Process theology asks us to see the world around us as a collection of subjects, not objects, each with intrinsic worth. How would you develop this view into a responsible but practical guide for living? What kinds of acts would you be more likely to engage in and refrain from if you saw the world this way?
Well i think the idea of "intrinsic worth" is foundational to process theology's ecological approach. By understanding that everything has value, we can then begin to treat things differently in a better way than before. Knowing that all things are subjects rather than objects means that these subjects are created in each moment as a result of all the influential moments before them.
So by knowing that the moments of influence, that we can control by our actions, will have an effect on the creation of these subjects we are responsible to live in ways that will make an effect on creation a better one than the other possible effects we could have on the creation of these subjects. This is a moment to moment process of living in order to better all of creation, This means seeing things for just what they are. Meaning the things we create for example: Hamburgers, the delicious American meal. What does it take to produce a hamburger? Is the production of hamburgers harmful to other areas of creation? So the question becomes what is the hamburger worth? Is its value more important than the problems it creates, like effects of world hunger, health, economic status and other things.
So understanding our part in creation means seeing a hamburger for what it is? So that may mean giving less value to hamburgers.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The relationship between science and religion I think has to be reconciled. I think both parties can benefit from each other. Religion can be aided and is aided by many discovers in science. Science challenges religion to be honest in its attempts to explain the world around us. I think science can be and is aided by religion in similar ways, in that religion helps to explain the world around us. If the two do not work together in this struggle, then i think there will be a conflict always.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Ecology
I function in the world as a concerned person for all aspects of the world trying to live as freely and unselfishly as possible doing all the good i can, doing little harm, and being in love with God. I try to live practical by understanding the role I have been given by being a living creature with full responsibility of the world around me. My interactions with the non-human world are foundationally based on the fact that I have responsibility to care for the world around me. I place humans at the very most important responsibility. I have developed this ecological attitude from my understanding of the relationship I have with God. I have developed a large degree of my attitude with the help of John Wesley's writing and his understand of grace and grace theology. John Wesley said "Do no harm, Do all the good you can, and stay in love with God" Wesley’s words have helped to shape my understanding of ecology. The last part "stay in love with God" is foundational for me to understand ecology. Staying in love with God means many things but one thing it means is putting value in everything.
I think Jay McDaniel's proposed ethic is more similar to mine than it is different. I think a similar idea is that we both place value in all things. I think we differ in that I place the ultimate value in humans were Jay may not. I am not sure if Jay would say that all of our ethic should arise from striving to stay in love with God and that idea and that relationship with God being foundational to our ecological position.
I don't know? I would continue but iam running out of time!
I think Jay McDaniel's proposed ethic is more similar to mine than it is different. I think a similar idea is that we both place value in all things. I think we differ in that I place the ultimate value in humans were Jay may not. I am not sure if Jay would say that all of our ethic should arise from striving to stay in love with God and that idea and that relationship with God being foundational to our ecological position.
I don't know? I would continue but iam running out of time!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Predestination with regards to Process Theology
Predestination:
Predestination is a religious concept, which involves the relationship between God and his creation. The religious character of predestination distinguishes it from other ideas about determinism and free will. Those who believe in predestination, such as John Calvin, believe that before the creation God determined the fate of the universe throughout all of time and space. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination
The Doctrine of Predestination has been a conversation among people for a long time. It has been widely debated and is still debated today.
I think Process Theology address’s the Doctrine of Predestination unique compared to many other theologies and thoughts.
Calvinism is a major contributor to predestination. Calvinism has enriched the thoughts about predestination widely. Calvinism holds this doctrine to be a biblical truth and a biblical understanding of God. Calvinism runs into problems when it comes down to the nature of God. People against the doctrine of predestination says that it does not describe a God of Love. It may describe a sovereign God but not a God of Love.
The early rebuttal to Calvinism was Arminianism, which is theological understanding of free-will. Free-will is the idea that men are not predestined rather have some control over there lives (human responsibility). This idea has caused many problems about the nature of God. Free-will does not co inside with Gods sovereignty. Arminianism also runs in to other problems, like remaining biblically truthful and limiting Gods Power.
