"Eternal" "Progession" - Oxymoron?

[Judas_Thaddeus]

(Yes this is a Mormon thing)
​

“Eternal Progression,” Isn’t that an Oxymoron?

Philosophically, that which is “Eternal” CANNOT change, right?
If I’m wrong, I’d love to be corrected, but let’s go with the above for now…
“Progression” implies change, so…“ETERNAL Progression” is not only a false belief, it’s downright impossible, is my thought.

Any comments?

 

[smichhertz]

I see where you are coming from. I thought of Eternal as “everlasting” in the sense that it is always there.

So Eternal Progression could refer to something that is always in the state of change?

Did this come from a particular prayer or teaching?

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

I see where you are coming from. I thought of Eternal as “everlasting” in the sense that it is always there.
So Eternal Progression could refer to something that is always in the state of change?
Did this come from a particular prayer or teaching?

Sorry for being unclear, this is a Mormon doctrine. The Mormons believe in something called
“Eternal Progression”, in which there is an infinite number of gods each ruling over their own
planet, that each god was once a man, and that by following certain doctrines they may be-
come gods. This, Mormons claim, is something that never had a beginning. The LDS believe
that God has a father, and that God’s father had a father, and that God’s father’s father had a
father, and that there was never a beginning to this process.

This progression appears completely contrary to the concept of Eternity.

 

[PaulDupre1]

Sorry for being unclear, this is a Mormon doctrine. The Mormons believe in something called
“Eternal Progression”, in which there is an infinite number of gods each ruling over their own
planet, that each god was once a man, and that by following certain doctrines they may be-
come gods. This, Mormons claim, is something that never had a beginning. The LDS believe
that God has a father, and that God’s father had a father, and that God’s father’s father had a
father, and that there was never a beginning to this process.

This progression appears completely contrary to the concept of Eternity.

An even thornier issue is: Since a man must be exalted (made a god) by his god, for no man can make himself a god, how did the very first god become a god? How did the first god get born into a spirit body, get sent to a planet, receive the gospel from his god (who did not exist), be redeemed by a savior and be exalted?

It is much more logical to believe in one God who has always existed as God and does not change or “progress”.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Sorry for being unclear, this is a Mormon doctrine. The Mormons believe in something called
“Eternal Progression”, in which there is an infinite number of gods each ruling over their own
planet, that each god was once a man, and that by following certain doctrines they may be-
come gods. This, Mormons claim, is something that never had a beginning. The LDS believe
that God has a father, and that God’s father had a father, and that God’s father’s father had a
father, and that there was never a beginning to this process.

This progression appears completely contrary to the concept of Eternity.

Welcome to Mormon doctrine. It makes about as much sense as hunting a lion with a B.B. gun…

 

[iepuras]

An even thornier issue is: Since a man must be exalted (made a god) by his god, for no man can make himself a god, how did the very first god become a god? How did the first god get born into a spirit body, get sent to a planet, receive the gospel from his god (who did not exist), be redeemed by a savior and be exalted?

It is much more logical to believe in one God who has always existed as God and does not change or “progress”.

I asked this same basic question as a teenager in a Sunday School class. Never got a clear answer on that. I agree that it makes much more sense to believe in one God who has always existed and does not change. When I was Mormon, I would have argued that God’s DNA never changed, just the expression of genes in the DNA changed for “eternal progression”. Of course, DNA didn’t always exist in the universe.

 

[RonniSanMiguel]

An even thornier issue is: Since a man must be exalted (made a god) by his god, for no man can make himself a god, how did the very first god become a god? How did the first god get born into a spirit body, get sent to a planet, receive the gospel from his god (who did not exist), be redeemed by a savior and be exalted?

As my Mormon cousin told me when I asked him that very thing, “it hasn’t been revealed yet.”

 

[Isaiah45_9]

Welcome to Mormon doctrine. It makes about as much sense as hunting a lion with a B.B. gun…

I’m an excellent shooter

 

[IgnatianPhilo]

Do you mean the idea that we eternally progress towards God? Why is that an oxymoron exactly? If God is infinite, eternal and beyond all capicity to be understood, shouldn’t it make sense that those whom are justified will eternally progress towards God? This seems to me to answer definetely the critique of atheists who say we will get bored in heaven, rather it seems the limitless well of God will never cease to amaze us finite beings.

That is of course unless you meant something else, in which case carry on and ignore this.

 

[Judas_Thaddeus]

Do you mean the idea that we eternally progress towards God? Why is that an oxymoron exactly? If God is infinite, eternal and beyond all capicity to be understood, shouldn’t it make sense that those whom are justified will eternally progress towards God? This seems to me to answer definetely the critique of atheists who say we will get bored in heaven, rather it seems the limitless well of God will never cease to amaze us finite beings.

That is of course unless you meant something else, in which case carry on and ignore this.

Te-he…!
I mean Eternal as in “Never Beginning.”
I should have been clear in the first place, but here is an earlier reply:

Sorry for being unclear, this is a Mormon doctrine. The Mormons believe in something called
“Eternal Progression”, in which there is an infinite number of gods each ruling over their own
planet, that each god was once a man, and that by following certain doctrines they may be-
come gods. This, Mormons claim, is something that never had a beginning. The LDS believe
that God has a father, and that God’s father had a father, and that God’s father’s father had a
father, and that there was never a beginning to this process.

This progression appears completely contrary to the concept of Eternity.

 

[jimmy]

God doesn’t change, but it is possible that humans will continually change even after death. That is what I thought you meant when I read the title. Gregory of Nyssa spoke as if there is endless change within human nature. Change is part of human nature, either you change for the better or you change for the worse. The saints in heaven are continually growing in likeness to God. This change will never end. I can’t recall the Greek word used to explain this.

The concept of apokatastasis is probably associated with this sense of continual change. Those in hell might possibly be saved according to Gregory because they can still change for the better if they are willing.