Can God understand us?

[Pwny Express]

This is just a random thought I had last night at work. Let's say, if only for the sake of this thread, that God does in fact exist. Would he/she/it even be able to understand us? The story goes that God is and always has existed. God created our universe. Meanwhile, our first great inventions were fire and the wheel. Even if God spoke the languages of our ancient ancestors, language has changed over time. Open up any Shakespeare story and sure they're classics and excellent stories but at the same time I find myself thinking "Good lord, people actually spoke like this? How did anyone understand each other?" Poor spelling and grammar seems to be a pet peeve of many of the users here on this site alone. I've noticed that over my time spent here. And it's for good reason too. I hear people say that if immigrants want to live in this country they should speak English, but it's come to the point where I think most Americans can't even speak English anymore.

So with all the time that has passed over the span of our universe and its lifetime, with all the changes that have occurred with language over the years, and with how long ago things like the Bible were written and the way people used to talk, I have to wonder...can God even understand us anymore? Tell me what you think.

[Captain Shekelstein]

Technically, if a divinity is omnipotent and all-knowing like God then he/she is supposed to know everything. Thus, the answer is clearly yes.

[Wandergirl108]

What Pinkamena said. I thought you were going to be talking about whether or not God can actually UNDERSTAND us - like, our actions and the way we think and such - and that would be an interesting discussion; but if God sees and knows everything, especially everything that goes on with us humans, than he'll have watched the evolution of our language, and would be just as capable of understanding modern language as he was the first languages that mankind ever spoke.

[Ampharos]

He knows what we think, do and why we do it but that doesn't necesarily mean that he understands why we do the things we do so I'm going to say no he doesn't understand our way of thinking.

[Randomdude66]

[Pwny Express]

Let's set aside the omnipotence thing. I don't really put much stock in the idea that ANY being is all knowing, even God.

[Philomena]

What Pinkamena said. I thought you were going to be talking about whether or not God can actually UNDERSTAND us - like, our actions and the way we think and such - and that would be an interesting discussion; but if God sees and knows everything, especially everything that goes on with us humans, than he'll have watched the evolution of our language, and would be just as capable of understanding modern language as he was the first languages that mankind ever spoke.

This. /thread

This thread is now about "whether or not God can actually UNDERSTAND us - like, our actions and the way we think and such."

Then again... omnipotence, he should know everything about everyone, correct?

What this leads me to wonder is how he can punish people for doing the things they do if he understands exactly how and why those actions were chosen.

Sure he "could" have "given" them a choice, but if he's truly all-knowing he'll already know what they'll choose, and if that's the case, then does free will even exist, AND IN THAT CASE, according to some of the christian religions, it's basically determined from birth whether we'll go to heaven or hell, which is a stark contradiction to the fact that we're supposed to have free choice.

[king Sombro]

I think god can understand what we say but she cant understand why we say or do things anymore like she would what us to.

P.S iv never read the Bible in my life so in just speculating

[Pwny Express]

This. /thread

This thread is now about "whether or not God can actually UNDERSTAND us - like, our actions and the way we think and such."

Then again... omnipotence, he should know everything about everyone, correct?

What this leads me to wonder is how he can punish people for doing the things they do if he understands exactly how and why those actions were chosen.

Sure he "could" have "given" them a choice, but if he's truly all-knowing he'll already know what they'll choose, and if that's the case, then does free will even exist, AND IN THAT CASE, according to some of the christian religions, it's basically determined from birth whether we'll go to heaven or hell, which is a stark contradiction to the fact that we're supposed to have free choice.

That's exactly why I don't believe in his omnipotence. There's no reason to believe he knows everything except that people keep saying he does. He didn't seem to know Lucifer was gonna go against him. And that Adam and Eve fiasco sure seemed to blindside him. If you ask me, I don't think God knows any more than we do. He just has the power to make it seem like he does.

[Candy Mane]

That's exactly why I don't believe in his omnipotence. There's no reason to believe he knows everything except that people keep saying he does. He didn't seem to know Lucifer was gonna go against him. And that Adam and Eve fiasco sure seemed to blindside him. If you ask me, I don't think God knows any more than we do. He just has the power to make it seem like he does.

What you have to understand is God does not see time like we do. We see time in a linear way, it's all a series of events one following the other. However God see's time as plane, He knows all that has happened, is happening, and will happen. As far as the free will debate will go, I do not pray for free will, I pray to be on Gods path for me, and that I follow His plan. God knows what I need, even when I do not.

The free choice comes from choosing to accept Jesus as our savior or not.