Topic:  Does God know when you are going to die?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: April 14, 2003

Moderator who originally posted this source: Cathy Rusin

Question:   When You Are Born Does God already know how and when you are going to die?? no matter what the circumstance may be like suicide or driving to fast and flipping your car.

Answer: 

Whew - for such a brief question, it opens up all sorts of things to talk about, doesn't it? But I'll try to keep my reply brief, as well.

If we believe (and we do) that God knows everything (is omniscient)and realize that God exists outside the boundaries of time in which we live, then I suppose that the answer is yes, God already knows how and when we are going to die.

But does that mean it's all been pre-programmed for us? Well, that's where it gets harder to explain things,let's see....

We speak of God's plan of creation, God's plan for our lives, God's divine providence by which we are guided toward the perfection of God's total plan, AND of the gift of free will that we all possess.

So while we believe that God's put things in some sort of order and has a goal in mind for us (as individuals and as God's people), we've got the choice to cooperate or not in accomplishing this plan. (Catechism #306)

Now I'm distinguishing between God's knowledge of how and when we are to die with God's plan for us. Most of us have heard well-meaning people trying to comfort grieving relatives of young people killed in crashes or by suicide or illness by saying "God needed him/her in heaven" or similar. So often that attempt to comfort actually gives us an image of a God who cares little for those of us left behind, who snatches our loved ones away or causes 'bad things to happen to good people'.

When we sproclaim that "We know that in everything God works for good for those who love God"(Romans 8:28), it is one way of saying that even in the sadnesses of life, God is present. Even in the harshness and despair of loss God mourns with us for our loss and comforts us - by the promise of eternal life with God and by the presence of those who care for us in this life.

While God allows evil to exist, and respects our freedom to choose good or evil (with the consequences that come from those choices), God is also able to ultimately cause good to emerge. Sometimes that's easy to see, sometimes it takes a much longer time and different perspective.

Okay, that was a longer answer than I'd planned, but still only scratching the surface! Thanks for your question.
Peace,
Cathy Rusin