So we have these two sides Calvinism and Arminiansm. Calvinism is in support of Predestination and Arminianism not in support.
This is where I believe Process Theology comes into the conversation.
Process Theology I think is an attempt to find a new way between the two sides. I think Process Theology tries to hold that God is sovereign yet is a God of Love. Uniting God's sovereignty and God's love is hard to do and be biblical, so in this attempt biblical truths are lost and the Nature of God is changed. Process Theology is uniting religious thoughts about God and Philosophical thoughts about God.
Process theology destroys the Doctrine of Predestination. Process theology says that there is no way a God of Love or a God worthy of worship can create human beings for the purpose of burning in Hell. Process thinkers rather believe that God is a much more relational God. A God that created humans to be in relation with Himself, which gives humans the ultimate free-will but makes God a God of true love for humans. What about Gods Power? Is this Ultimate free-will conflicting with Gods power? If we have free-will and our responsible for our own destinations then does this not conflict with Gods power of knowing the future? Process thinkers would say no it does not, because God is still all knowing because in Process thought there is no future to know. There for God knows all because there is no future to know. Thus getting around the problem of Gods power and the concept of free-will.
Process theology's thoughts about predestination bring so good insight on the doctrine of predestination, but also run into some problems biblical. Process thinkers, I think would say yes that they run into problems biblically, but would say that an understand of a God as a Loving God comes before the Bible as all truth. In other words understanding God as a God of Love comes before anything even the Bible.
Predestination is a religious concept, which involves the relationship between God and his creation. The religious character of predestination distinguishes it from other ideas about determinism and free will. Those who believe in predestination, such as John Calvin, believe that before the creation God determined the fate of the universe throughout all of time and space. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predestination
The Doctrine of Predestination has been a conversation among people for a long time. It has been widely debated and is still debated today.
I think Process Theology address’s the Doctrine of Predestination unique compared to many other theologies and thoughts.
Calvinism is a major contributor to predestination. Calvinism has enriched the thoughts about predestination widely. Calvinism holds this doctrine to be a biblical truth and a biblical understanding of God. Calvinism runs into problems when it comes down to the nature of God. People against the doctrine of predestination says that it does not describe a God of Love. It may describe a sovereign God but not a God of Love.
The early rebuttal to Calvinism was Arminianism, which is theological understanding of free-will. Free-will is the idea that men are not predestined rather have some control over there lives (human responsibility). This idea has caused many problems about the nature of God. Free-will does not co inside with Gods sovereignty. Arminianism also runs in to other problems, like remaining biblically truthful and limiting Gods Power.
So we have these two sides Calvinism and Arminiansm. Calvinism is in support of Predestination and Arminianism not in support.
This is where I believe Process Theology comes into the conversation.
Process Theology I think is an attempt to find a new way between the two sides. I think Process Theology tries to hold that God is sovereign yet is a God of Love. Uniting God's sovereignty and God's love is hard to do and be biblical, so in this attempt biblical truths are lost and the Nature of God is changed. Process Theology is uniting religious thoughts about God and Philosophical thoughts about God.
Process theology destroys the Doctrine of Predestination. Process theology says that there is no way a God of Love or a God worthy of worship can create human beings for the purpose of burning in Hell. Process thinkers rather believe that God is a much more relational God. A God that created humans to be in relation with Himself, which gives humans the ultimate free-will but makes God a God of true love for humans. What about Gods Power? Is this Ultimate free-will conflicting with Gods power? If we have free-will and our responsible for our own destinations then does this not conflict with Gods power of knowing the future? Process thinkers would say no it does not, because God is still all knowing because in Process thought there is no future to know. There for God knows all because there is no future to know. Thus getting around the problem of Gods power and the concept of free-will.
