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Tom
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353
| Posted 10/20/2001 4:00 PM (GMT -6) |   | Mephi-
Tom here. I'm in Dallas and will try to get ahold of you this week. In the meantime, and in consideration of the fact that I've been more or less disengaged for three months from discussion (now I'm back!), do me a personal favor, give us an update on where you stand with regard to your "conversion" some months ago to the OV. I realize what it's like to be "in process," nevertheless, I'd like to know whether you've moved back away from your earlier conversion/openness to the Or closer.
No dissertations, just a few paragraphs!
Love ya,
Tom
“Christianity is all for practice, and so much time as is spent in quarrels about it is a diminution to its interest. We inquire so much what it is that we have but little time left to be Christians.” Jeremy Taylor | | Back to Top | | |
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Mephi2K
Registered Member
Date Joined Jun 2001
Total Posts : 713
| Posted 10/23/2001 4:10 AM (GMT -6) | | No disserations. Promise. 
As far as what I believe to be the fundamental premises of open view theism, I'm the same. Given...
1) the philosophical viability of God creating an "uncontrollable being" (qua Mackie)
2) Hartshorne's ontological differentiation argument...and...
3) The thought that God may have actually wanted reciprocation of relationship to His perspective...
I can see how a rational theist could lean towards openness theology. However, (and just being honest), I'm also even even MORE convinced that Doc's warfare worldview (as it stands) just will NOT cut the mustard ultimately. Neither will Sanders'. This is not to say that some important points are made by both gentlemen's respective positions. However, I just don't see either of them really taking all the thinking as far as it can go. To do so in either of their systems, in my opinion, leads to VERY problematic ideas...especially with theodicy and PRACTICAL Christian living.
I still believe that God is above "good" and "evil" (as WE define the terms) though he promotes the good. God exhibits loving, good behavior UNFATHOMABLE by fallen human beings, such that our "goodness" pales in comparison by far. But I don't believe that this leads to what many people consider "omnibenevolence." Another place where I will always differ from many open view, free will, and process theologians is simply that I believe that God is arbitrary with respect to unilateral actions. Bottom line: God does mostly what GOD wants to do and is NOT as self-restricted as certain parties want to claim.
The implications from the two beliefs above should be clear. It is very possible that God can ordain and/or allow things for God's own purposes that, to us, may not be what an "all-good" being would do. And that's the crucial difference.
Here's where I am right now, in a nutshell.
Love God. Love People. Love Truth. Dedicate your all to that which you love. | | Back to Top | | |
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Tom
Registered Member
Date Joined Jul 2001
Total Posts : 10353
| Posted 10/23/2001 4:47 PM (GMT -6) | | Thanks Bro!
Stick by your cellular dude!
Tom
“Christianity is all for practice, and so much time as is spent in quarrels about it is a diminution to its interest. We inquire so much what it is that we have but little time left to be Christians.” Jeremy Taylor | | Back to Top | | |
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