Does God play favorites?

[Tom_Baum]

If you are very interested in the subject, then you could look into buying a book by the man mentioned in the articles, Father Most, it’s pretty good stuff.

Before I became a Catholic, I was a Calvinist. If you don’t know anything about Calvinism, Calvinists are a group of protestants that insist upon the absolute sovereignty of God and double predestination. So I am very familiar with all the verses that allude or allegedly allude to that subject. Normally, the verses are taken at the expensive of other verses, or quite possible taken out of context as in Romans 9-11.

In any case, the Church has never definitely ruled between Thomism, Molinism, or Father Most’s position, allowing for a consensus and debate on the subject. What the Church has definitively declared, however, is that 1. Human Beings have Free Will. 2. Jesus died for everyone. 3. God desires all to be saved. 4. God gives sufficient grace to all. 5. God does not predestine anyone to hell.

Predestination really doesn’t have anything to do with God deciding who goes where, so to speak, but that God “knows”, in that God is Omniscient.

As far as “double predestination” and what it seems to mean by what I read of its definition in dictionary.com, those that don’t believe that God “knows” that some would never repent this side of breath, are saying that God is only somewhat Omniscient.

Do you think/believe that God has a Plan and has had a Plan since before creation or do you think that God is winging it?

I believe that God has had a Plan since before creation itself and God’s Plan is unfolding before our very eyes and the Incarnation is and always has been a very integral part of God’s Plan.

It seems that many who say that they believe in God’s Omniscience really don’t.

As the old saying goes, “God created us in God’s Image, and we have been trying to return the favor ever since”, just because some of the things about God are beyond our understanding doesn’t mean that they are any less true.

 

[TRH1292]

Predestination really doesn’t have anything to do with God deciding who goes where, so to speak, but that God “knows”, in that God is Omniscient.

As far as “double predestination” and what it seems to mean by what I read of its definition in dictionary.com, those that don’t believe that God “knows” that some would never repent this side of breath, are saying that God is only somewhat Omniscient.

Do you think/believe that God has a Plan and has had a Plan since before creation or do you think that God is winging it?

I believe that God has had a Plan since before creation itself and God’s Plan is unfolding before our very eyes and the Incarnation is and always has been a very integral part of God’s Plan.

It seems that many who say that they believe in God’s Omniscience really don’t.

As the old saying goes, “God created us in God’s Image, and we have been trying to return the favor ever since”, just because some of the things about God are beyond our understanding doesn’t mean that they are any less true.

“Predestination” is not synonymous with “Foreknowledge” in Catholic thought, except in Molinism perhaps. God’s knowledge of the future and all possible future outcomes is a dogmatic teaching.

 

[Tom_Baum]

“Predestination” is not synonymous with “Foreknowledge” in Catholic thought, except in Molinism perhaps. God’s knowledge of the future and all possible future outcomes is a dogmatic teaching.

If "“Predestination” is not synonymous with “Foreknowledge” in Catholic thought, than what is it?

Seems pretty simple to me that that is what it means in a biblical sense but than again maybe that is why God said, “I will send the simple to confound the wise”.

You wrote, “God’s knowledge of the future and all possible future outcomes is a dogmatic teaching”.

Do you have any idea what you or the dogmatic teachers mean by this statement?

Does it mean that God is Omniscient or does it mean that God knows all that might be but not necessarily will be?

I happen to believe that God is Omniscient, just because Omniscience is beyond our human ability to comprehend, especially in relationship with our having free will, doesn’t mean that God’s “Omniscience” isn’t really Omniscience.

 

[TRH1292]

If "“Predestination” is not synonymous with “Foreknowledge” in Catholic thought, than what is it?

Seems pretty simple to me that that is what it means in a biblical sense but than again maybe that is why God said, “I will send the simple to confound the wise”.

You wrote, “God’s knowledge of the future and all possible future outcomes is a dogmatic teaching”.

Do you have any idea what you or the dogmatic teachers mean by this statement?

Does it mean that God is Omniscient or does it mean that God knows all that might be but not necessarily will be?

I happen to believe that God is Omniscient, just because Omniscience is beyond our human ability to comprehend, especially in relationship with our having free will, doesn’t mean that God’s “Omniscience” isn’t really Omniscience.

Do a forum search for all the threads on Thomism and Molinism and all that. It’s been hashed out plenty of times around here.

 

[Tom_Baum]

Do a forum search for all the threads on Thomism and Molinism and all that. It’s been hashed out plenty of times around here.

I guess that I was wondering if you had any thoughts on what I wrote and asked or do you feel/think/believe that you should not have any of your own thoughts?

 

[TRH1292]

If "“Predestination” is not synonymous with “Foreknowledge” in Catholic thought, than what is it?

Seems pretty simple to me that that is what it means in a biblical sense but than again maybe that is why God said, “I will send the simple to confound the wise”.

You wrote, “God’s knowledge of the future and all possible future outcomes is a dogmatic teaching”.

Do you have any idea what you or the dogmatic teachers mean by this statement?

Does it mean that God is Omniscient or does it mean that God knows all that might be but not necessarily will be?

I happen to believe that God is Omniscient, just because Omniscience is beyond our human ability to comprehend, especially in relationship with our having free will, doesn’t mean that God’s “Omniscience” isn’t really Omniscience.

It means God knows all of what will happen and everything that **could ** happen.

 

[Tom_Baum]

It means God knows all of what will happen and everything that **could ** happen.

It it means that “God knows all of what will happen” than it means that God knows that some will never “repent” this side of breath.

Have you ever thought that this is why God came up with a “Plan” even before creation?