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Can God Not Do Certain Things? - Page 4

Dbackers, I think we are closer then we are apart. This idea of God's power that you see in theological terms is called maximal power. Meaning that God has more power then any other being. Thus he is all powerful in that no one has more power. This states that there are things that God does not have or cannot do. Thus he is still progressing. What that is we may have differences, and that is OK, I think we are in the same ballpark. Thus this is not illogical at all.

As I said, I think we may differ in what he self limits and what he cannot do. That is OK though. This is where I get caught up in the problem of evil. (but I will not go into that again. It is in this realm that I am still working out theologically.)

This passage that you quote suggests in the last phrase that even God's power comes from an outside source higher then him. "This light of Christ....even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne...." Seems to suggest that this very power grants God his power. This is the idea that is also known as the light of the Gods, which comes through Christ thus it is also called the light of Christ. B. Young talks about this idea.

Again the ideas of eternal laws does not set well with me. I think that this is a way for early LDS theologians to talk about God's limited power, but I do buy it. I think that if we throw out this ideas of eternal laws we can get somewhere better regarding the atonement. I think most current LDS theologians do not speak in these tems to often anymore.

Things Do God Can

I think our main disagreement is that I believe those things that he cannot do, cannot be learned later. I believe that he cannot gain skills per say, or that because he gains power he learns some new skill. This implies an imperfect (Or not complete) God, which I cannot fathom.

God, it seems in my estimation through scripture and prophetic word, is complete in his Might and Power and is not gaining in such (except in the amount of posterity that he has and his mission to bring to pass their immortality and eternal life.)
In my opinion God's Power and Knowledge is Absolute, in that there is nothing that he does not know, and their is nothing given to a God, that he cannot do.

But really, I think we both believe God is so much farther advanced then us, that comparatively he is a supreme being, and the issue of his power and knowledge compared to ours is like comparing a grain of sand to the power of the ocean. There really is no comparison at this point in our progression.

Wow, and the issue of eternal law is a separate and very interesting discussion, and I am sure, in our case, an issue that can be discussed for a long time.

Rather off topic, but... My entire theological outlook revolves around Eternal Law and Eternal absolutes and it may explain many of my opinions. Could this be a reflection of our outlooks(forgive an assumption), that I am more conservative and you more progressive theologically?

Can God Not Do Certain Things? Studies Doctrine Mormon

We may have to agree to disagree at this point and that is OK. I can see that you are in the McConkie camp, which to me seems more protestant then Mormon in his ideas of God. (McConkie was not a good theologian in my opinion.He was an apostle but not a theologian.) I suppose that I tend to be more along the lines of process theology, but this seems to be more closer to Joseph and Brigham and others.) But I have to admit, I kind of teeter on this idea of Godhood. Although I do think that God still progresses in knowledge and expereince-hence the need for an atonement. In that God knowledge is always growing because you and I create new experiences that no one has ever had, because we are all unique. Thus God experiences my unique life thus he grows in knowledge. However despite this I do feel that God the Father has always been God. I do not think that he was ever like us per say. He may have come to an earth to gain a body, but he was God before he did that.

Rather off topic, but... QUOTE My entire theological outlook revolves around Eternal Law and Eternal absolutes and it may explain many of my opinions. Could this be a reflection of our outlooks(forgive an assumption), that I am more conservative and you more progressive theologically? That may very well be.

That may very well be.