tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post4430357117832694089..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Pacifism and open theismRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-28118831968906497992014-09-11T14:31:59.290-04:002014-09-11T14:31:59.290-04:00In Calvinism exactly what happens has to be best. ...In Calvinism exactly what happens has to be best. In open theism exactly what happens can be best, less good, or the worst. In the world of sin that we live in I chose open theism.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05629533015852535518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-31059908668901307222014-09-11T12:05:16.043-04:002014-09-11T12:05:16.043-04:00What is best in any particular situation depends o...What is best in any particular situation depends on the situation. You can't prepare for something you can't anticipate. <br /><br />You're confusing abstract knowledge with concrete knowledge. God knowing what *would* be best in a hypothetical situation isn't helpful unless the hypothetical situation happens to correspond to reality.<br /><br />A doctor can't know what is best for his patient without an accurate diagnosis. A doctor knows how to treat many *possible* illnesses. But that's useless in treating a patient unless he also knows what the actual illness is. The treatment for cancer isn't the treatment for pneumonia. Knowing all the best treatments for every disease won't cure his patient absent knowing what's wrong with his patient. stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-59016937529245316502014-09-11T11:51:25.519-04:002014-09-11T11:51:25.519-04:00Sorry, let me also add that I find it perplexing t...Sorry, let me also add that I find it perplexing that hard lined pacifists quote the "love your enemies" passages as if it means in every possible situation including self-defense or defense of others. An evil man may hold children hostages and dealing with him may be the only way to show love to the children. If I show him love, how do I love the children when he guns them down? It's a catch 22. I don't think Jesus was speaking in such a broad sense that it means taking out a terrorist of this sort is unloving. It's not like you can't wait to kill the guy for the sake of arbitrary hatred. We might hate his actions and have to act harshly in order to love those children. I don't get extreme pacifism.Auggybendoggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01730767940271614636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-54443213706374787562014-09-11T11:45:53.729-04:002014-09-11T11:45:53.729-04:00As in your other post Steve, I agree for the most ...As in your other post Steve, I agree for the most part. But I'm still trying to wrap my head around this argument that God's knowing what is best for someone is only possible if certain things happen. For me the logic doesn't follow. It seems to me God may know what move, in a game of chess, is best, even for his opponent. But simply because his opponent chooses the 2nd best move, does that mean God could not know what would have been the best possible move?Auggybendoggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01730767940271614636noreply@blogger.com