Does God control the universe?

[Bobby_Ray]

My question:

Does God control everyday things? Obviously we have our free will, but does God control things that extend beyond our free will? Or did he create everything to be self sufficient.

Ex. The Sun lets our a solar flare. Did God cause it to happen, or is it just a byproduct of the Sun?

I feel like i’m not being clear enough. Maybe a better question to ask is, Did God create everything and just sit back? Like the deistic view of God.

Hopefully yall can understand my question.

Peace.

 

[dmar198]

My question:

Does God control everyday things? Obviously we have our free will, but does God control things that extend beyond our free will? Or did he create everything to be self sufficient.

Ex. The Sun lets our a solar flare. Did God cause it to happen, or is it just a byproduct of the Sun?

I feel like i’m not being clear enough. Maybe a better question to ask is, Did God create everything and just sit back? Like the deistic view of God.

Hopefully yall can understand my question.

Peace.

As far as the natural world goes, His created it to run on its own, but when the natural world does something like put out a solar flare, that’s still something He planned it to do in the beginning, so it can still be attributed to God (unless humans have screwed with it and messed it up). There are also some things that God is still doing, like for example, He creates every human’s soul at the exact moment of their conception, and He does a supernatural miracle like every day. So He’s still at work, which makes Him more active than the Deist’s god.

 

[Bahman]

We are minds experiencing states of Mind. There are two point of views on this topic. The main question is that what Mind is? It is either God or so called creation. In first case God is intervening on everything even small motion of a particle which is a state of Mind. In second case creation is complete and does its job perfectly like a machine. We have no evidence or logical proof that support one versus another.

 

[SinnersAnonymus]

I get the impression that two forces exist to oppose the normal function of God’s creation.

1. We have free will and can mess things up or help it along depending how we use our free will.
2. I also get impression that the evil-one can mess with stuff as well but only with God’s permission. I imagine that is not possible for us to figure out how much diabolical can mess with nature and the best recourse is prayer.

Otherwise I imagine God knows and is active (probably through angelic forces) with what is going on and tries to make sure things go more or less smoothly. The question is how freedom does God give to the creatures he gave free will to mess with or ignore God’s will for creation? Again I imagine it is not our place to know and the best thing to do is pray for God’s will.

God Bless

 

[christofirst]

Yes, God controls the universe. The forces of nature and the laws of physics are examples of this control, in that God sets in motion and actively maintains the universe. When something happens which appears contrary to these forces and laws, we consider it to be miraculous. How can this apparently arbitrary control be reconciled with a personal God of love? Does God say, “Today I will send a tidal wave, or make a cancer to grow in someone.”? Others have already pointed to our free will and the evil which God permits. I can only say that I do not understand it all, except that in some way it all works for ultimate good. Like St. Paul, I see now through a glass darkly.

 

[Bobby_Ray]

Yes, God controls the universe. The forces of nature and the laws of physics are examples of this control, in that God sets in motion and actively maintains the universe. When something happens which appears contrary to these forces and laws, we consider it to be miraculous. How can this apparently arbitrary control be reconciled with a personal God of love? Does God say, “Today I will send a tidal wave, or make a cancer to grow in someone.”? Others have already pointed to our free will and the evil which God permits. I can only say that I do not understand it all, except that in some way it all works for ultimate good. Like St. Paul, I see now through a glass darkly.

What does maintaining the universe actually mean? Didn’t God create everything to be self-sufficient?

 

[dmar198]

What does maintaining the universe actually mean? Didn’t God create everything to be self-sufficient?

The classic understanding of this question is that God imparted existence to the universe all at once in a way that would produce enduring consequences. Thus the universe continues to exist and to move under the influence of its own momentum, and it received that momentum at the first moment of creation.

 

[christofirst]

The classic understanding of this question is that God imparted existence to the universe all at once in a way that would produce enduring consequences. Thus the universe continues to exist and to move under the influence of its own momentum, and it received that momentum at the first moment of creation.

I meant even more when I said that God actively maintains the universe. The Catechism, 301, states:

“With creation, God does not abandon His creatures to themselves. **He not only gives them being and existence, but also, at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end. **Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence.”

Everything and everyone continues in being only because our loving God sustains us in being.