Is God certain of his knowledge? (read details)?

Question

Imagine a universe in which there is an all-powerful demon. This demon, one day, decides to play a practical joke. He creates a spirit, calls it God, and makes God believe itself to be all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful. But because the demon is actually all-powerful, it hides from God the truth -- that God is not all-powerful, he just thinks he is.

Therefore, can even God be certain of his knowledge?

If so, then why? (where does the thought experiment break down)

If not, is certainty ever attainable?

Let's see how many people even read this far...

There's a lot of people (as usual) who completely missed the point of the question. However, others have provided thought-provoking answers.

A few responses...

ilooklikemyavatar:
This is actually a brilliant response, but I disagree with certain aspects of it. I think your argument puts forth a double-edged sword. An all-poweful being, having all the knowledge of all potential good and evil acts, would actually have no reason to choose EITHER. This being would have no need to act in either direction (sharing love or creating evil).
However, although I disagree with the details -- it was a very thought-provoking response. Thank you.
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your time
you missed the point of the thought experiment. I'm not asking you to believe it, I'm using a "what if...?" to prove a point.
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agarween
what?
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priya
thanks for your unsupported opinion.
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Answer 1

Based on those assumptions, it is fair to say that you could be correct.

But here's what I believe. Fate is not certain. All things require growth and uncertainty. If you knew everything and everythign that was going to happen, why would you be evil or good. There is no inspiration, no challenge, no battle. Evil comes from something lacking either in resources or emotion(so we hurt and steal). If you had everything and knew of all the love in the universe and all the hate, why would you choose the path of destruction for yourself and everyone, when you have something more constructive and beautiful for all to share..for you and everyone. Evil is about destruction. The very principle of existence is based on replication and survival. Whatever it takes to support our existence. Therefore the devil cannot exist. If he does, he's very retarded and parasitic, and second to a God(if he exists)

I think we are here to experiment and grow our collective souls(assuming they exist). There is substantial empirical evidence to suggest they do.

Ahhh.. you gave me the thumbs down before I could type. I type bobo to hold my place until I edit.

Answer 2

To actually be God, by definition, that One must be all knowing and must not have been created. If anyone were to create any being and call it God, it would not indeed BE God, because God is not a creature. A demon, also, cannot create anything.

The true God can be certain of his knowledge, because the scenario you propose is a contradiction in terms. Certainty is attainable for Him, as in some matters it is for us.

Answer 3

And read on..
That faka-God "creates" a man, who one day realises that he can be more powerful than God, but actually it is just the consequence of the free will - a man thinks he can do everything. Then a man creates some creatures (Frankenstein, remember?;P), and an I.E. after some time, then the robots have power over the world and nobody cares about the demon...
Just a chain....

Answer 4

Hey...I read the whole thing (GO ME!!! WHOOT!)

But onto business.

I think your version of how we came about is no more ridiculous then any other religion's version of how we came to be. But that's just me for ya, an atheist.

But yes, interesting theory nontheless, I do not think certainty is available...ever!

Given enough time we will undoubtably find how we all came into being (my theory is the Big Bang - but that's me). Anyways, I believe that scientist will no doubt discover the answer they were looking for, BUT, religious groups will, no doubt, find something else to complain about. You see, you can search and search until you think you've found the end of the string, but sure enough when you reach the end you'll find more string, then more, then more. It's an undying cycle that will no doubt follow us to our demise (mankinds demise, not our own individual demise).

Answer 5

Who says demons existed before God? He created demons. Yes they existed. They are evil. Around 400 CE, demons they used to attack people at night. This is not myth. God created knowlege so I think he'd know. He left things for humans to discover.

Answer 6

that's brilliant.

......... there's really no way to get past it. like,,, even if you say that there's a piece of knowledge that none of us know, but that god knows, and that this piece of knowledge essentially says "yes, you definitely know everything",,,, it's like, even then, this could just be something that the much stronger demon purposefully arranged in order to trick the god.

in that book "flatland", about the 2-dimensional square who goes on a 3-dimensional ride, they come across a zero-dimensional being, and he thinks that he is everything and knows everything. and like,,, that would be no different than what god thinks. and from the point of even a 2-dimensional square creature, this little infinitessimal point is actually quite ignorant about most things.

Answer 7

The make or break portion of your hypothetical is who came first. Assuming that memory has not been hampered (maybe not a safe assumption), whoever came first created the other. God can rely on his knowledge only if he "knows" he created the demon (or vice-versa).

Answer 8

Replace Demon with Man... Then ask yourself who God really is in that story.

Answer 9

costly Melly, once you have been a baby growing to be up, did your mothers and fathers supply you surely each and everything you needed and continually enable you have your individual way whether even though you have been doing might reason you actual or psychological injury? God's love, his "map" for our lives isn't virtually giving us even though we crave. the lack of ability of capacity for happiness and stability you communicate approximately isn't because of the fact God is ignoring or allowing it to exist. God is the wonderful determine. The discomfort, suffering, loss of "happiness," loss of "stability" are lots extra probable indicators and indicators which you or somebody close to you is on a incorrect course, or classes you ought to check as a fashion to discover the genuine happiness and stability you sense is lacking. I even have lived your question and basically interior the final 3-4 years have I all started to renowned the hardships in my life as warnings and classes God places earlier me. in specific circumstances that acceptance is instantaneous: seem at those you have self assurance are inflicting you actual or emotional discomfort and think of approximately no count if ... according to probability ... you ever brought about somebody comparable hardship. What you supply out, you come again ten fold. The lesson ends once you come across the thank you to take duty and compensate for what you initially gave to others. it rather is to not say that the classes gets extra handy. God has a tendency to commence us out with the least perplexing classes first and paintings as much as the bigger, harder to remedy or decide for classes, yet he takes us there, step by potential of step, warning by potential of warning, lesson by potential of lesson. How does he anticipate us to regulate? Step out on faith, darlin' ... supply it over to God and have confidence that he will the two look after you and enable you to. study to renowned your miracle an afternoon because of the fact it does come. study to renowned by a prayer of thanksgiving that miracle and the classes no count how not common. you won't have self assurance me at first. you are able to examine this and exclaim, this lady is wack. there is not any way i've got achieved something to deserve this. yet once you pray in this and you ask for enlightenment and education, i'm having a wager you will discover out i'm good. count extensive type your reward, Melly.

Answer 10

If this was the case, don't you think he would be given some measure of power that would dwarf the world in order to convince us? And by the way, God IS all powerful.