| [quote=malaise,]
If God can predict all of our actions, does that mean everything that happens, was because he wanted it to, and everything is pre-determined?
Malaise,
You have cited some of the more interesting fallacies of the concept of God. The Judeo-Christian faith has concocted the concept of "the ultimate God" far superior from the many hundreds of other Gods. Attributes are generally attributed to this God which demonstrate his superiority over other, lesser, Gods:
1. God is omniscient: God knows everything - even before it happens he knows what will occur. (Yes, therefore everything must be pre-destined.)
2. God is omnipotent: God can make anything do anything he wants at any time he chooses.
3. God is "all-good": All of God's acts are good, wether we understand them or not, they are good acts as God is not capable of doing evil.
These attributes are universally used by Judeo-Christians asserting belief in God. What becomes problematic is that these attributes contradict each-other. For example:
If God omnicient and everything is pre-destined then God could not change it and therefore is not omnipotent.
If God is omnipotent then he would be capable of doing evil and cannot be all-good.
Finally, a fun one, if God is omnicient and knows everything while being omnipotent having the power to do anything and is all-good then why does he allow evil to exist? Are one of these three attributes false or is God just too lazy exercise his powers against the evil he knows is occuring? A lazy apathetic God - not very Godly!
What really amazes me is that in this day and time with all the knowledge and science that surrounds us that people still cling to this completely unsubstantiated belief of religions and God. |