Preexistent potential realities?
In summary, I have divided into four categories the most likely views regarding the pre-temporal knowledge of and existence of future events and choices:
1. A being greater than God created multiple, potential sets of realties from which Yahweh God must choose, yet Yahweh God knows all the events that would have taken place had He chosen otherwise.
a. Explanation: This view is manifestly non-Christian. However it does make great science fiction. Logically though, if there existed a being greater (this other being has created potential realities from which Yahweh God must choose, thus making him greater) than the God of the Christian Scriptures, then that being would by definition, be God and the being to whom he submitted sets of potential realities from which to choose is a lesser being and, also by definition, could not be God—at least not the Creator God described in the Bible. The lesser being may not have been created by the being that generated the potential realities, but then again, the being that did may have created both of them, who knows? In other words, the being that created the possible realities is necessarily greater than the one who chooses from them, and the being who chooses becomes a non-God because he is subject to some force outside Himself that influences his choices.
2. God conceived of multiple, potential sets of realities and then He chose from them. These sets exist only as thoughts until chosen, and in process, realized. They only exist in the first place because God has thought of them as potential realities. In effect God says I might do this, yet I might do this other thing—God considered what I would do and made His choice based on what He knew I would choose.
a. Explanation: This view possibility challenges the perfection and wisdom of God. The implication of this is, if God thought of two possible futures and chose to implement one into reality and not the other, and then the one discarded is inferior by virtue of its being discarded. That, in my opinion, is an untenable thought regarding anything God does. If one possible future was chosen above another then it must have been for the reason that it is better future in some way and to some degree, however insignificant the difference may be. If the choice is not made based on the intrinsic superior value of one potentiality above the other, then it must be based on exclusively on God’s knowledge of his creature’s future choices or else His choice must be considered arbitrary—that would be an attack on the purposefulness of God. If the former is true then God is ultimately subject to the power of the future choices that He knows His creatures will make. If the latter is true then God’s goodness would have to be called into question. God must act or choose with purpose in order to maintain His righteous character. To choose without purpose is in essence to choose without knowledge—and choosing without knowledge is something that is not possible with God, unless of course you are an Open Theist. God is by definition, all-knowing. If God knows everything past, present and future then His choices must be in accordance with that knowledge or else He would be making a decision against what He knows to be best. Even for creatures, a choice made with knowledge has at least that much purpose. Thus God’s choices made in perfect knowledge are perfect also in their purpose.
3. Multiple sets of potential realities exist as a result of the mere possibility of their future realization through the choices made by possible creatures within each set. God must chose from those sets and the one He chooses becomes real as time goes on.
a. Explanation: If these alternate thoughts from which God must choose were not from His own mind, then from whose mind did they come? In the case of the possible strands of realities (futurabilia as Molina called them), it must be concluded that the generative source or sources of these strands were the thoughts, choices, and determinations of the subjects within the strands themselves. And if this is so then the subjects had no objective primary cause—rendering them causes which in effect, cause themselves! In due course, one must draw the same conclusion here as with the previous view.
4. God’s singular set of decrees lead to His creation, which includes the ends and the means to these ends (all creatures and their thoughts, choices, and actions are obviously included).
a. Explanation: If this view is true, then there can be no other possible outcomes. This view, referred to as Compatibilism, Reformed, or Static Pre-Temporalism as I have dubbed some of its specific aspects, I believe is the biblical model.
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