Why is there a finite number of souls?

[annaalice]

To think of everyone who has ever-lived on this earth: past, present, and future, is pretty mindboggling.

However, although a crazy amount of people to our minds, it would be infinitesimal to God.

I’m just wondering why God created a set number of people who would live on the earth, rather than making an infinite number of souls?

Don’t get me wrong, the fact that I’m writing this to you lovely people is a massive compliment! Praise God for creating you and I. Just wondering, as it seems weird for an infinite God to create a finite number of souls. Thanks

 

[annaalice]

Unless there is a whole other narrative of God’s plan after this life that we are not even aware of! Phwoa. Anyway keen to hear all your thoughts

 

[Dovekin]

Infinity is not a real number. It cannot be attained with real objects like persons or souls.

This is not a limitation on God, but on our ability to describe very large numbers.

 

[annaalice]

Very cool point @Dovekin! I’m just wondering about why God has decided to create a fixed number of souls, as opposed to just continuously creating souls for all time.

 

[White_Tree]

I’m just wondering about why God has decided to create a fixed number of souls, as opposed to just continuously creating souls for all time.

Who says that He doesn’t?

Genesis tells us of the creation of this universe, this world. It says nothing about whether there were others (perhaps infinitely many others) in other times or other places. All we can see is our tiny little patch of spacetime. Who knows what exists before, after, and around us?

 

[MNathaniel]

As another commenter pointed out, who says God has decided to never again make another race of creatures? And another after that?

He’s already made angelic creatures, and human creatures.

Don’t get me wrong: maybe He stops there. But maybe He doesn’t. As far as I know, there’s no definitive teaching that God has definitively revealed that no new souls will be created at a given point. Just that at a given point, it won’t be new human souls. It seems clear that there will be a fixed number of human souls, that will no longer be added to after the resurrection to new life where there will be no more marriage (so presumably, no more human reproduction, and no new human bodies to be ensouled).

 

[annaalice]

@White_Tree and @MNathaniel this is so crazy to think about, thanks heaps!

 

[Dan_Defender]

Because only God is infinite. Even the created universe, as vast as it is, is finite.

 

[Everest]

Very cool point @Dovekin! I’m just wondering about why God has decided to create a fixed number of souls, as opposed to just continuously creating souls for all time.

You will have to be more specific than that because what you said is not true.
Where did you get this crazy idea from?

 

[Gorgias]

One additional thought, @annaalice:

If children were born after the eschaton – that is, born directly into heaven – wouldn’t that be a terribly unfair situation? I mean, we were born as children of Adam, here on earth, and God wished us to choose Him, but they’d be born already in the Beatific Vision in heaven! No choice! No chance to exhibit love of God! (“Go directly to heaven – do not pass Go, do not collect $200”!)

 

[o_mlly]

When God acts, He acts perfectly. Theologians speculate from that premise that when God created the angels, He created the perfect number of angels to populate heaven. Lucifer and his dominions refused God’s friendship and fell from grace. That number of fallen angels will be replaced by human beings to return the population of heaven to perfection.

How many openings are left? Estimate the number of human beings created so far. Multiply that by the fraction who have attained heaven or purgatory. Subtract that number from the number of demons in hell. There you go.

 

[Dovekin]

I’m just wondering about why God has decided to create a fixed number of souls, as opposed to just continuously creating souls for all time.

God does create souls continuously, probably will for all of time. (except in the early days, the first through 3rd days of Genesis)

God promised Abraham he would have children as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, as many as the stars in the sky, and God loves each and every one. Each individual soul adds to the number of people, but never gets closer to infinity.

How good to sing praise to our God;

how pleasant to give fitting praise.

The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,

and gathers the dispersed of Israel,

Healing the brokenhearted,

and binding up their wounds.

He numbers the stars,

and gives to all of them their names.

Great is our Lord, vast in power,

with wisdom beyond measure.

The LORD gives aid to the poor,

but casts the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147

 

[Mmarco]

To think of everyone who has ever-lived on this earth: past, present, and future, is pretty mindboggling.

