tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post5877658779841746440..comments2024-03-28T13:47:00.644+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: God needed Christ - The inadequacy, indeed impossibility, of primary monotheism and omnipotence for Christians Bruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-20774929845908978812015-03-23T12:44:03.118+00:002015-03-23T12:44:03.118+00:00@L - I don't think I can answer your question ...@L - I don't think I can answer your question because you don't accept the same premises as I do. I can only see the question as meaningful for someone who already believes in God, a monotheist. It is essentially a discussion among already-monotheists. But, more than this, I am working from a Mormon theological perspective - and I could not really expect other types of Christian to approach the problem in anything like the same spirit. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-91353641907291753272015-03-23T12:36:10.395+00:002015-03-23T12:36:10.395+00:00Logically the answer from Darren appeals to me as ...Logically the answer from Darren appeals to me as a solution, but I am not a Christian and dont accept the problem in the first place. To express why it rankles however is the idea that our divine creator (who knows each one of us in and out <b>better than we know ourselves</b>; indeed I would not consider anything less a fair judge, would you?) needed to become us to know us. Its certainly very touching, it just doesnt sound very... godly. I often see a criticism about the Muslim Allah that he is remote and unfathomable, what does one say then to this idea? Does it not imply that until the point the Father clothed himself in flesh he DIDNT UNDERSTAND his creation and by extension, his plan for them? That seems to make him, to me, a distant and alien being, very far from the conception of a personal god; that quality being entirely contained in the person of Jesus.<br /><br />Disregarding any sense that it makes, is this conception an attractive answer as well? Does it answer and satisfy? While I have followed your developing theology with interest Dr. Charlton, this has not been made clear to me.Luqmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12144548172937229260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-31286819235236810472015-03-13T05:32:33.762+00:002015-03-13T05:32:33.762+00:00@DM - I agree; Jesus learned from his experience o...@DM - I agree; Jesus learned from his experience of birth, development, life and death as a man; something necessary to salvation. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-74144501840841819232015-03-12T22:58:38.099+00:002015-03-12T22:58:38.099+00:00This is a very interesting article. In my view the...This is a very interesting article. In my view there is a relatively simple answer to this dilemma. That is, the limitation of God's omnipotence is only that a perfect being cannot be imperfect. Just as imperfect humanity is incapable of comprehending the fullness of God's perfection, it is quite likely God could not fully perceive the imperfections of humanity. This would explain why the various prophets, environmental disasters and other miracles were of only limited success and that God needed a new solution. The answer to this dilemma was Jesus, whose human nature constrained God for the first time allowing him to appreciate the frailty and limitations of humanity. This suggests that God did indeed need Jesus in order to communicate his message successfully.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11529004415675198249noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-23358971523265983482015-03-12T09:58:56.453+00:002015-03-12T09:58:56.453+00:00@DC - Thanks for your encouraging words.
Yes man...@DC - Thanks for your encouraging words. <br /><br />Yes many needs Christ (for salvation, for eternal life), but why? <br /><br />If Man needs Christ, then why cannot Christ's work be done by God, without Christ - if God was omnipotent (in the traditionally-defined way) then surely it could be? <br /><br />It seems that revelation/ scripture tells us clearly that Christ was necessary (i.e. God needed Christ) in order to fulfil Man's need for Christ. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-40201209578794023142015-03-12T06:41:58.922+00:002015-03-12T06:41:58.922+00:00Hi Bruce, thoroughly enjoy your blog - a work coll...Hi Bruce, thoroughly enjoy your blog - a work colleage and I spend far too much time discussing the issues you so thoughtfully raise than I'm sure our employer would like! On the issue at hand, I wonder whether it is God that needs Christ, or rather, man (i.e. human kind) that needs Christ. I had rationalised the necessity of Christ as God's example for man as to what his (i.e. man's) purpose, functions and goals ought be in this temporal existence - an example of how to live, and what can and must be endured in that living - a perfection to aim at and fall short of... and aim at again. I would greatly value your thoughts on this muse.DCnoreply@blogger.com