Indeed, God, who is outside of his creation, did take on human nature and enter into his creation while at the same time remaining outside of it. That is the mystery of the Incarnation. Please post for us when you’ve got it figured out.
It seems to be contradictory. First you say that God does not exist within time, then you say that Jesus, who was God, was existing in time until His Ascension.
I disagree; the concept of simultaneity (as well as the concept of “now”) implies the concept of time. It is then wrong to say that to God the beginning and the end are simultanoeus. The point is that God’s life is beyond our capacity of understanding because we cannot know how an out-of-time life is; we cannot imagine how He lives His eternal life and we must accept this fact without trying to describe His life using wrong ideas such as simultaneity.
Not necessarily contradictory. It’s not one or the other, it’s both. Yes he exists outside of time; yes for a while he stepped into time and was as a man bound by it as we are. But during Jesus’ time on earth, God the Father still existed outside of time. God exists outside of what he created, including time. He is not bound by time as we are. But he chose to enter into his creation (out of love). Here it is Christmas! We celebrate the eternal infinite God clothing himself in humanity in order to lead us to God.
Ah, this is the theists traditional fallback position whenever a particular argument has been shown to be logically flawed…“you skeptics simply fail to understand that God exists outside of space and time.”
So this atemporal God did something…“for a while”.
Ah, Lelinator. I am a believer and I’ve staked my life on it. I’m very confident that such a God as we’ve been describing actually does exist . Now obviously I could be wrong. But along the lines of Pascal’s wager, I’ve often said to non-believing friends, “I hope you’re right about there being no God, but I greatly fear you may be mistaken.” Call me a coward but I’m prepared for the possibility that He does exist. And if he doesn’t, hey, I’ve had a great purpose-filled life and end up like everyone else. If I’m wrong I lose nothing. If I’m right I gain everything.
It’s kind of even worse than that…this monotheist God sent one of His three personalities to live a human life on earth but this God is one and indivisible? Oh, and simple (not parts) except when on earth…in parts. Often, it looks like an explanation that’s meaningless except for those that already accept that it’s true…
I totally agree; my point is that we should not try to describe God’s life using the concept of simultaneity or “now” as you did, because these ideas are not idoneous to describe God’s life, which is absolutely beyond our capacity of understanding. Out-of-time does not mean “now”. We must just accept that God’s life is beyond the limits of our human reason.
Does the number 2 exist outside of time and space? Why or why not?
Although I believe, I understand this frustration. But for me at least, I wasn’t argued into the Kingdom. I was desperate and almost without hope, so in selfish desperation I gave him a try. The intellectual supports came after the big turn-around I believe He provided. Because of what he (subjectively) did for me, I believe, so those intellectual supports, while wonderful, are secondary. The more I walk towards him (often and still while plagued with some doubts), the more clear it becomes. It is frustratingly called faith because of this I suppose. He wants to be followed and loved as he self reveals, maybe.
Is God the Father in the Eucharist or is it only God the Son? The Eucharist is in time.
Yes. God the Father is outside of time, but God the Son was within time?
I guess it is true that almost all religions have mysteries of some sort or another. Can you think of a religion that does not have a mystery?
The science of Dianetics is not accepted as a science by the scientific community. And the story of Xenu is somewhat mysterious, No?
You’re making time apply to God.
