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Can you trust the God of
Open Theism?
In Open Theism, God does not exhaustively know the
future. He also makes mistakes, learns, and has regrets because of
His ignorance of future events.
Open theists say that God does not know future free will choices of
people because either chooses to not know the future or
because the future is unknowable. If this is so, then I
cannot help but ask whether or not the God of open
theism can be trusted. After all, God doesn't know the future, can
make mistakes, and actually changes His mind.
Let's say that you have a very important and biblical
need that you want to pray about. Let's further say that you have
just learned that God can make mistakes, that He must adapt to human
choices, and that He does not know the future exhaustively. Would
you feel confident in approaching God if you believed He could goof,
that He would
have to go through a learning curve, and that He did not know the future choices
of people? In my opinion, it would not elicit confidence.
The prayer of an Open
Theist
Now, I admit right away that I am exaggerating the forthcoming prayer a
bit, but it is to make a point; namely, that open theism undermines trust in God. Let's see how a
prayer might go to a god who is fallible, who makes mistakes, and who
does not know the future exhaustively. For this purpose, I will
have a father named Fred, who is a recent convert to open theism, offer
a prayer about his daughter.
"O Lord, I come to you now with a request for help. My daughter has
become mixed up in drugs and fornication with her boyfriend who is
not a Christian. I have witnessed to them both, but they are both
not interested. I am so concerned about my daughter and I ask you
Lord to deliver her from her sinfulness and cause her heart to
repent.
O Lord, I know that you gave us free will and that you will not
interfere with our choices and that you don't really know for sure
what will happen, but Lord, can you please work in her heart to
change her and bring her to repentance?
...there is a pause in his prayer....
O Lord, I am confused on what to ask. I want my daughter to change
her ways, and I come to you for help. But, how can that be if you cannot change her
heart since it is up to her to change? How then can she repent
if she doesn't want to? Perhaps Lord, perhaps you could
cause someone to enter their lives who would convince them of the
error of her ways. Maybe you could send someone...but, Lord, how
would you do this if you don't know whether or not anyone would
choose, of their own free will, to help her. You can't make
them do it. Lord, do you even know if she will repent?
Oh wait, that's right, you don't.
Lord, I sincerely hope that you don't make a mistake
with her and take any risks with her.
...another pause....
Lord are you able to make a difference in here life?"
How could anyone trust a god who makes mistakes, who learns,
who can't control the hearts of His people, who must wait to see what
happens? Is this the stuff of confidence?
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