"Great Architect of the Universe The Great Architect of the Universe (also Grand Architect of the Universe or Supreme Architect of the Universe) is a conception of God discussed by many Christian theologians and apologists. As a designation it is used within Freemasonry to represent the deity neutrally (in whatever form, and by whatever name each member may individually believe in). It is also a Rosicrucian conception of God, as expressed by Max Heindel. The concept of the demiurge as a grand architect or a great architect also occurs in gnosticism and other religious and philosophical systems. Hinduism equally hails"
"assertion that the Grand Architect of the Universe is the Christian God ""is not evident on the basis of 'natural theology' alone but requires an additional 'leap of faith' based on the revelation of the Bible"". John Calvin, in his ""Institutes of the Christian Religion"" (1536), repeatedly calls the Christian God ""the Architect of the Universe"", also referring to his works as ""Architecture of the Universe"", and in his commentary on Psalm 19 refers to the Christian God as the ""Great Architect"" or ""Architect of the Universe"". The concept of a Great Architect of the Universe also occurs in Martinism."
"by a biologist or an engineer; from the intrinsic evidence of his creation, the Great Architect of the Universe now begins to appear as a pure mathematician."" To that Jinarajadasa adds his observation that the Great Architect is ""also a Grand Geometrician. For in some manner or other, whether obvious or hidden, there seems to be a geometric basis to every object in the universe."" Great Architect of the Universe The Great Architect of the Universe (also Grand Architect of the Universe or Supreme Architect of the Universe) is a conception of God discussed by many Christian theologians and apologists."
"Architect of the Universe is the Supreme Being, who proceeds from The Absolute, at the dawn of manifestation. The concept of the Great Architect of the Universe occurs in Gnosticism. The demiurge is the Great Architect of the Universe, the God of Old Testament, in opposition to Christ and Sophia, messengers of Gnosis of the True God. For example: Gnostics such as the Nasoræans believe the Pira Rabba is the source, origin, and container of all things, which is filled by the Mânâ Rabbâ, the Great Spirit, from which emanates the First Life. The First Life prays for companionship and"
"the creation of undoubtedly wonderful architecture and engineering. The concept of God as the Great Architect of the Universe has been used many times within Christianity. An illustration of God as the architect of the universe can be found in a Bible from the Middle Ages and the comparison of God to an architect has been used by Christian apologists and teachers. Thomas Aquinas said in the Summa: ""God, Who is the first principle of all things, may be compared to things created ""as the architect is to things designed"" (""ut artifex ad artificiata"")."" Commentators have pointed out that the"
"Martinist doctrine is that the Great Architect must not be worshipped. Martinists hold that while it is possible to ""invoque"" him, it is not to adore him. In the Hindu mythology, Lord Vishvakarman is regarded as the “God of Architecture”. He is the supremo of craftsmanship, perfection engineering. Viśhwákarma (meaning ""all creating"" in Sanskrit) is the deity of the creative power that holds the universe together according to the ""Rigveda"" and is considered to be the original creator, architect, divine engineer of the universe from before the advent of time, also the root concept of the later Upanishadic figures of"
"is referred to in Masonic ritual by the attributes of Great Architect of the Universe (sometimes abbreviated as G.A.O.T.U.), ""Grand Geometer"" or something similar. Freemasons use these varied forms of address to make clear that the reference is generic, not about any one religion's particular identification of God. Nevertheless, the same Freemasonry that is criticised as Deistic is also criticised for allegedly being a substitute for Christian belief. For example, the New Catholic Encyclopedia states the opinion that """"Freemasonry displays all the elements of religion, and as such it becomes a rival to the religion of the Gospel. It includes"
"Grand Architect, the masonic terminology for the deistic divine being who created a scientifically ordered universe. German historian Reinhart Koselleck claimed: ""On the Continent there were two social structures that left a decisive imprint on the Age of Enlightenment: the Republic of Letters and the Masonic lodges"". Scottish professor Thomas Munck argues that ""although the Masons did promote international and cross-social contacts which were essentially non-religious and broadly in agreement with enlightened values, they can hardly be described as a major radical or reformist network in their own right"". Many of the Masons values seemed to greatly appeal to Enlightenment"
