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A basic tenant of open theism is that it is illogical for God to foreknow the unmade free choices of his free creatures and have those choices still be free. One way someone might want to criticize open theism is to suggest that this is not illogical. That in fact God could foreknow our actions and they would still be free. This is a very complex argument generally engaged in by very skilled professional philosophers and philosophical theologians, some of whom write for this web site. But there is another way people sometimes question open theism. They ask why we want to suggest that God has to do what is logical. After all they say, isn't God beyond our logic? It is often asked if we are limiting God. Surely, it is suggested, God stands beyond our simplistic finite minds and retains the ability to allow his creatures freedom and foreknow their actions as well. After all, as everybody knows, God is not limited by logic. God can do anything.

Before we go on to answer this charge we must "come to terms." We must define what we mean when using the term "logic." When a philosopher or theologian says something is illogical, or logically contradictory, or an antinomy, what they mean is that it is impossible. They don't mean something is improbable, they don't mean it is unlikely or hard to understand, or terribly complicated. What they mean is that it is mathematically impossible. A common example they use is the first law of logic. If "A" equals "A" then "A" does not equal "B." See, simple really. Now, back to our discussion.

It's true you know, God really can do anything, even the open theists defend that! However, that's not really the appropriate question here. Rather, the appropriate question is, what is there that can be done? Let me explain, if my television did not exist, in fact, if my television had never existed, ask yourself if it would seem to limit God in some way if he was not aware that my television existed? Obviously not! For God to be unaware of the existence of things that indeed do not, have not, will not exist, says nothing of God for there was nothing there for God to know.

Having said all this, ask yourself this next question, can God create square circles? Can God create married bachelors? Can God damn and save a human being at the same time? Or, more to the point and closer to home, can God create genuinely free creatures, and guarantee that they will always make the right choice?

Now, how does this last paragraph about square circles and free creatures relate to my television that never existed? Well, it's simple really. When we talk about my television, we are talking of something that never existed, when we talk of square circles, we are also talking of the same sort of something that never existed. To call something a square circle is to say nothing at all. It is a use of words that actually have no meaning together. They are just words, but they don't actually add up to anything, thus, there is no such thing for God to be unable to create. Thus, it in no way limits God that he cannot do so.

Why is this? Well, it's all about logic. It's about things that can't exist together. What we as open theists are saying is the same thing most theologians and philosophers have always said. God cannot do the logically impossible. Or, a way to understand this more easily is to say that the logically impossible is not there to be done. Thus, God is not limited, yet he only does that which is logical. But what if I am wrong? What if God could do the logically impossible? What would that mean for us? It would mean several interesting and rather frightening things. First of all, consider why you trust God. He is good, he is just, he loves and protects his people. And, if God is always good he will continue to be good. This is logic. A good God will not break his promises to his people. We are counting on the logic of God that dictates an order to things. Now, one might ask, can't we just count on God's goodness to ensure that God keeps his promises without suggesting that it's because he is somehow "bound" by logic to do so? Well, you could, but notice something very interesting here, to suggest that his goodness means he will keep his promises is to count on the logic that a good God does good things like promise keeping! It's logic all over again. We can't just dump it and hope for the best.

Joseph Holt