Is God Omnipresent?

May I have this postulate be presented."God is omnipresent," how will you interpret this? On the topic, "The Problem of Evil" one participant claimed that evil is simply the absence of God. But if God is omnipresent He must always be present even if the "evil" thing is around. And, if God is everywhere there is no place where He is not present, and so, how can He be absent when evil is present? Now, if evil is simply the absence of God, then God is not all-present? What do you think?

Thread moved here from the Proposed New Topics forum.You're not going to win any writing quality awards for that message 1, but I can follow what you're saying.I don't follow the "Faith and Belief" type topics very closely, but this one seems to be exploring at least a bit of fresh ground. That's a plus in getting it promoted.Others can now list off the existing relevant topics that cover this matter. AdminnemooseusThis message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 03-10-2006 06:37 AM

and what support is there for God being OmniPresent?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I think the conclusion would be that God is NOT omnipresent.

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Science fails to recognize the single most potent element of human existence.
Letting the reigns go to the unfolding is faith, faith, faith, faith.
Science has failed our world.
Science has failed our Mother Earth.
-System of a Down

quote:

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And, if God is everywhere there is no place where He is not present, and so, how can He be absent when evil is present? Now, if evil is simply the absence of God, then God is not all-present?

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Another possible conclusion is that evil does not exist.

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"Intellectually, scientifically, even artistically, fundamentalism -- biblical literalism -- is a road to nowhere, because it insists on fidelity to revealed truths that are not true." -- Katha Pollitt

God may well be all present. Evil is present as a disembodied spirit in many places (not all) as well. Evil needs a carrier, much like a germ or virus needs a carrier. Evil is allowed to flourish in the absense of acknowledgement and surrender to Gods Spirit.If I became a porno junkie, I could never claim that the devil made me do it. It would be my responsibility because, as a believer, I did not allow Gods Spirit to over-ride my carnality and subsequent idolatry.We have no scientific way to determine if God is present everywhere at all times---there is no geiger counter for the Holy Spirit.
It is thus a Faith issue, although seeing as how there is no way to disprove it either, we have an unanswered question.When Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris gunned down the victims at Columbine High School, where was God?I believe that God was with the victims, and the news tells us that Klebold and Harris either committed suicide or shot each other.God was available but was unwanted by these killers.

Omnipresent is one of the attributes of God aside from being "Omnipotent" and "Omniscient." Because we believe that God is the creator of everything He must have the attribute of always being there in all places at the same time. But this attribute must be limited to following:
1. God is present in both past and present times.
2. God is present in both the spiritual and material world.

Well, you replied to me, but i still know no more than I did before. What does that mean? What does that have to do with evil except to say that if true, God is evil?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Do you consider natural disasters to be evil?This message has been edited by Chronos, 03-11-2006 01:34 PM

Goldfinger said, "Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action."Natural disasters are happenstance, maybe even coincidence.Walt Kelly said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."We are the carrier. The buck stops here.

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No. Natural disasters are inanimate events. Evil needs animation, or life within which to carry out whatever it is that evils "purpose" is.The Holy Spirit, IMO and Belief, is everywhere...without limitation...while evil disembodied spirits need bodies in which to animate their purpose.

To you, what distinguishes evil events from bad events? We agree that natural disasters can be bad, correct? So, if the Holy Spirit is living inside of every virus, harmful bacteria, volcano, lightning bolt, asteroid, tidal wave, etc, is it animating them with its own purposes?Also, can humans be evil on their own accord, or only via demons?

Do you mean God is evil?

I'm trying to find out what YOU mean. You said... If what you say is true, that "God is the creator of everything" and that "He must have the attribute of always being there in all places at the same time" and and evil exists, then YOU are saying that GOD is evil.If that is not what you are saying, then perhaps you can explain?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

The Bible only states that (regarding Jesus)Perhaps what jar is asking is that if God is light, how can there be any "darkness" at all if God is omnipresent?It follows that God allows darkness to exist...both in the natural references to the term as well as the spiritual references.In reference to the Bible verse above, have you ever heard of a natural shadow "understanding" anything? Apparantly, since God is everywhere, the darkness and the shadows are notplaces to hide so much as they are regions to freely deny or disbelieve the reality of the omnipresent light.This message has been edited by Phat, 03-12-2006 10:28 AM

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Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts. This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil. --Alexander Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago