Steven Hawking backs Christian Theology

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is God able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able or willing?
Then why call him God?

-Epicurus


[edit on 3-9-2010 by Crimelab]

There is a big difference between "nothing" and "no thing" but it is impossible to say what.

Romantic_Rebel:

Real quick! What is the Christian God exactly? Christianity is the largest religion with numerous sects. Most worship Jesus as God in human form. Which contradicts Judaism view of God.

Can you check this out?
www.usbible.com...

This is a classic story from the Bible which talks about a pre existing universe.

Sorry for not responding very quickly.

For your first question, as far as I am aware, the Christian God is the God proposed in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I am afraid I do not quite see how this reflects an answer to how God is nothing.

If you could better explain, it would help me very much.

As for your second part on there being a pre existing universe, I also do not quite understand how this explains how God is nothing and that is what Hawking was referring to. And just to say, I do not see how the first part of Genesis was referring to a previous universe. I will visit your link soon and read more.

Or perhaps I have missed your point. I hope to receive a response so I can better understand.

Kind regards

reply to post by Hitotsumami


Oh Im so sorry I missed that.

"Does a spirit have any kind of characteristic?

Yes it does. To Love and to Know. Knowledge serves love.
And this is perhaps the bottom line as to why "nothing" God created

Because he 'knew' that we would 'love' it. (not saying that God is a he or anything)

[edit on 3-9-2010 by oliveoil]

Originally posted by Hitotsumami

Romantic_Rebel:

Real quick! What is the Christian God exactly? Christianity is the largest religion with numerous sects. Most worship Jesus as God in human form. Which contradicts Judaism view of God.

Can you check this out?
www.usbible.com...

This is a classic story from the Bible which talks about a pre existing universe.

Sorry for not responding very quickly.

For your first question, as far as I am aware, the Christian God is the God proposed in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I am afraid I do not quite see how this reflects an answer to how God is nothing.

If you could better explain, it would help me very much.

As for your second part on there being a pre existing universe, I also do not quite understand how this explains how God is nothing and that is what Hawking was referring to. And just to say, I do not see how the first part of Genesis was referring to a previous universe. I will visit your link soon and read more.

Or perhaps I have missed your point. I hope to receive a response so I can better understand.

Kind regards

I know your probably not religious like myself. Judaism and Christianity are two very different beliefs. Even though you can have peanut butter and jelly on your sandwich doesn't mean their the same.
www.messiahtruth.com...
Here's a great place to start to understand the difference between the two.

Originally posted by oliveoil
reply to post by Hitotsumami

 

Oh Im so sorry I missed that.

"Does a spirit have any kind of characteristic?

Yes it does. To Love and to Know. Knowledge serves love.
And this is perhaps the bottom line as to why "nothing" God created

Thank you for the response.

If God has characteristics, than how can it be nothing? As far as I am aware, nothing has no characteristics.

I am very sorry if I am not understanding correctly and will be happy to learn more if you explain further.

Kind regards

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

John ch5 v18- "He called God his Father, making himself equal with God"- the Jews recognised that he was making this claim, which is why they wanted to stone him.

I've been through all this argument before on a thread in BTS, so I wouldn't want to do any more than look up the link to that thead.
Anyway, this is a thread about the Creation, on which Judaism and Christianity are on the same side.

Originally posted by Hitotsumami

Originally posted by oliveoil
reply to post by Hitotsumami

 

Oh Im so sorry I missed that.

"Does a spirit have any kind of characteristic?

Yes it does. To Love and to Know. Knowledge serves love.
And this is perhaps the bottom line as to why "nothing" God created

Thank you for the response.

If God has characteristics, than how can it be nothing? As far as I am aware, nothing has no characteristics.

I am very sorry if I am not understanding correctly and will be happy to learn more if you explain further.

Kind regards

Here's some info you might like as well. I believe this is where OP was coming from.
judaism.about.com...

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel


Thank you for the response.

I am indeed not religious. I also agree that Judaism and Christianity is not the same. Why are you providing this information and how does it relate to the subject of the thread? I'm afraid I don't quite understand.

Very sorry if I am missing your point.

Kind regards

Originally posted by EnlightenUp
There is a big difference between "nothing" and "no thing" but it is impossible to say what.

Regardless of if 'nothing' is no-thing, Its still something. Nothing is never nothing ,Its always gonna be something.

Originally posted by DISRAELI
reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

 

John ch5 v18- "He called God his Father, making himself equal with God"- the Jews recognised that he was making this claim, which is why they wanted to stone him.

