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To: Mrs. Don-o
"I didn’t understand the question at the end of your post. I don’t know what “the Openness theology of the Open Theists” is, nor do I know the names and descriptions of the alternatives to this."

Fair enough...I did not intend to trap you, so I'll try to fill in the blanks. The Open Theists believe that God has "omniscience" (full and unlimited knowledge) of what can be known. Since the future is being determined by uncontrolled, free-will agents (mankind) and those decisions are being made in real time, God does not know what they are going to choose or do. That is, the future cannot be known, so God learns about it (and responds to it) just as we do...as it unfolds.

If He did know what you were about to choose to think, do or say in the next minute, that "thing" He knew about you would be "fixed" because it would be the only thing that you could do. If that were the case, you would not be truly "free" to do something without His control.

Some of the advocates of this "Openness" were Clark Pinnock, Gregory Boyd, et al. I provide a quote from Boyd: "Much of it [the future], open theists will concede, is settled ahead of time, either by God's predestining will or by existing earthly causes, but it is not exhaustively settled ahead of time. To whatever degree the future is yet open to be decided by free agents, it is unsettled."

So far as I am aware, the only other alternative to this view is the one I quoted from Scripture set out prior: God is managing everything, every decision, every action, every moment. This is why prophecy always occurs right on time; this is why God has perfect foreknowledge. He is causing everything to occur in precisely the manner in which it occurs. Foreknowledge is related to Foreordination which is related to Predestination. The reason we need not fear is not because we can figure out how to respond, but because God is, "causing all things to work together for our good." God really is God. Absolute, unlimited transcendent sovereignty.

Hopefully, this is enough of a snapshot to help you answer the question posed differently...Is it your view that the future is unsettled because of the decisions of "free agents"?

140 posted on 05/13/2015 8:56:21 AM PDT by Dutchboy88
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To: Dutchboy88

“If He did know what you were about to choose to think, do or say in the next minute, that “thing” He knew about you would be “fixed” because it would be the only thing that you could do. If that were the case, you would not be truly “free” to do something without His control.”

That’s a non sequitur. Just because God can foresee our choices does not mean He controls them.


143 posted on 05/13/2015 9:13:55 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Dutchboy88
I think we end up with a paradox, which is that God sovereignly and omnipotently chooses that we shall all have choices. "I will hold the sentinel responsible" (Ezekiel 33:6)

This might not be a totally satisfactory answer, but it's what God caused me to say. :o)

And it reminds me of an argument I had with a behaviorist, who said the only explanations of our thoughts, decisions, and actions are factors over which we have no control: genetics, intrauterine environment, early nurture/training and operant conditioning, social patterning, environment, hardwired material determinism, brain chemistry.

Asked him if there were anything he could do if I were pre-programmed by nature/nurture to shoot him dead. As I went rummaging around in my purse for (by implication) a firearm, he did take a step or two backwards.

Tagline.

146 posted on 05/13/2015 9:23:04 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Who is the one who fears the Lord? God shows him the way he should choose. Ps 25: 12)
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