Why did God create?

[NowHereThis]

Nothing outside of God existed to cause God to create, or to give God a specific nature that would result in creation. Despite this, God is still said to have the nature of perfection, and therefore is lacking nothing that could be added by creating. Even to say “God did it out of love” does not answer, because that says that a God who created would be more loving than a God who did not, which is not possible with a perfect self-sufficient being.

Is the existence of the universe just as arbitrary with God as creator as it would be with no creator, just a continual string of events that are each both cause and effect?

 

[Wesrock]

To quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

293 Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: "The world was made for the glory of God."134 St. Bonaventure explains that God created all things “not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it”,135 for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness: "Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand."136 The First Vatican Council explains:

This one, true God, of his own goodness and “almighty power”, not for increasing his own beatitude, nor for attaining his perfection, but in order to manifest this perfection through the benefits which he bestows on creatures, with absolute freedom of counsel "and from the beginning of time, made out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal. . ."137

294 The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. God made us “to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace”,138 for "the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of God: if God’s revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word’s manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God."139 The ultimate purpose of creation is that God "who is the creator of all things may at last become “all in all”, thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.

295 We believe that God created the world according to his wisdom.141 It is not the product of any necessity whatever, nor of blind fate or chance. We believe that it proceeds from God’s free will; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being, wisdom and goodness: "For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."142 Therefore the Psalmist exclaims: “O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all”; and "The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made."143 God creates “out of nothing”

296 We believe that God needs no pre-existent thing or any help in order to create, nor is creation any sort of necessary emanation from the divine substance.144 God creates freely “out of nothing”

I know this may not satisfy all your questions, but it’s a starting point.

 

[eazyduzit]

To quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

I know this may not satisfy all your questions, but it’s a starting point.

This post is all speculation, not revelation.

The exact reason for creation was never revealed in the OT. St.Paul revealed it in the book of Colossians. In 1:16 it is revealed that all things were were created for Christ. The Father wants everything done for the glory of thr Son. We were created for the glory of the Son. The church was ordained for the glory of the Son. There is no higher purpose.

 

[captainrick]

Without turning to religions that rely on revealed information, I don’t believe there can be an answer. An entity (God) caused the universe to come into being, and there’s no way to determine a reason. All we can know through our senses and reason, is that it happened.

 

[Wesrock]

This post is all speculation, not revelation.

The exact reason for creation was never revealed in the OT. St.Paul revealed it in the book of Colossians. In 1:16 it is revealed that all things were were created for Christ. The Father wants everything done for the glory of thr Son. We were created for the glory of the Son. The church was ordained for the glory of the Son. There is no higher purpose.

Yes, it was created for the glory of God. That’s what the Catechism says. The Son is God. However, you’re Pentecostal, and I’ve read that not all Pentecostals are Trinitarian.

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

In my missal, it says,

God created all things for Christ. For the sake of Christ Jesus in whom the Father already had “placed all His delight” and for the sake of Mary, His Mother, “full of grace,” God decided to create man and the universe.
To this Son, in whom He is well pleased, friends were to be given—and so man was created. (The race of man represents the “friends of the Bride*groom” mentioned by our Lord in the Gospel.) To this Son whom He loves, the Father will give a house and garden—and so the universe was created. Man, created for Christ, is loved in Him. We thus form, as it were, a “wedding gift” from God the Father to Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom.

I have also read that God created man because He knew he would benefit from existence as would all creatures. He created the universe and all that is in it for the sake of man’s enjoyment. I also learned why God created men in this way: “God made me to know Him, to love Him, & to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next”.

I suppose all of these reasons went into creation.

 

[DavidFilmer]

Even to say “God did it out of love” does not answer, because that says that a God who created would be more loving than a God who did not, which is not possible with a perfect self-sufficient being.

Are you quite sure this predicate is logically sound?

Does a father of one child not rejoice at the birth of his second child? Is his joy somehow diminished by the fact of his first child? Or, does he experience twice the joy at the birth of his second child that he experienced with the first?

Are we to assume that a father of many children is somehow “more loving” than the father of one child?

The philosophical flaw in your question is that you recognize that God cannot exceed his own perfection, but you assume that the act of creation does so. Creation compliments, but does not augment, God’s nature.

 

[MrSnaith]

Are you quite sure this predicate is logically sound?

Does a father of one child not rejoice at the birth of his second child? Is his joy somehow diminished by the fact of his first child? Or, does he experience twice the joy at the birth of his second child that he experienced with the first?

Are we to assume that a father of many children is somehow “more loving” than the father of one child?

The philosophical flaw in your question is that you recognize that God cannot exceed his own perfection, but you assume that the act of creation does so. Creation compliments, but does not augment, God’s nature.

 

[Jelrak_TB]

Nothing outside of God existed to cause God to create, or to give God a specific nature that would result in creation. Despite this, God is still said to have the nature of perfection, and therefore is lacking nothing that could be added by creating. Even to say “God did it out of love” does not answer, because that says that a God who created would be more loving than a God who did not, which is not possible with a perfect self-sufficient being.

Is the existence of the universe just as arbitrary with God as creator as it would be with no creator, just a continual string of events that are each both cause and effect?

Perhaps God merely wished to share…?

