Can God Ever Have An Original Thought?

[neo-x]

You, on the other hand, brother, make me rejoice

the feeling is mutual brother.

[Philip]

So, despite our different viewpoints on the reality or attributes of time, of how God relates to "it," and per my original post and question, I'm sensing that most here would agree with me by saying that God cannot have an ORIGINAL thought (one He has NEVER before known or contemplated), as all of His thoughts are all simply simultaneously available - certainly if He knows ALL things within Himself - which would include all of His knowledge in His eternal existence, and all things He would ever do or create within the future - AND all that his creatures and creations would do as well. Otherwise, God would have limitations outside of ones prohibited by His Holy nature, self-imposed by His will, or apparent due to logical fallacies (square circle, rock to big for Him to lift).

Correct? Most agree? No original thought possible - because of Who and what He is and His capabilities.

[CeT-To]

So, despite our different viewpoints on the reality or attributes of time, of how God relates to "it," and per my original post and question, I'm sensing that most here would agree with me by saying that God cannot have an ORIGINAL thought (one He has NEVER before known or contemplated), as all of His thoughts are all simply simultaneously available - certainly if He knows ALL things within Himself - which would include all of His knowledge in His eternal existence, and all things He would ever do or create within the future - AND all that his creatures and creations would do as well. Otherwise, God would have limitations outside of ones prohibited by His Holy nature, self-imposed by His will, or apparent due to logical fallacies (square circle, rock to big for Him to lift).

Correct? Most agree? No original thought possible - because of Who and what He is and His capabilities.

Lol quick response just before i head out to Christian meeting and mission at canberra ( yay )

Wouldn't God's thoughts in his timeless eternity be original thoughts since he is only the only one there .. not to mention having them..? heheh

[Philip]

Cet-To asks: Wouldn't God's thoughts in his timeless eternity be original thoughts since he is only the only one there .. not to mention having them..? heheh

God is the Originator of ALL things. Technically, I suppose you could say His thoughts are both ALL original and also that He has ALWAYS had them - ALL of them (none were thoughts He'd never previously had - which is impossible, because God is complete and lacking in NOTHING). And yet God enacts His thoughts out through a sequence of His actions.

[Bill McEnaney]

I believe St. Thomas Aquinas agrees with Philip. Thomas distinguishes between act and potency. "Act" means "actual." "potency" means "potential." For St. Thomas, God is completely actual. He is and always been unchanging and unchangeable. If He got a new, original thought, He'd get a new property, i.e., having-the-new-thought. One moment, He wouldn't be thinking an original thought, a moment later, He'd be thinking it. He'd go from potentially thinking it to actually thinking it. "Motion" means "change" when St. Thomas writes, "Clearly, therefore, no succession occurs in God. His entire existence is simultaneous. Succession is not found except in things that are in some way in motion [changing]; for prior and posterior in motion cause the succession of time. God, however, is in no sense subject to motion, as has been shown. Accordingly, there is no succession in God. See Chapter 8 in his Compendium of Theology.