Omniscience, by my Latin background, would indicate "all knowing." Omni = "all" or "everything there is." science
comes from the Latin for knowledge.
God is all knowing indeed. He has complete knowledge. He knows every descision we will ever make from the beginning of time. He knows every act, every movement of nature, and nothing occurs without or against His Holy Will.
God has a Permissive Will and an Active Will.
God never wills anyone to do evil, never makes anyone to do evil, never prevents anyone from choosing to follow Him, but always gives the Grace necessary to do right and avoid evil, to choose Him over themselves.
God never violates the greatest gift He gave man, Free Will.
But still God knows who will follow Him and who will not, what good we will do and what sins we will commit, as well as our final destiny, from the very beginning.
However, this foreknowledge is not the same as predestination. Simply knowing what will happen does not make it happen.
Yet nothing happens against God's Holy Will.
This is hard to comprehend.
!!!!!
That is why we call it a MYSTERY!!!!
And anyone who claims they can define this mystery, or that their myopic understanding or theology of this mystery is the only right one, or the only true one, well...
THAT man is a fool.
And that is why I will not debate that man, for he presumes to say that he understands MYSTERY, something that only God understands.
And in making such a claim that man usurps the throne of God, and falls far in my sight.
That is why the issue of predestination, to this very day, IS NOT SETTLED NOR WILL BE SETTLED BY MEN!!!
And that is why I ignore OP and the other OP's here. They are presumptuous fools.
I've read the entire history of the deabte and realized the presumption of anyone claiming they can define this mystery.
And thus, since Catholics embrace and revel in MYSTERY, we don't get worked up over silly little discussions of things like "Omniscience."
Its a MYSTERY.
My definition is meaningless, for it is an attempt by a fallen, finite intellect to define the Infinite Mystery of God.
How silly.
Come home to Rome, Terry.
I've finally explained to you the answer you need (not to be presumptuous, but God just laid that on my heart.)
I'm praying constantly for you.
In Christ,
Brian