Beware, this is my own argument and reasoning, so whoever (I don't know of anybody) made contributions to this topic may have used terms/concepts in a completely different way than I have.
If before the universe existed, there was only vast nothingness, where would God have been? Taking into account that nothingness is not something, it seems rather odd that a being, whether spirit or material, could abide in that which is nothing. The existence of nothing is hard enough to grasp. But to say that something exists even within the realms of nothingness is even harder. Now, assuming that God created space, and that the potential for something to take up that space has a beginning, where would a being, whether spirit or material, be if not in a space?
My answer to that would be that he existed within himself. Saying that he is spirit does not satisfy the question because even a spirit (that which is not material) must exist within a realm of existence. But before anything existed, God was... well, where was he? Within himself- perhaps there is no further explaination.
Possibly, my definition of a spirit is not adequate. A spirit could be something that doesn't take up any space... then that would satisfy the question (possibly). But to say that any spirit being doesn't take up space, would be saying that it must be omnipresent (think about it for a moment). And I think we would agree that angels are not omnipresent.
Now the essence of my question is this: If God is omnipresent from all of eternity, were would he be omnipresent if there was nowhere to be present?
I think my answer to that would be that his omnipresence only manifested when things came into existence. Because though he was always omnipresent, it would have had no way of showing itself until there was something to be present in (unless you say that he was present within himself).
This is really odd, and this particular question/answer could defy logic. But it is a rather peculiar thing that the existence of God even necessitates space. Therefore it seems (according to our logic) that God would have to exist before himself (if he had nowhere to exist). Of course the last sentence was pathetic, but any thoughts on this?
An easy way to get out of all this, would be to say that something has always existed (God). But that goes back to my original question, how could God exist before the capacity of existence itself (space). Then we would have to say that space has always existed. But space is separate from God, therefore it is created. Perhaps, the capacity of existence (space) has always existed within God therefore before time he filled all things in everyway. Therefore space was always co-existent within God. But that is rather odd unless we want to say that God is space.
I know there is a simple answer to all this, but how do we explain God's existence before existence?
Rembrandt
If before the universe existed, there was only vast nothingness, where would God have been? Taking into account that nothingness is not something, it seems rather odd that a being, whether spirit or material, could abide in that which is nothing. The existence of nothing is hard enough to grasp. But to say that something exists even within the realms of nothingness is even harder. Now, assuming that God created space, and that the potential for something to take up that space has a beginning, where would a being, whether spirit or material, be if not in a space?
My answer to that would be that he existed within himself. Saying that he is spirit does not satisfy the question because even a spirit (that which is not material) must exist within a realm of existence. But before anything existed, God was... well, where was he? Within himself- perhaps there is no further explaination.
Possibly, my definition of a spirit is not adequate. A spirit could be something that doesn't take up any space... then that would satisfy the question (possibly). But to say that any spirit being doesn't take up space, would be saying that it must be omnipresent (think about it for a moment). And I think we would agree that angels are not omnipresent.
Now the essence of my question is this: If God is omnipresent from all of eternity, were would he be omnipresent if there was nowhere to be present?
I think my answer to that would be that his omnipresence only manifested when things came into existence. Because though he was always omnipresent, it would have had no way of showing itself until there was something to be present in (unless you say that he was present within himself).
This is really odd, and this particular question/answer could defy logic. But it is a rather peculiar thing that the existence of God even necessitates space. Therefore it seems (according to our logic) that God would have to exist before himself (if he had nowhere to exist). Of course the last sentence was pathetic, but any thoughts on this?
An easy way to get out of all this, would be to say that something has always existed (God). But that goes back to my original question, how could God exist before the capacity of existence itself (space). Then we would have to say that space has always existed. But space is separate from God, therefore it is created. Perhaps, the capacity of existence (space) has always existed within God therefore before time he filled all things in everyway. Therefore space was always co-existent within God. But that is rather odd unless we want to say that God is space.
I know there is a simple answer to all this, but how do we explain God's existence before existence?
Rembrandt