I've been through all this argument before on a thread in BTS, so I wouldn't want to do any more than look up the link to that thead.
Anyway, this is a thread about the Creation, on which Judaism and Christianity are on the same side.

Did you read the link I provided?
www.messiahtruth.com...
No man can be equal to God.

Originally posted by Hitotsumami
reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

 

Thank you for the response.

I am indeed not religious. I also agree that Judaism and Christianity is not the same. Why are you providing this information and how does it relate to the subject of the thread? I'm afraid I don't quite understand.

Very sorry if I am missing your point.

Kind regards

Because the concept of God is different in Judaism and Christianity. A lot of people are confused as to what the OT and NT are trying say.

reply to post by Hitotsumami


Does love and knowledge have any material characteristics?

They are most certainly not nothing. Oh wait a minute. if they are not something they must be nothing.

[edit on 3-9-2010 by oliveoil]

[edit on 3-9-2010 by oliveoil]

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

Here's some info you might like as well. I believe this is where OP was coming from.
judaism.about.com...

Thank you for the link. I quickly read through it. The one line that stuck out was as follows:

God is incorporeal.
In Judaism, God has no body, God is non-physical. Any mention of God's body is considered to be metaphorical. Any physical representation of God, such as the Golden Calf, is considered to be idolatry. As God has no body, He has no gender. While God is referred to in masculine terms and the Shechinah (Divine presence that fills the universe) is referred to in feminine terms, God is actually neither male nor female.

I think that just because it is not physical and exists outside our universe does not mean it is nothing.

God has attributes, so I still do not see how it can be 'nothing'. It may be nothing in our universe, but it must have some kind of being to have attributes.

Kind regards

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

Because the concept of God is different in Judaism and Christianity. A lot of people are confused as to what the OT and NT are trying say.

Thanks for the response.

As far as I am aware, the thread title is specifying how the Christian Bible represents God, so this is what I am responding to.

Kind regards

Originally posted by Hitotsumami
reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

 

Here's some info you might like as well. I believe this is where OP was coming from.
judaism.about.com...

Thank you for the link. I quickly read through it. The one line that stuck out was as follows:

God is incorporeal.
In Judaism, God has no body, God is non-physical. Any mention of God's body is considered to be metaphorical. Any physical representation of God, such as the Golden Calf, is considered to be idolatry. As God has no body, He has no gender. While God is referred to in masculine terms and the Shechinah (Divine presence that fills the universe) is referred to in feminine terms, God is actually neither male nor female.

I think that just because it is not physical and exists outside our universe does not mean it is nothing.

God has attributes, so I still do not see how it can be 'nothing'. It may be nothing in our universe, but it must have some kind of being to have attributes.

Kind regards

Well that means God is everywhere. Everything is God's to began with and he can give more.

reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

I've seen all those arguments before.
Briefly;
Jesus was both God and man.
As man he was not equal to God.
As God he was equal to God.
But this is all off-topic, so we must not continue this dicussion.
Let's talk about Creation, yes?

Originally posted by Hitotsumami
Does this mean the universe has always been? If it has always been, why is a God required for the universe to be at all?

Thanks again for the reply

Kind regards

Yes. God is the male and matter is the female. The two become a unity of all. Without the spirit of God the material world could not exist. The two halves make one whole and everything within is the life of eternity between them. That is the reality of the heavens and it is infinite.

Originally posted by Hitotsumami
reply to post by Romantic_Rebel

 

Because the concept of God is different in Judaism and Christianity. A lot of people are confused as to what the OT and NT are trying say.

Thanks for the response.

As far as I am aware, the thread title is specifying how the Christian Bible represents God, so this is what I am responding to.

Kind regards

Shouldn't you have to look at the OT to know the beginning? Not bashing Christianity. Christians view the Torah different then the Jews. So they will interpret it different. If you want to U2U me I can go into detail of Judaism and Christianity differences.

Originally posted by oliveoil
reply to post by Hitotsumami

 

Does love and knowledge have any material characteristics?

They are most certainly not nothing. Oh wait a minute. if they are not something they must be nothing.

[edit on 3-9-2010 by oliveoil]

[edit on 3-9-2010 by oliveoil]

Thanks for the response.

You are correct in saying that love and knowledge are certainly not nothing. As far as I am aware, love and knowledge are electrical impulses and are stored in the brain.

However, even if God was not physically made of anything, it is still not 'nothing'. I will post a previous quote of mine:

I think that just because it is not physical and exists outside our universe does not mean it is nothing.

God has attributes, so I still do not see how it can be 'nothing'. It may be nothing in our universe, but it must have some kind of being to have attributes.

If I am still not getting your point, I hope you will further explain so I am able to.

Kind regards