God's Character

[alibaba]

Hi fellas,
like the topic-title suggests, I’m basically trying to understand the christian god’s character.
The christian god’s attributes are, according to the bible:
-omniscience
-omnipotence
-omnibenevolence
-omnipresence
-etc.

However, its unclear what these attributes actually mean.
For example, let’s take omniscience; would that mean the he knows everything at every moment and always, or does it rather mean that he can find everything out if he wishes to?

These attributes seem to logically cancel each other out depending on how every attribute is defined and the more I think about it the more problems come up.

What I’m looking for is a precise and most of all logical definition of the christian god’s character and nature. I find it surprisingly hard to find a clear definition, so I hope some of you can help.

Thanks in advance.

 

[alibaba]

I should have mentioned:
I realize this isn’t an easy question, so if you don’t have any answers right off the bat, links to sites that deal with this question would be very much appreciated, as well.

 

[Long_Island_Bob]

I don’t think I ahe the abiltiy to give you a precise definiiton, but
in answer to your question,
yes

He knows everything at every moment and always.

There is no limit, zero limit, to the power of God.

 

[alibaba]

Thank you for the reply, but this definition of omniscience leads to problems. For example, if he has “total omniscience” (he permanently knows everything), that would mean he is static and can’t think, etc. which would go against his character.
Therefore I hope to find a logical definition which unifies all these attributes.

 

[JimG]

A couple of things. With God, we itemize his attributes according to our human understanding: omnipotence, eternity, omniscience, etc.

But actually, his chief attribute is that he is One. The divine nature is one. Thus, every attribute is equivalent to the divine nature. God’'s omnipotence is God’s eternity. God’s mercy is the same as God’s justice. The attributes are not separate things, but one essence.

And God cannot change, for change would imply existence in time rather than eternity, and passing from potency to actuality in some respect. But God is all act and no potency.

Now, you could study Aquinas with respect to the attributes of God. But that’s a little too deep for my taste. I prefer F. J. Sheed. His books, “Theology for Beginners,” and “Theology and Sanity,” are excellent introductions to the Catholic concept of the attributes of God.

 

[Verbum]

HI Ali,

The essence of God is that he is not perfectible. He does not lack anything positive. Therefore he cannot learn anything new, cannot be improved in any way. If He were not all-powerful, he could possibly become more powerful, therefore he would be perfectible, but He is not. This might lead you to believe that He is a static being with no activity. On the contrary, He finds in himself an unlimited number of perfections, as well as an infinite number of possible creations, and he can contemplate these globally and individually. Furthermore, he maintains in being all things that he creates. Lastly, we learn from Christian revelation that this contemplation of Himself produces a second person who is distinct as to personality but identical in nature as the One God. His relationship with that person produces a third person, the Holy Spirit, who is also distinct as to personaality but identical as to nature as the One God.

So you see, God is quite busy. He is busy-ness itself.

Verbum