Spinoza's View Of God

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Theology brings about different interpretations of God and the role he plays within the universe and alongside humanity. These concepts range from a God that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow to a God that is ever changing by the experiences of his creations as process theism describes; a God that shares a personal relationship with his creations to a God that is emotionless as Spinoza describes (Casanova, The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, p. 49; Nadler, Humanities, p. 46). While Spinoza holds a controversial view of scripture as propagating superstitious illusions and process theism portraying God in scripture as less distinct and less powerful, Western theism being more plausible depicts the divine as “all powerful, …show more content…
For instance, God having the ability to create and destroy anything at his will would infer that God is all-powerful as no other being can boast such a claim. However, if God is all-powerful then why does evil and suffering exist in the world? Surely, God has the power to combat such evil and not permit his creations to suffer. The scripture of Western theism explains that although God could intervene, he does not because he grants his creations free will to choose between good and evil. Furthermore, process theism describes God as an influencer not a coercer, trying instead to lure creation to the correct choice, but not preventing a wrong and potentially disastrous decision (Casanova, The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, p. 49). Otherwise, horrific events such as the holocaust would have not occurred. In addition, there does seem to be limitations to God’s power in that he cannot create something imperfect, but that is because it’s not in God’s nature to be imperfect because God is perfection. Humanity may take something and make it imperfect or use it for an evil purpose, but that was not God’s intention. For Spinoza, there is no influencer to demonstrate his power; the power spoken of is just the power of Nature, the substance that brought about the constellations and the stars (Nadler, Humanities, p. 46). To suggest that God is …show more content…
Sacrificing all for the creations he so loves including taking human form and dying upon the Cross. God’s goodness and mercy is unending and boundless. God is the teacher and creation the student where God leads by example so that the goodness shown will transcend to all and through all. Similarly, process theism supports this view where Casanova mentions, “God’s method of working with creation is loving persuasion” (Casanova, The Journal of Religion and Psychical Research, p. 50). Some pastors contend that God is not a God of anger and persecution, but instead of God of compassion who wants what is best for his creations. In contrast, Spinoza does not view God with such virtuosity as God is neither good nor evil nor just (Nadler, Humanities, p. 46). Speaking and believing in the goodness of God and even viewing God is this light is similar to believing in fairies that would make his or her wishes come true. However, none of the theisms can depict God as a wish grantor instead God provides the possibilities and he or she makes their own wishes come

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