Why Is God Surprised By Events in The Bible If He Is Omniscient
By The SteWpId MoNkEy ~
In attempts to further my own biblical understanding, I was going through Genesis and something popped out that I hadn't noticed before. Sometimes we as atheist get caught up in the "major" debatable issues, but some times forget the little things in the bible that make it even funnier when you actually think about what it means and says about the Judeo-Christan God. Let's look at this line from Genesis 6:5-6 in the KJV:
Wait a minute. God saw the wickedness of man and was sorrowful and regretted creating humans and this earth.
These are two interesting lines here. Why would an omniscient being actually be surprised and depressed about a situation that he knew was going to come to pass? People, forget about the initial creation of man. From the moment the christian god chose to create man kind, he knew our past, present and future. In actuality, these concepts of linear time would not have meant anything to the christian god. He would know just know everything about us. So god knew that the Nephlim were coming to earth. God knew that man would become wicked (because of original sin that was brought about by a situation that he created himself. But that is another thing altogether.) Why would he feel sorry and regret making us. If god is indeed capable of feeling regret, wouldn't he have felt that from the simple knowledge of humanities existence. Then why create us? It seem that the biblical god is actually surprised that man is so wicked.
But what exactly is regret? How do we define it in today's society. "According to Landman's research (1993),
Now notice here that regret is used in the context of a person feeling regret for their actions or inaction's. The consequences that follow and the things that one cannot control at times, i.e. losses and limitations. Which one of these categories does the christian god fall into?
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
Wait a minute. God saw the wickedness of man and was sorrowful and regretted creating humans and this earth.
"13And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."
These are two interesting lines here. Why would an omniscient being actually be surprised and depressed about a situation that he knew was going to come to pass? People, forget about the initial creation of man. From the moment the christian god chose to create man kind, he knew our past, present and future. In actuality, these concepts of linear time would not have meant anything to the christian god. He would know just know everything about us. So god knew that the Nephlim were coming to earth. God knew that man would become wicked (because of original sin that was brought about by a situation that he created himself. But that is another thing altogether.) Why would he feel sorry and regret making us. If god is indeed capable of feeling regret, wouldn't he have felt that from the simple knowledge of humanities existence. Then why create us? It seem that the biblical god is actually surprised that man is so wicked.
But what exactly is regret? How do we define it in today's society. "According to Landman's research (1993),
"Regret is a more or less painful cognitive and emotional state of feeling sorry for misfortunes, limitations, losses, transgressions, shortcomings, or mistakes. It is an experience of felt-reason or reasoned-emotion. The regretted matters may be sins of commission as well as sins of omission; they may range from the voluntary to the uncontrollable and accidental; they may be actually executed deeds or entirely mental ones committed by oneself or by another person or group; they may be moral or legal transgressions or morally and legally neutral. . . ."(p. 36)
Now notice here that regret is used in the context of a person feeling regret for their actions or inaction's. The consequences that follow and the things that one cannot control at times, i.e. losses and limitations. Which one of these categories does the christian god fall into?