Monday, April 23, 2012

If god made the world, who made god?


א בְּרֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ  
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

ב וְהָאָרֶץ, הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וְחֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-פְּנֵי תְהוֹם; וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים, מְרַחֶפֶת עַל-פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם 
Now the earth was unformed and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.

 ג וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יְהִי אוֹר; וַיְהִי-אוֹר  
And God said: 'Let there be light.' And there was light.

 ד וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-הָאוֹר, כִּי-טוֹב; וַיַּבְדֵּל אֱלֹהִים, בֵּין הָאוֹר וּבֵין הַחֹשֶׁךְ 
And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

My own very loose translation:

Time began when God created space.
This planet's potential was chaotic, open, confused; God's conceiving framed a great flowing.
God conceived light.  There was light.
God perceived light and was glad.  God differentiated light from confusion.

With Augustine of Hippo I understand God is beyond time and space.

God is That Which Exists: one reasonable translation of Jehovah.

God is fundamental reality, source of creation, ultimate origin of cosmic laws.

With deists I understand God created chaos, complexity, emergence, order...

Unlike most deists I understand God is glad to be surprised.

God conceived light, but was uncertain if light would be good or bad until perceiving it.  God was glad it was good.  God might have been otherwise.

God set the preconditions for light, but light continues to delight (or not) in exploring and unfolding these divine preconditions.

With many I understand that God continues to be interested in the course of creation.

Unlike many I understand God remains outside time and space, God does not intervene directly to guide the unfolding of creation.

But my God is engaged with creation: ready to respond, to inspire, to participate in the choices I make - and each of us make - regarding preconditions and potential.

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