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tiberry · 01-11-2004, 04:53 AM

Mantus - If I follow your logic correctly, you state that since god is omniscient (knows everything), that means that god can experience everything as well.

I say that there is a significant difference between knowing and experiencing. You might KNOW that it is cold outside, but can your body experience the feeling without going outside? Especially without past experience to draw on? God might KNOW that there are an infinite set of possibilities of an infinite set of parameters, but is that the same as experiencing each? I say not.

If everyone in the world was exactly my height, 6 feet 4 inches tall - would I be able to experience being tall? I may conceive of a place where I am 8 feet tall, thereby being taller than everyone else, but its only a concept - not an experience. In order to experience what you ARE you must experience that which you are NOT.

For the very reason that god is omniscient, omnipresent, and about every other "omni" there is, wouldn't this make it very difficult to be self aware? Self aware in the sense of what you called 'experience'. (Some might get caught up in the "that implies god is flawed or imperfect, because of the limitation - but that only holds true if god hadn't 'fixed' the problem.) Self awareness is an ability unique to humans; its what separates us from the rest of the animals on this planet. Its the unique ability to consider yourself as something that you're NOT at any particular moment. The desire to experience that which you are NOT is what motivates US. It gives us the ability to literally CREATE a new reality for ourselves.

The difference between KNOWING and EXPERIENCING is exactly what I think motivates god.

ROGUE 49 stated in another post - "So make the best of it, and experience all you can."

See the connection??

01-11-2004, 04:53 AM	#27 (permalink)
tiberry Insane Location: Location, Location!	Mantus - If I follow your logic correctly, you state that since god is omniscient (knows everything), that means that god can experience everything as well. I say that there is a significant difference between knowing and experiencing. You might KNOW that it is cold outside, but can your body experience the feeling without going outside? Especially without past experience to draw on? God might KNOW that there are an infinite set of possibilities of an infinite set of parameters, but is that the same as experiencing each? I say not. If everyone in the world was exactly my height, 6 feet 4 inches tall - would I be able to experience being tall? I may conceive of a place where I am 8 feet tall, thereby being taller than everyone else, but its only a concept - not an experience. In order to experience what you ARE you must experience that which you are NOT. For the very reason that god is omniscient, omnipresent, and about every other "omni" there is, wouldn't this make it very difficult to be self aware? Self aware in the sense of what you called 'experience'. (Some might get caught up in the "that implies god is flawed or imperfect, because of the limitation - but that only holds true if god hadn't 'fixed' the problem.) Self awareness is an ability unique to humans; its what separates us from the rest of the animals on this planet. Its the unique ability to consider yourself as something that you're NOT at any particular moment. The desire to experience that which you are NOT is what motivates US. It gives us the ability to literally CREATE a new reality for ourselves. The difference between KNOWING and EXPERIENCING is exactly what I think motivates god. ROGUE 49 stated in another post - "So make the best of it, and experience all you can." See the connection?? __________________ My life's work is to bridge the gap between that which is perceived by the mind and that which is quantifiable by words and numbers. Last edited by tiberry; 01-11-2004 at 04:59 AM..