Well, perhaps we could make something out of this yet!

Let's see....

Now, depending on how "can" is being used in the OP, the only (or one of the) way to argue for the negative is to come up with some sort of logical contradiction.

But, we could at least offer some reasons which suggest strong(er) prima facie reasons against the OP (and, depending on how we work with the below, perhaps contradicts could be manufactured; but it's notoriously hard to show a genuine contradiction in topics like these).

Okay, let's apply a (seemingly) uncontroversial proposition: for any event contingent fact F, there is a reason for F. Call this the principle of sufficient reason PSR. Let's also stipulate a (seemingly) uncontroverisal premise for an evangelical Christian - God never does something for no reason. God does everything for a reason. Call this GR.

So, since it doesn't seem *necessary* that God would have to go back in time, it would be a contingent event.

What reasons would there be for going back in time? it would seem like all we could think of wouldn't serve for a reason for God. To "fix" something that went wrong? Not on our view. To "see" some historical person? No, he would've already. To "change" some state of affairs? Why change his plan? So, there seems like there would be no reason for God to go back in time.

This would lead us to this:

If God went back in time, it would be for no reason. Thus it seems like the assumption that God would go back in time violates PSR and GR.

__________________
Regards,

J.J.
PCA
Suffix

Same here. I have had his site bookmarked for years. His lectures are very good.

__________________
~ Steven Bradford ~
Member Covenant Presbyterian, Chattanooga, TN

Mundane concerns prevented me from joining in earlier (no time!). I think this is a pretty elegant proof. That hits from a different direction what I was thinking. That is: God is coherent and therefore not one to reverse direction or change what is.

But even more fundamental, I think, is Jesus' statement "Before Abraham was, I am." When I ponder that for very long, I want to throw ashes on my head and put my face in the dirt. The Everlasting Father, Ancient of Days, holds together the past just as much as the present and the future. Past and future are real, even if we can never actually go (right now) there in our time-bound created nature.

But God is everlastingly "in" the past, present, and future. He cannot go there any more than he can "go" to Cleveland. He's already there.

__________________
R.Vic Bottomly
Providence Reformed Baptist Church, Tacoma, WA

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I figured out how time-travel might be theoretically possible for humans. There is a key passage in Michael Crichton's Timeline that I need to reread. Also, given certain themes of Herman Dooyeweerd's thought, and it is not too far-fetched. But it is too late in the evening for that.

__________________
J. B. Atken
John Knox PCA
Layman, M.A. student at Louisiana College

Very nicely thought out!

I'm adding this to my "List of things to quote when I want to sound smarter than I really am."

__________________
~James Helbert~, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS
TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn
"Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2

Has GOD made promises in HIS word? Yes, HE keeps HIS promises. And, HE is PERFECT. HE is so PERFECT in fact that there would be no reason for HIM to have to go "back in time" because anything HE does/says/sets, is. HE cannot make mistakes. That is hard to fathom and a blessing to believe!! I don't know anyone around me who is like this. I get so excited and awe struck when I think about how PERFECT our LORD is. Just writing about it is a joy!
What I have written does not mean much w/out verses, but this is what I believe. When I was at Sunday school last weekend, we were told that GOD keeps HIS promises. There you go, I don't know if I am on the same page as the rest of you, but it just seems simple. We are not given "time traveling" options so, why don't we just go with what we know as day to day folks. (of course this is kind of vague to say)
I guess in asking these questions though, it gets us thinking about how AWESOME our GOD truly is and we get to talk/write/think about our FATHER. Good times.

__________________
Meghan Thomas
Central Baptist Church
Okinawa, Japan
Mother of Dustin 5, Lily 3, Annie 1

The idea of God having limitations is not necessarily wrong. We understand that God does not act contrary to his holy nature. The Christian God will not create a rock he can't lift. We understand that he is able to accomplish all his holy will and good pleasure and that he controls all things toward that end. So to argue that God cannot go back in time is not necessarily incorrect. The question should instead be, is time-travel consistent with the nature of God?

__________________
Patrick
OPC
MDiv, RTS Jackson.

"He does well, that discourses of Christ; but he does infinitely better, that by experimental knowledge, feeds and lives on Christ." Thomas Brooks.