Is the Nature of God Rigid?

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abucs

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From a Catholic perspective :

One of the philosophical insights for God as the first mover, the ultimate reality, is that He does not change. Everything is said to have its existence contingent on something else save for the original existence which we call God who has an unchanging nature (in this regard).

Something that does not change is defined to be rigid and if God’s nature does not change can we accurately say that the nature of God is rigid and further it is this rigid nature from which all things ultimately originate?
 
ok, but then is it an unchanging love, a rigid love or does that nature change from love to something else?

Also in a related question is love a word that is well defined enough to encapsulate this nature?
Is not God also just, forgiving, intelligent, creative, patient even jealous?
 
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I don’t understand the purpose of the question. It seems like a play on semantics.

God is God.

The scriptures sometimes remind us that “God does not change” to reprove to us that the latest deities / fads / practices are never the “new” God. God has always been the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob., the God of… etc. When the Israelites were introduced to new deities like Molech, where you could sacrifice your flesh-and-blood child in exchange for [such and such favor/protection], it was always reminded through the prophets, “This is not God. God does not change. Be faithful to the God of your ancestors, etc…”
 
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TK421 said:
The scriptures sometimes remind us that “God does not change” to reprove to us that the latest deities / fads / practices are never the “new” God. God has always been the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob., the God of… etc. When the Israelites were introduced to new deities like Molech, where you could sacrifice your flesh-and-blood child in exchange for [such and such favor/protection], it was always reminded through the prophet, “This is not God. God does not change. Be faithful to the God of your ancestors, etc
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This is referring to his relation to His people. I am talking about His nature. The nature from which everything else emanates. Is not this a rigid nature? That is, the nature of God, the source of all reality does not change, it is rigid.
 
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abucs said:
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Rob2:
I think your question is applying the attributes of creation to the Creator .
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In which way?
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I would not use the adjective “rigid” for a description of God .
 
Rob2 said:
I would not use the adjective “rigid” for a description of God .
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But rigid simply means ‘does not change’. If the topic of the conversation is not God broadly, including His relations with Creation, but specifically His very nature, surely it makes sense to call that rigid.

Is there a logical reason why you would not call God’s nature rigid, unchanging?
 
po18guy said:
All extensions of love.
Rigidity is a human trait.
Purity - pure love - is God.
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Rigid to be accurate, is a description of things (not just human traits) that are closer to the characteristic of unchangeable on the spectrum of change.

A steel column can be called rigid on the spectrum regarding materials.
Mary can be described as rigid with regards to her faithfulness to God.
Stars can be defined as rigid in their directional trajectory away from us.

When we are talking about the reality of God’s nature then it is logical to contemplate where on the spectrum of change this reality is. If we speculate that His nature is on the extreme end of the spectrum of absolute rigidity then what is wrong with saying that?

As the gospel says a house is better built on firm foundations. The Creation of our universe together with sentient life should emanate from a rigid nature not shifting sands.

Is it not the atheist position that there is no rigid foundation for Creation and sentient life, it is simply an accidental outcome of changing circumstances and changing elements even if they are not known?
 
Yes, but no human traits apply to God - not in that direction. God’s traits can apply to humans.
 
po18guy said:
Yes, but no human traits apply to God - not in that direction. God’s traits can apply to humans
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So you would say that Mary was rigid in her faithfulness to God but God was not rigid in His dedication and love for Mary?

(Again this is a step away from the question I posed of an unchanging nature rather than an unchanging relationship, but ok, I’ll play along for this one)
 
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Faithful is a far better term, I think. Rigid equates to unyielding in the human mind. Of course, she did not yield to evil, but her will was so perfectly conformed to God’s that it was not going to happen. As I understand it it could not have happened.
 
po18guy said:
Faithful is a far better term, I think. Rigid equates to unyielding in the human mind. Of course, she did not yield to evil, but her will was so perfectly conformed to God’s that it was not going to happen. As I understand it it could not have happened.
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Yes, faithfulness is the noun in this example and rigid is the adjective.

Mary was so unchanging in her faithfulness to God we can describe her faithfulness as rigid which is a compliment to he faithfulness. (rigid faithfulness). On the spectrum of change regarding Mary’s faithfulness it is more towards the unchangeable side, thus rigid.

But again this does not speak to the original question posed of God’s rigid (or unchanging) nature.
 
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I think the word you’re looking for is immutable. As far as God’s attributes such as justice and mercy go, God is absolutely simple, meaning there is no real distinction in Him, these distinctions are only in our minds.
 
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The maker of all nature - does He - have a rigid nature ?

The maker of all things ?

lol
😇
 
Seagull said:
The maker of all nature - does He - have a rigid nature ?

The maker of all things ?
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Yes, the unchanging nature of something could be to create. So you could think of a type of object (perhaps something like fire) that has an unchanging nature to create light. (or something else that creates black holes, or extending space, or creating gravity).

The environment is constantly changing as a result of the object, but the nature of the object to create light does not change.

Similar with God, the infinite Being who is the maker of everything including nature.
 
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I feel - honestly - between you and me - that - I’m surrounded by free will -
I’m not sure if that’s what gives me - my unique - personality -
but it’s all quite exciting - somewhat ultra - every moment, sometimes.
 
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