IS GOD Self Aware?

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Theophorus said:
That certainly wouldn’t be the catholic position. Classical Catholic Theism would describe God as Existence itself, as Being itself and all other existent things exist insofar as they participate in the existence of God(that is insofar as God keeps them in existence). We would usually use the philosophical terms act and potency to elucidate this position.
anything that exists is ‘in act’ to a greater or lesser extent. you and I have not always existed and as such, we are limited in our actuality and have potential to change to grow develop etc.

Classical Theism would view God in terms of pure actuality. There is no potential in God, no scope for improvement or growth etc. as such existence does not limit who God is on the catholic view but simply describes who He is in Himself: esse ipsum subsistens as many Theologians from the High medieval period up to the present day would assert .

Classical Theism would also state that God is rational and that the universe reflects the rationality of its creator. As such we can know certain things about God by analogy.
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You may find it interesting that many Jews believe that nothing exists outside God. All is naught when it comes to God.
 
You guys lost me in your replies, but I am going to take a stab at an answer anyway. Yes, God is self-aware. We can know this because He is three persons, and each person knows the Other like He knows Himself and when He looks at the Other He sees Himself and the Other. Therefore He must be self-aware.
 
I like your answer and it did cross my mind earlier. But how does something (God) have no beginning. I mean, I know God has to have such an attribute, but it’s incomprehensible for a human to understand. The question will always remain; why something instead of nothing?

I pray my soul makes it to heaven to possibly get some of these incredible mysteries answered. Right now, I just don’t get it all.
 
Robert_Sock said:
I think that what Maimonides is getting at is that God is beyond all worldly attributes, including “existence.” What does it mean to exist? Is it somehow limiting? Why not believe that He is beyond all human reason?
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Because the Church says God exists, he has revealed himself and told us who he was. That is what revelation is all about, that is what the Church is all about. Didn’t he walk the earth in the flesh as Jesus Christ? Of course we will never comprehend his nature, that does not mean we cannot know him.

Pax
Linus2nd
 
Robert_Sock said:
I think that what Maimonides is getting at is that God is beyond all worldly attributes, including “existence.” What does it mean to exist? Is it somehow limiting? Why not believe that He is beyond all human reason?
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Existence is not limited for God, he is perfect existence. Which means there is no limit to God’s existence. So I would have to disagree with Maimonides.

Linus2nd
 
Linusthe2nd said:
God does not change. He knows all things, even the future without need for reflection. Of course is is self aware. You have certainly read enouth of the Bible to know that. How could he have done all he did, how could he have said all he did without being self aware? And he knows who he is without need for reflection, because he know all things without need of reflection. And he knows he had no beginning and that he is God. He does not need to explain the reason why he exists because he knows he has always existed.

Pax
Linus2nd

You are thinking of God as though he were human but he is not. So you can’t think of him that way. If you do you will just be turning him into a super human.
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I would think that G-d’s level of self-awareness or consciousness is on an hugely higher level than ours.
 
Robert_Sock said:
You may find it interesting that many Jews believe that nothing exists outside God. All is naught when it comes to God.
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I’m not sure about that. Judaism believes that G-d is unique, separate and apart from His creation, though loving and interactive with it; however, the religion does believe there is a creation with its own consciousness.
 
Robert_Sock said:
G-d transcends all definitions, including the definition, “existence”
–Maimonides
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According to Jewish belief, if we must define G-d, it is better to define Him in the negative, that is, what He is not, rather than what He is, which eludes our finite human capacity.
 
Robert_Sock said:
You may find it interesting that many Jews believe that nothing exists outside God.
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In a sense what you describe is the Catholic view as well.

God is Being itself and the author and sustainer of all created beings which exist insofar as they participate in the Being of God. Of course Neither I nor the Jewish thinkers are implying a pantheistic notion of God-God is in everything but not as everything.
Robert_Sock said:
All is naught when it comes to God.
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If by that you mean that created reality is on a completely different level to Divine Being then we agree again. The Analogy of Being is central to the Classical understanding of God.
 
meltzerboy said:
I’m not sure about that. Judaism believes that G-d is unique, separate and apart from His creation, though loving and interactive with it; however, the religion does believe there is a creation with its own consciousness.
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Of course angels and man have their own consciousness, but I am sure that Judaism does not believe that the rest of the universe possesses consciousness. I would that would be a heretical positioin in Judaism as Christianity. I think this is an idea held by Pantheism and in some Eastern cults.

Linus2nd
 
Linusthe2nd said:
Of course angels and man have their own consciousness, but I am sure that Judaism does not believe that the rest of the universe possesses consciousness. I would that would be a heretical positioin in Judaism as Christianity. I think this is an idea held by Pantheism and in some Eastern cults.

Linus2nd
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Agreed. I meant the animate beings whom G-d created.
 
How can “something” that is everything at once be separate enough from anything to possess a self?
 
meltzerboy said:
Agreed. I meant the animate beings whom G-d created.
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I’m sure that Judaism would say that God is entirely different from angels and men. Angels and men are created and time bound, God is eternal, and he created angels and men.

Linus2nd
 
Robert_Sock said:
How can “something” that is everything at once be separate enough from anything to possess a self?
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The more I think about it, since Jesus was self aware, God must be. However, my question about self awareness was more about if Gods knows *** how *** He exists and why He exists.

I see your point though Robert. The book of Jeremiah says, “Lord you FILL heaven and earth”. I wonder if I will ever know the answer, even in heaven (God willing I enter).
 
Robert_Sock said:
How can “something” that is everything at once be separate enough from anything to possess a self?
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What is this “something” that is everything at once? I know of no something that has this characteristic. It certainly is not God. God is not everything at once.
 
davidv said:
What is this “something” that is everything at once? I know of no something that has this characteristic. It certainly is not God. God is not everything at once.
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Your definition of God is. It is the knowledge of everything and it is an eternal act.
 
davidv said:
What is this “something” that is everything at once? I know of no something that has this characteristic. It certainly is not God. God is not everything at once.
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If God “fills heaven and earth”, than He is everything at once.
 
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