"asked if they believe in God (or in some jurisdictions a supreme being) before joining, and only accept candidates that do), its use of the expression, ""Supreme Architect of the Universe""—a term attributed to the Protestant theologian John Calvin—is seen by some Christian critics as indicating Deism, (although Calvin was not a Deist) the belief that God created the Universe but did not intervene in the world after this. This was a not uncommon belief, which Catholics viewed as heresy, that arose in the Enlightenment. As a counter-argument, Freemasonry contends that “Supreme Architect” is a neutral term acceptable to all,"
"to the godhead potentiality of every individual. ""(God)... That invisible power which all know does exist, but understood by many different names, such as God, Spirit, Supreme Being, Intelligence, Mind, Energy, Nature and so forth."" In Hermeticism, each and every person has the potential to become God, this idea or concept of God is perceived as internal rather than external. The Great Architect is also an allusion to the observer created universe. We create our own reality; hence we are the architect. Another way would be to say that the mind is the builder. In Max Heindel's exposition, the Great"
"progeny, whereupon the Second Life, the Ultra Mkayyema or World-constituting Æon, the Architect of the Universe, comes into being. From this architect come a number of æons, who erect the universe under the foremanship of the Mandâ d'Hayye or gnôsis zoês, the Personified Knowledge of Life. James Hopwood Jeans, in his book ""The Mysterious Universe"", also employs the concept of a Great Architect of the Universe, saying at one point ""Lapsing back again into the crudely anthropomorphic language we have already used, we may say that we have already considered with disfavour the possibility of the universe having been planned"
"argued that the doctrine of a Creator of the Universe was difficult to prove or disprove and that the only conceivable scientific discovery that could disprove the existence of a Creator (not necessarily a God) would be the discovery that the universe is infinitely old. Stephen Hawking and co-author Leonard Mlodinow state in their book, ""The Grand Design"", that it is reasonable to ask who or what created the universe, but if the answer is God, then the question has merely been deflected to that of who created God. Both authors claim however, that it is possible to answer these"
"The Grand Design (book) The Grand Design is a popular-science book written by physicists Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow and published by Bantam Books in 2010. The book examines the history of scientific knowledge about the universe and explains 11 dimension M-theory. The authors of the book point out that a Unified Field Theory (a theory, based on an early model of the universe, proposed by Albert Einstein and other physicists) may not exist. It argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe, and that the Big Bang is a consequence of the laws"
"creation, stating: ""let us look steadfastly to the Father and creator of the universe"". By the middle of the 2nd century, in ""Against Heresies"" Irenaeus had emphasized () that the Creator is the ""one and only God"" and the ""maker of heaven and earth"". These preceded the formal presentation of the concept of Trinity by Tertullian early in the 3rd century. The period from the late 2nd century to the beginning of the 4th century (approximately 180-313) is generally called the ""epoch of the Great Church"" and also the Ante-Nicene Period and witnessed significant theological development, and the consolidation and"
"2012 edition of his collection of essays, ""Science & Myth"". The Grand Design (book) The Grand Design is a popular-science book written by physicists Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow and published by Bantam Books in 2010. The book examines the history of scientific knowledge about the universe and explains 11 dimension M-theory. The authors of the book point out that a Unified Field Theory (a theory, based on an early model of the universe, proposed by Albert Einstein and other physicists) may not exist. It argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe, and"