Process theology's thoughts about predestination bring so good insight on the doctrine of predestination, but also run into some problems biblical. Process thinkers, I think would say yes that they run into problems biblically, but would say that an understand of a God as a Loving God comes before the Bible as all truth. In other words understanding God as a God of Love comes before anything even the Bible.
Monday, September 28, 2009
10 terms or ideas in Process
The Future: The future is not something that is actual so the idea that God needs to know the future is not logical possible. This Helps with the notion of an all knowing God.
Jesus: The creative love of God is represented in Jesus or was incarnated in Jesus. The belief of Jesus as the savior of humanity is present with-in Process thought but not widely explored.
Divine Goal: Is the idea that God want the best thing for us. God wants the most beautiful thing for us. And one idea that comes for this notion is the idea of complexity. The more complex things are the more enjoyment that thing can have.
Hell: Process theology says there is no hell. If we worship a God of Love then a God of Love would not create a hell.
Free Will: Process theology has found that free will is at the heart of reality. That God did not give us free will but free will is just part of reality.
Calvinism: Process theology thinks that Calvinism and some of its major doctrines like predestination has done Christian theology a lot of wrong. Although the doctrine of Predestination was an honest approach to trying to understand God and the Bible it has really distorted the nature of God.
Philosophical and Theological: Process theology tries to approach there ideas about God that are true to the philosophical truths and a religious theological truths.
Process ‘to be actual is to be process” : Everything is in process including God. God is affected by humans and we are affected by God and humans and everything. Reality is a process.
Reality bubbles: This was the diagram that showed the process of how things or entities become actualities. The bubble in process is the one in which has many other bubbles behind it, so that it can use the bubbles behind it as data to become what it is in the present. But the bubble in the process all so has the bubbles of possibility which are not part of the processing bubbles data. This is where God comes into the picture. God is a bubble in our data bubbles that helps us to choose the best bubble from the possibility of bubbles.
Monad: The smallest thing any actuality can be broken down into. A monad is smaller that an Atom.
Jesus: The creative love of God is represented in Jesus or was incarnated in Jesus. The belief of Jesus as the savior of humanity is present with-in Process thought but not widely explored.
Divine Goal: Is the idea that God want the best thing for us. God wants the most beautiful thing for us. And one idea that comes for this notion is the idea of complexity. The more complex things are the more enjoyment that thing can have.
Hell: Process theology says there is no hell. If we worship a God of Love then a God of Love would not create a hell.
Free Will: Process theology has found that free will is at the heart of reality. That God did not give us free will but free will is just part of reality.
Calvinism: Process theology thinks that Calvinism and some of its major doctrines like predestination has done Christian theology a lot of wrong. Although the doctrine of Predestination was an honest approach to trying to understand God and the Bible it has really distorted the nature of God.
Philosophical and Theological: Process theology tries to approach there ideas about God that are true to the philosophical truths and a religious theological truths.
Process ‘to be actual is to be process” : Everything is in process including God. God is affected by humans and we are affected by God and humans and everything. Reality is a process.
Reality bubbles: This was the diagram that showed the process of how things or entities become actualities. The bubble in process is the one in which has many other bubbles behind it, so that it can use the bubbles behind it as data to become what it is in the present. But the bubble in the process all so has the bubbles of possibility which are not part of the processing bubbles data. This is where God comes into the picture. God is a bubble in our data bubbles that helps us to choose the best bubble from the possibility of bubbles.
Monad: The smallest thing any actuality can be broken down into. A monad is smaller that an Atom.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Worship-Worthiness
What kind of God is Worthy of worship?
There are two sides to this answer. I think it has been an on going conversation among religious thinkers. One of the early arguments was Arminuism and Calvinism. They both describe God and the condition of Human differently.
Well today I think we still have 2 sides or more. The 2 talked about in the Handbook of Process Theology are utterly transcendent (a more Calvinist view) or a God who exist in time with creatures (a more process view). There we have 2 extremes. The 2 sides think, that there description of God is the God worthy of worship.