 

[NowHereThis]

Are you quite sure this predicate is logically sound?

Does a father of one child not rejoice at the birth of his second child? Is his joy somehow diminished by the fact of his first child? Or, does he experience twice the joy at the birth of his second child that he experienced with the first?

Are we to assume that a father of many children is somehow “more loving” than the father of one child?

The philosophical flaw in your question is that you recognize that God cannot exceed his own perfection, but you assume that the act of creation does so. Creation compliments, but does not augment, God’s nature.

The point here is that God without creation and God with creation are exactly the same love, per God’s inherent perfection. Therefore, love cannot be the motivating factor, because creation does not affect the love.

 

[Father_Read]

The point here is that God without creation and God with creation are exactly the same love, per God’s inherent perfection. Therefore, love cannot be the motivating factor, because creation does not affect the love.

I believe that love can be a motivating factor for creation, as can goodness. Within love and goodness is the natural desire for them to be shared. I don’t think trying to place limitations on this due to concepts of self-sufficiency, perfection or necessity is applicable.

 

[eddie_too]

maybe Creator is part of the Divine Nature?

why is God omnipotent, or omniscient, or eternal, or infinite?

 

[Confiteor_Deo]

The point here is that God without creation and God with creation are exactly the same love, per God’s inherent perfection. Therefore, love cannot be the motivating factor, because creation does not affect the love.

God is infinitely love with or without creation, but that doesn’t mean that creation cannot be a recipient of that infinite love. Even if we do not give love back, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t loving us still.

 

[MrSnaith]

The point here is that God without creation and God with creation are exactly the same love, per God’s inherent perfection. Therefore, love cannot be the motivating factor, because creation does not affect the love.

God with creation and God without creation are two different “Gods”. You cannot separate God’s actions from His being, because He is pure act. Thus, Creator isn’t an arbitrary title. It is as much God’s name as Yahweh, or Word, etc. The question isn’t, “why did God create?” Rather, “why is God Creator?” And the answer to that is that God’s essential character is Love. It’s why God is Trinity, and it’s why God is Creator.

 

[Porknpie]

The point here is that God without creation and God with creation are exactly the same love, per God’s inherent perfection. Therefore, love cannot be the motivating factor, because creation does not affect the love.

God is love. In wisdom known only to him, he can chose to act, or not act. When he does act, his actions are always love, out of love, because he is love.

 

[eazyduzit]

Yes, it was created for the glory of God. That’s what the Catechism says. The Son is God. However, you’re Pentecostal, and I’ve read that not all Pentecostals are Trinitarian.

You are trying to to gloss over or minimize a very important point. It is the fact that Christ is the centrality and the focus of everything God does. Your post does not acknowledge this.ifwewant to have the mind of God and think as he thinks, then we can’t ignore his primary principal and motivation. For instance, the first and highest reason that God gave the Gospel is not to save men, but for the glory of the Son. God’s thoughts are always higherthan our tthoughts. If we do not acknowledge this, then our thinking will be off center. It will center on ourselves and not on God. Our purpose is to glorify God and specifically Christ the Son.This is what brings joy to the Father. Do you see how important that is? What good does it do to acknowledge the Trinity if you don’t see the whole purpose for it. You want to just lump the 3 persons together. Ok, yes the 3 persons are God, but that is not enough to reveal God’s true purpose. If one where to only go by the information in your post or the CCC the one would come to the conclusion that God created for a selfish reason. But if you see it within the Trinity, as the Father creating all things for the Son, then that changes to a perfely selfless act.

 

[DavidFilmer]

God with creation and God without creation are two different “Gods”. You cannot separate God’s actions from His being, because He is pure act. Thus, Creator isn’t an arbitrary title. It is as much God’s name as Yahweh, or Word, etc. The question isn’t, “why did God create?” Rather, “why is God Creator?” And the answer to that is that God’s essential character is Love. It’s why God is Trinity, and it’s why God is Creator.

That’s good stuff!!! Really, really good stuff.

 

[Porknpie]

If one where to only go by the information in your post or the CCC the one would come to the conclusion that God created for a selfish reason. .

No Easy. I’m not sure where you have come to believe this. There is nothing in the Catechism the implies or states that God created for selfish reasons. Quite the opposite.

See below:

293 Scripture and Tradition never cease to teach and celebrate this fundamental truth: "The world was made for the glory of God."134 St. Bonaventure explains that God** created all things “not to increase his glory, but to show it forth and to communicate it”,135 for God has no other reason for creating than his love and goodness:** "Creatures came into existence when the key of love opened his hand."136 The First Vatican Council explains:

This one, true God, of his own goodness and “almighty power”, not for increasing his own beatitude, nor for attaining his perfection, but in order to manifest this perfection through the benefits which he bestows on creatures, with absolute freedom of counsel "and from the beginning of time, made out of nothing both orders of creatures, the spiritual and the corporeal. . ."137

294 The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created. God made us “to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace”,138 for "the glory of God is man fully alive; moreover man’s life is the vision of God: if God’s revelation through creation has already obtained life for all the beings that dwell on earth, how much more will the Word’s manifestation of the Father obtain life for those who see God."139 The ultimate purpose of creation is that God "who is the creator of all things may at last become “all in all”, thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude."140