"to the moderate wing of the Church of Scotland. The fact that Adam Smith received the Snell Exhibition suggests that he may have gone to Oxford with the intention of pursuing a career in the Church of England. Anglo-American economist Ronald Coase has challenged the view that Smith was a deist, based on the fact that Smith's writings never explicitly invoke God as an explanation of the harmonies of the natural or the human worlds. According to Coase, though Smith does sometimes refer to the ""Great Architect of the Universe"", later scholars such as Jacob Viner have ""very much exaggerated"
"refers to Marsyas, the satyr in Greek mythology, who was flayed alive by the god Apollo. ""The Guardian"" called it “the biggest sculpture at Tate Modern and probably the biggest in any art gallery in the world.” Kapoor and Balmond have collaborated on other art projects. They jointly designed ""Temenos"", ‘a gently twisted tube on a vast butterfly net’ which appeared in June, located in the UK’s Teesside. It is the first of five giant sculpture which will form in the biggest public art work in the world. Balmond and Kapoor have also designed ArcelorMittal Orbit which will open for"
"of this effort, but in statements to their constituency, which consists largely of Christian conservatives, they identify the designer as God. The Discovery Institute has claimed that university criticism of intelligent design is tantamount to ""endorsement of an anti-religious view"" William Dembski states in his book ""Design Inference"" that the nature of the intelligent designer cannot be inferred from intelligent design and suggests that the designer, if one is even necessary for design inference, may or may not be ""the God of Scripture."" In December 2007 Dembski told Focus on the Family, ""I believe God created the world for a"
"stand for Great Architect of the Universe (a non-denominational reference to God)."" The square and compasses has used as a symbol by several organisations, sometimes with additional symbols: Square and Compasses The Square and Compasses (or, more correctly, a square and a set of compasses joined together) is the single most identifiable symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compasses are architect's tools and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. Some Lodges and rituals explain these symbols as lessons in conduct: for example, Duncan's Masonic Monitor of 1866 explains them as: ""The square, to square"
"Creator deity A creator deity or creator god (often called the Creator) is a deity or god responsible for the creation of the Earth, world, and universe in human mythology. In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator. A number of monolatristic traditions separate a secondary creator from a primary transcendent being, identified as a primary creator. Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and Atenism teach that creation is the origin of the universe by the action of God. Initiated by Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti around 1330 BCE, during New Kingdom"
"according to the Cybernetic Doctrine of Totality, eventually the Ede-Computer will grow to encompass the whole universe and the universe, being a large computer itself, will reach halt state, this is known as the Doctrine of the Halting and also as the (Tiplerean) Omega Point, and that all architects would participate in the rebuilding of the galaxy at the end of time. This was not the belief of Ede himself, rather his assistant Ivi Olorun proscribed doctrine and founded the church, the chief doctrine of which is ""Ede is God, and God he shall be, and there shall only be"
"Vishvakarman Viśhwákarma (meaning ""all creating"" in Sanskrit) is the deity of the creative power that holds the universe together according to the ""Rigveda"" and is considered to be the original creator, architect, divine engineer of the universe from before the advent of time, also the root concept of the later Upanishadic figures of Brahman and Purusha in the historical Vedic religion. He is mentioned as the son of Kāśyapa and Aditi and is said to have made the three worlds with pieces of the Sun god, Surya. He is also known as avatar of Brahma according to some text. Vishvakarman"
"consulted Latham before making the decision, because the artist—although no longer the legal owner of the piece—should remain in control of ""the integrity of the work"". God is Great (no. 2) God is Great #2 is a sculpture by the Zambian-born British artist John Latham. Created in 1991, the conceptual artwork featured copies of the Bible, Quran, and a volume of the Talmud, each cut in two and attached to a sheet of glass, giving the illusion of all three volumes being encased within the glass. Latham explained the work as referencing the common origin of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."