I think the Calvinistic view of God is the extreme of making God this big all powerful God, which in ways distances God form Humans. And then on the other hand we have the process view of God, a with creator, which is one the other side of the spectrum. This view of God may bring God down to an all most equal level as humans and other creatures. This view may take away a lot of the power of God.
I think these two thoughts happen for different reasons the Calvinistic view wants a God Powerful so that, that God can save them. Whereas the Process thinkers want a God that is not so powerful because that keeps God from relating to Humans.
I think these are old arguments and conversations although i think Process may be offering some neat new insight but still i feel some what on the Arminium side.
Those are my thoughts.
There are two sides to this answer. I think it has been an on going conversation among religious thinkers. One of the early arguments was Arminuism and Calvinism. They both describe God and the condition of Human differently.
Well today I think we still have 2 sides or more. The 2 talked about in the Handbook of Process Theology are utterly transcendent (a more Calvinist view) or a God who exist in time with creatures (a more process view). There we have 2 extremes. The 2 sides think, that there description of God is the God worthy of worship.
I think the Calvinistic view of God is the extreme of making God this big all powerful God, which in ways distances God form Humans. And then on the other hand we have the process view of God, a with creator, which is one the other side of the spectrum. This view of God may bring God down to an all most equal level as humans and other creatures. This view may take away a lot of the power of God.
I think these two thoughts happen for different reasons the Calvinistic view wants a God Powerful so that, that God can save them. Whereas the Process thinkers want a God that is not so powerful because that keeps God from relating to Humans.
I think these are old arguments and conversations although i think Process may be offering some neat new insight but still i feel some what on the Arminium side.
Those are my thoughts.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Week Two
Reflect on the concept of power in religious thinking. What does omnipotence mean? What power can be attributed to created beings, what power can be attributed to divine beings, and what evidence is there for the division you posit? What problems arise, if any, from this understanding? Then explain how process thought seeks to redefine the concept of power, and the religious implications -- whether desirable or undesirable -- of this redefinition.
God as omnipotence means that God is all-powerful and that he can do anything that he likes. Traditionally, God is also thought as omnibenecolent and omniscient . The problem, one runs into is that if God is all-powerful and all-knowing than the existence of evil becomes an issue because either God created evil or God does not have enough power to fix the problem of evil or God is evil himself.
The idea of free will is interesting with a God who is all-powerful and with humans with free will because if humans have free will and God's influence on free will is limited and if it is not limited to, in humans do not have free will so there's a problem with this idea as well.
Process theology offers an idea that God is all-powerful and all knowing that he knows all possibilities of the future. And God influences our free will but does not predetermine our choices. This idea of God knowing the possibilities and not and not the future solves the problem of evil. Because it allows humans to have free will and God to be all knowing because he only knows the possibilities which are the only logical things to know. So in some complicated way that I don't fully understand the solves the problem of evil but it changes the traditional idea of an all-powerful God. I feel like it all goes back to this idea that reality is only reality when it is actual things so the future is not reality because the future is not yet actual so God knows only the possibilities of the future and not the future itself.
God as omnipotence means that God is all-powerful and that he can do anything that he likes. Traditionally, God is also thought as omnibenecolent and omniscient . The problem, one runs into is that if God is all-powerful and all-knowing than the existence of evil becomes an issue because either God created evil or God does not have enough power to fix the problem of evil or God is evil himself.
The idea of free will is interesting with a God who is all-powerful and with humans with free will because if humans have free will and God's influence on free will is limited and if it is not limited to, in humans do not have free will so there's a problem with this idea as well.
Process theology offers an idea that God is all-powerful and all knowing that he knows all possibilities of the future. And God influences our free will but does not predetermine our choices. This idea of God knowing the possibilities and not and not the future solves the problem of evil. Because it allows humans to have free will and God to be all knowing because he only knows the possibilities which are the only logical things to know. So in some complicated way that I don't fully understand the solves the problem of evil but it changes the traditional idea of an all-powerful God. I feel like it all goes back to this idea that reality is only reality when it is actual things so the future is not reality because the future is not yet actual so God knows only the possibilities of the future and not the future itself.
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