature. After all apart of you was made in His image. So put yourself in a state of nothingness, and ask yourself would you remain there? if so how long before you decided to make a change well with in your ablity to do so?

The "well within your ability to do so" comment caught my attention and started me thinking about the quality of the creation. I immediately recalled this bit from George Carlin:

"I want you to know, when it comes to believing in god- I really tried. I really really tried. I tried to believe that there is a god who created each one of us in his own image and likeness, loves us very much and keeps a close eye on things. I really tried to believe that, but I gotta tell you, the longer you live, the more you look around, the more you realize...something is FUCKED-UP. Something is WRONG here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is NOT good work. If this is the best god can do, I am NOT impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. This is the kind of shit you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. And just between you and me, in any decently run universe, this guy would have been out on his all-powerful-ass a long time ago." - [George Carlin, from "You Are All Diseased".]

[Minimalist]

Pretty simple question that I've never gotten an answer to while I was a Christian. For what reason did God create the universe? Did he have a reason? Did he need to create the universe?

You have been given a window into His nature. After all apart of you was made in His image. So put yourself in a state of nothingness, and ask yourself would you remain there? if so how long before you decided to make a change well with in your ablity to do so?

[Drich]

I know. Was everything perfect with God before He got busy, or did he create shit because His 'world' was deficient without us all?

When God creates, it is deem to be 'good." Good however does not always mean complete.

Was it perfect for him in the void before?

The same could be said about perfect. Perfect does not mean complete. Perfect can simply mean;exactly fitting the need in a certain situation or for a certain purpose.(dictionary.com)

If not, was there any rhyme or reason to when He got around to creating it all?

There was, and in part our relationship with Him was a big part of that.

Did He nail the timing of creation?

I don't know what you are asking here.

Was creation for His pleasure or for us?

Why couldn't it serve both of us?

Was He being self-indulgent or beneficent?

Again what is wrong with both?

If creation flowed from his generosity (rather than boredom) I wonder why He chose to make us so much less than himself - mortal, limited, omni-nothing.

Why would He create demi gods if the staunch majority want to rebell? Wouldn't it make more sense to 'test' those who have been given free will and reign over themselves before He puts us in a position of Power? this example has already played out in lucifer and the fallen.
That is why we are told If we are responsiable with very little then we will be given much more. If we are not responsiable with what we have been given then what we have will be taken away and given to someone else.

Was that the best He could do?

Given our nature, i would say yes.

Or did He like having such an enormous power differential? Perhaps He thought: "if I make them really dim and needy they can sing my praises all day, behold Me in awe, and worship everything about Me". Kind of like a man who wants to marry a woman he feels superior to.

What we have been given to in this life are only shadows to what the faith can expect in the next one.

---

You have been given a window into His nature. After all apart of you was made in His image. So put yourself in a state of nothingness, and ask yourself would you remain there? if so how long before you decided to make a change well with in your ablity to do so?

I think I would have had far more respect for a simple "I don't know."

What if we have been given to know? would you respect the same answer?

---

You have been given a window into His nature. After all apart of you was made in His image. So put yourself in a state of nothingness, and ask yourself would you remain there? if so how long before you decided to make a change well with in your ablity to do so?

The "well within your ability to do so" comment caught my attention and started me thinking about the quality of the creation. I immediately recalled this bit from George Carlin:

"I want you to know, when it comes to believing in god- I really tried. I really really tried. I tried to believe that there is a god who created each one of us in his own image and likeness, loves us very much and keeps a close eye on things. I really tried to believe that, but I gotta tell you, the longer you live, the more you look around, the more you realize...something is FUCKED-UP. Something is WRONG here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is NOT good work. If this is the best god can do, I am NOT impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. This is the kind of shit you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. And just between you and me, in any decently run universe, this guy would have been out on his all-powerful-ass a long time ago." - [George Carlin, from "You Are All Diseased".]

If you could only ask George what he thought now.

Unfortunatly George thought that the picture of God painted by religion was the same picture of God painted by scripture. Unfortunatly for him it does not seem that he ventured very far beyond the religion he attributed to God, and when he found fault in it. he attributed to God rather than to the efforts of the men who created and supported said religion.