"Omega Point The Omega Point is a spiritual belief and a scientific speculation that everything in the universe is fated to spiral towards a final point of divine unification. The term was coined by the French Jesuit Catholic priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881–1955). Teilhard argued that the Omega Point resembles the Christian Logos, namely Christ, who draws all things into himself, who in the words of the Nicene Creed, is ""God from God"", ""Light from Light"", ""True God from true God"", and ""through him all things were made"". In the Book of Revelation, Christ describes himself thrice as ""the"
"Great chain of being The Great Chain of Being is a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought in medieval Christianity to have been decreed by God. The chain starts with God and progresses downward to angels, demons (fallen/renegade angels), stars, moon, kings, princes, nobles, commoners, wild animals, domesticated animals, trees, other plants, precious stones, precious metals and other minerals. The Great Chain of Being (, ""Ladder of Being"") is a concept derived from Plato, Aristotle (in his ""Historia Animalium""), Plotinus and Proclus. Further developed during the Middle Ages, it reached full expression in early modern Neoplatonism. The Chain"
"Great chain of being The Great Chain of Being is a hierarchical structure of all matter and life, thought in medieval Christianity to have been decreed by God. The chain starts with God and progresses downward to angels, demons (fallen/renegade angels), stars, moon, kings, princes, nobles, commoners, wild animals, domesticated animals, trees, other plants, precious stones, precious metals and other minerals. The Great Chain of Being (, ""Ladder of Being"") is a concept derived from Plato, Aristotle (in his ""Historia Animalium""), Plotinus and Proclus. Further developed during the Middle Ages, it reached full expression in early modern Neoplatonism. The Chain"
"or an explanation of the formation of the mountains by geology, or of rain via meteorology, does not paint God out of the picture, but instead means that He works through science,"" something that Johnson denies. Slifkin concluded by emphasizing that intelligent design is no friend of religion, in that it ""denies the role of God in 99% of the universe...and implies that He was only able to engineer processes that would accomplish 99% of His objectives. Postulating the intelligent design of organisms means postulating the unintelligent design of natural law."" This point is built on comments made by Kenneth"
"the process of being restored not through some process such as the Big Crunch, but because humankind itself is becoming God. The 1976 Simon Raven novel, ""The Survivors"" includes an exchange between characters where one observes, ""God became the universe. Therefore the universe is God."" while the other counters: Some theologians have criticised the notion of a Creator wholly becoming the universe. An example is William Walker Atkinson, in his ""Mastery of Being"": He claims that if God were evolving or improving, being an infinite being, it would have to be traceable back to some point of having ""an infinitely"
"of the seventh Cosmic Plane: this is His World. In order to trace the origin of the Architect of the Solar System, one must pass to the highest of the seven Cosmic Planes: the ""Realm of the Supreme Being"", Who emanated from ""The Absolute"". The Absolute is beyond comprehension and, as manifestation implies limitation, He may be best described as ""Boundless Being"": the ""Root of Existence"". From The Absolute proceeds the Supreme Being, at the dawn of manifestation: this is ""The One"", the ""Great Architect of the Universe"". The first aspect of the Supreme Being may be characterized as ""Power"","
"the existence of God. Therefore, the universe is originated and needs an originator, and whatever exists must have a sufficient cause for its existence. Besides, the design of the universe is frequently referred to as a point of contemplation: ""It is He who has created seven heavens in harmony. You cannot see any fault in God's creation; then look again: Can you see any flaw?"" The doctrine of the last day and eschatology (the final fate of the universe) may be reckoned as the second great doctrine of the Quran. It is estimated that approximately one-third of the Quran is"
"Christology, Jesus is the Word of God, which was in the beginning and, thus, is uncreated, and hence is God, and consequently identical with the Creator of the world ""ex nihilo"". Roman Catholicism uses the phrase special creation to refer to the doctrine of immediate or special creation of each human soul. In 2004, the International Theological Commission, then under the presidency of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, published a paper in which it accepts the current scientific accounts of the history of the universe commencing in the Big Bang about 15 billion years ago and of the evolution of all life"
"God<br> We believe in one God, infinite and perfect, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe who exists eternally in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and desires to share His love in a personal relationship with everyone. II. The Bible<br> We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is our final authority in matters of faith and practice. We believe that Jesus Christ, in His life and teachings as recorded in the Bible, is the supreme interpreter of God's will for mankind. III. Mankind<br> We believe that mankind was created in the image of God and"
"God, but the Church has thus far declined to define in what way that may be. Commentators tend to interpret the Church's position in the way most favorable to their own arguments. The ITC statement includes these paragraphs on evolution, the providence of God, and ""intelligent design"": In addition, while he was the Vatican's chief astronomer, Fr. George Coyne, issued a statement on 18 November 2005 saying that ""Intelligent design isn't science even though it pretends to be. If you want to teach it in schools, intelligent design should be taught when religion or cultural history is taught, not science."""