Can I believe this and still be Catholic?

[jredden92]

I have this idea about God being a vast Spirit throughout and everywhere in the universe but also boundlessly larger than the universe going to infinity in all directions. I’m just wondering if an idea like this is against Catholic thoughts about God. It sounds like Panentheism. The CCC talks about Pantheism being a problem but doesn’t mention Panentheism specifically so does that mean I’m in the clear?

Thanks

 

[tafan2]

Your idea, while recognizing an infinite God, seems to give God a spatial existence (the part about going to infinity in all directions). God is outside if all space and time. He is not part of His creation. But He is present in all places at all times.

 

[ralfyman]

There are several points raised here:

Explain why panentheism is/is not heresy Philosophy

I am just a simple Catholic but I have been wrestling with the idea of panentheism for some time now, hence my interest in this thread. In answer to your question I would say that the Church teaches that creation ex nihilo is true. According to: catecheticsonline.com/SourcesofDogma19.php 1800 [The true progress of knowledge, both natural and revealed] .For, the doctrine of faith which God revealed has not been handed down as a philosophic invention to the human mind to be perfected, bu…

 

[jredden92]

I don’t think of God as being a part of creation but throughout creation so he’s immanent but he also extends beyond the boundaries of the universe so he’s also transcendant.

 

[tafan2]

Certainly he is transcendent, but he does not “go on to infinity in every direction”. That would makes His existence spatial.

 

[jredden92]

So God doesn’t take up space? I guess I’m misunderstanding what God being infinite means. Maybe the problem is I’m trying to conceive a God that can’t be conceived.

 

[tafan2]

That’s right , space and time are part of God’s creation. God exists in eternity. He takes up no space, and He exists in all space.

 

[ListensToTheDead]

I agree that it is easy to figure God as a spatial being but people also overlook that he does not belong to chronos time but also in kairos.

He is aware of the death of a loved one that died a decade ago and at the same time aware of the results of the Super Tuesday elections at the SAME time.

I believe to many people try to explain God and describe him as some chronological event or entity and overlook he doesn’t run on our understanding of time.