However, although a crazy amount of people to our minds, it would be infinitesimal to God.

I’m just wondering why God created a set number of people who would live on the earth, rather than making an infinite number of souls?

I do not think we can exclude the possibility that God has already created an infinite number of angels; in this case, the number of humans is irrilevant because infinite + any number = infinite

 

[TheLittleLady]

Foe each newly formed have human life, God created a soul.

There is not a big warehouse of created souls.just waiting for a body to inhabit (this is a non Christian teaching, most in the US would have heard this teaching from the Church of Latter Day Saints)

God knows how many humans will be concieved, so, He knows how many souls He will create. We are not given this information

The primace of the question is contrary to our Faith.

 

[Anesti33]

The evidence is quite plain that there are a finite number of angels. It does not make sense that there would be an infinite number of discrete beings such as this, just like human souls.

 

[Mmarco]

The evidence is quite plain that there are a finite number of angels. It does not make sense that there would be an infinite number of discrete beings such as this, just like human souls.

I disagree; I do not think it is quite plain; it is only your opinion.
I think we cannot know how many angels God has chosen to create, and an infinite number is a possibility we cannot exclude.

 

[Anesti33]

Anesti33:

The evidence is quite plain that there are a finite number of angels. It does not make sense that there would be an infinite number of discrete beings such as this, just like human souls.

I disagree; I do not think it is quite plain; it is only your opinion.
I think we cannot know how many angels God has chosen to create, and an infinite number is a possibility we cannot exclude.

Catholic Encyclopedia:

The number of the angels is frequently stated as prodigious (Daniel 7:10; Apocalypse 5:11; Psalm 67:18; Matthew 26:53). From the use of the word host ( sabaoth ) as a synonym for the heavenly army it is hard to resist the impression that the term “Lord of Hosts” refers to God’s Supreme command of the angelic multitude (cf. Deuteronomy 33:2; 32:43; Septuagint). The Fathers see a reference to the relative numbers of men and angels in the parable of the hundred sheep (Luke 15:1-3), though this may seem fanciful. The Scholastics, again, following the treatise “De Coelesti Hierarchia” of St. Denis, regard the preponderance of numbers as a necessary perfection of the angelic host (cf. St. Thomas, Summa Theologica I:1:3).

CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Angels

 

[neophyte]

Genesis tells us of the creation of this universe, this world. It says nothing about whether there were others…

To me, this has always seemed an odd thing to say. My understanding is that universe indicates “the entirety of the created order”, which would mean that there can be only one of them.

 

[Mmarco]

Mmarco:

Anesti33:

The evidence is quite plain that there are a finite number of angels. It does not make sense that there would be an infinite number of discrete beings such as this, just like human souls.

I disagree; I do not think it is quite plain; it is only your opinion.
I think we cannot know how many angels God has chosen to create, and an infinite number is a possibility we cannot exclude.

Catholic Encyclopedia:

The number of the angels is frequently stated as prodigious (Daniel 7:10; Apocalypse 5:11; Psalm 67:18; Matthew 26:53). From the use of the word host ( sabaoth ) as a synonym for the heavenly army it is hard to resist the impression that the term “Lord of Hosts” refers to God’s Supreme command of the angelic multitude (cf. Deuteronomy 33:2; 32:43; Septuagint). The Fathers see a reference to the relative numbers of men and angels in the parable of the hundred sheep (Luke 15:1-3), though this may seem fanciful. The Scholastics, again, following the treatise “De Coelesti Hierarchia” of St. Denis, regard the preponderance of numbers as a necessary perfection of the angelic host (cf. St. Thomas, Summa Theologica I:1:3).

And then? I see no valid reason to exclude the possibility that the number of angels is infinite. At this point we can only agree to disagree.

 

[Inquiry]

Indeed I don’t see why there couldn’t be a countably infinite number of angels. Even if there were it wouldn’t be close to the unfathomably infinite nature of God.