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Nature of God, Omniscience (including free will) (Anselm's four…
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God as eternal
Boethius says;
To understand knowledge, we must understand the nature of the knower
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Eternity is the 'simultaneous possession of boundless life' - God possess all at the same time all of existence
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We don't have boundless life, so we live from moment to moment - from past to present to future
However, God does have boundless life, and he cannot have 'lost' the past and doesn't have the future to look forward to . God is always infinitely present to himself.
For Boethius, eternity is something that God holds all in one go.
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Eternal;
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If God is eternal and knows the future, are our choices really made freely?
If God does know the future, that would hold him responsible for the problem of evil
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If He is eternal, is He able to choose one action over another?
Everlasting;
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If He isn't aware of our choices, is He still worthy of being worshiped?
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Did God exist before time? If he hasn't, has time always existed? Would this be logical?
If God is everlasting, then he changes with time. Can a perfect God really change?
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Boethius' views takes into account the problem that if God is eternal, how can we be morally responsible for our actions?
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He rejects the idea of a 'simultaneous present' saying the idea is not coherent - it isn't right to say that God sees any two events at the same time
He says the eternal, unchanging idea of God must be rejected as it is not a God who can have relationships with humans, and relationship are central to the way the world is ordered.
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Omnipotence
Aquinas said that logical possibility meant that God can only do what a perfect God can do, and therefore he cannot sin.
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The idea that God can do things that are logically impossible, would mean that he can make a square circle or make 2+2=5
As all logic comes from God, he can change or suspend logic.
Aquinas argued that God could do everything that was logically possible, which doesn't cause a contradiction.
For example, God can't create a square circle because it simply cannot exist.
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Some thinker have suggested that in creating a limited universe, God decided that he would only work within the natural laws that he created
Benevolence
God's benevolence suggests that is attitude of compassion, love and fairness.
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God's benevolence is relational, total, linked to justice and judgement. It is fair, holy and expected to be found in his followers
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Aquinas argued that justice is God doing the right thing, even if this involves punishment.
This results in many Christians not having a problem in believing that God condemns some to hell, or even predestines them to hell, before they are even born.
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Christians believe that God's benevolence is shown through; creation, interventions, miracle and the incarnation of Jesus, answered prayers, commandments and the covenant.
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Christians see faith as having the final say. Even if we don't fully understand the world, God's revelation still assures Christians that his attributes do work together
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