Could the world, as it is now, have been otherwise?

Answer 1

Of course. As a matter of speaking... it is. We're just experiencing only one aspect in the infinite. This is the result of our collective agreement in the paradigm.

Answer 2

Your question is really provocative! I'll give you a star! I am thinking in terms of those who made great impacts upon history; what if they had not been born?? Hitler, for instance; would there have been no World War II, Holocaust, atomic bomb with the evolution into the Cold War and the spectre of Nuclear War? Or what if Jesus or Mohammed had not been born, if in fact they were mortals? What would be the state of the religious world? Would we be faced with Arab terrorism? What if Marx and Lenin had not lived? No Communism? I could obviously go on and on. What if the French had won the French and Indian War or the British the American Revolution or the South the Civil War? Or what if George W. Bush had decided not to invade Iraq? In all of those cases perhaps someone else would have been born to ensure that the fate of the world would evolve as it actually has! Of course, we'll never know, but it is certainly interesting to contemplate! And, of course, there is always the possibility that someone destined to be truly great died in infancy or during childhood!

Answer 3

Possible Worlds and the Necessity of a "Jesus Christ" in All of Them.


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by Jim J. McCrea


God's act of creation was entirely free. He could have decided not to create at all (as one possible alternative), but He did. Given that He created, He could have created any of an infinite number of possible worlds other than this one (as other alternatives). The world that He did in fact create was created by His own free choice - just because He wanted to do so. Absolutely nothing compelled Him to do so.

When we discuss "world" here, it is not the planet earth being referred to, but the whole order of creation - this universe, the universe of angels and heaven, and other realms that God has created, some of which we may not know about.


A "possible world" is defined in the metaphysical science of *cosmology* as that order of possible created reality with its own type of forms and its own laws of nature. Different possible worlds would contain beings with completely dissimilar forms and completely dissimilar laws of nature. A physical universe in another possible world may have a dimensional structure different than this one.

For example, there may be *three* or *seven* or some other number of orthogonal (90 degrees to each other) lines on a plane, rather than the two of this universe. Rather than the *four* winds, there would be for example the *six* winds or the *fourteen* winds.


The two modalities of created beings that we know about are *matter* and *spirit.* But an infinite number of other unknown and perhaps unknowable modalities may exist in potentiality. They would contain exotic forms and may support *persons* (i.e. beings with intellect, will, spiritual affectivity, and being the subject of rights and responsibilities).

These persons would likewise be of an exotic and unknown nature. These modalities do not necessarily exist, but are what is open to God's creative activity.


However, it is true that each possible world, that contains free persons also contains a "Jesus Christ," or the *analogical* connection between God and creation.

Reality with a creation involved (that is, reality not with God alone in the possible case of non-creation), necessarily has a trinitarian structure - God, creation, and the link between the two - "Jesus Christ."


We can see that this is true in the world that God has actually created.

Jesus Christ is that link. He is God and man - creator and creation in one person.

Although God the Son became man to redeem us from our sins, we must not think of the Incarnation as merely an emergency measure to save us. If man had not fallen, God the Son would still have become man. This is because the completeness of reality (in requiring a Trinitarian structure) would have demanded it.


A "Jesus Christ" would have been demanded in any possible world with free "persons." (who would have come in the "fullness of time")










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Answer 4

The buildings could have been taller and the cars could be spaceships. Music could be a peice of candy. Other than that its pretty cool.

Answer 5

the world we see today is the product of the concepts of the past. it would have bee notherwise if the concepts were different

Answer 6

of course. there will be heaven on earth. justOne

Answer 7

yep

Answer 8

Yes, but then it wouldn't be as it is now...