Concept of God

Question 1

Define ‘omniscient’

Answer 1

God is all-knowing

Question 2

Define ‘omnipotent’

Answer 2

God is all powerful

Question 3

Define ‘benevolent’

Answer 3

God is all-loving

Question 4

Define ‘eternal’

Answer 4

God always has been and will forever be. God is outside of time and dwells in eternity

Question 5

Outline the premises for The Paradox of the Rock

Answer 5

1. God is omnipotent
2. God either CAN or CANNOT create a rock so heavy that even himself can’t lift it
3. If God can create a rock he cannot lift, then there is something he cannot do
4. If God can’t create a rock he cannot lift, then there is something he cannot do

Question 6

Outline responses to The Paradox of the Rock

Answer 6

Frankfurt; embrace the fact that God defies logic. The question itself is illogical so you cannot expect a logical conclusion
Geach; God is ‘almighty’ and has power over everything, not the power to do everything

Question 7

Outline two objections for the problem of Omniscience

Answer 7

1. A being which knows all things, must know all that is false. But you cannot ‘know’ something that is false.
2. Free Will;
   -If God is omniscient he knows all future human actions
   -If God KNOWS anything in advance then it will
   necessarily happen
   -If a human action is determined then it is not a free action

Therefore,
God is not omniscient OR humans are not free

Question 8

Outline two replies for the problem of Omniscience

Answer 8

1. Aquinas; God is eternal (exists outside of time) and does not see events in past, present or future. God does not understand events as we do.
2. Acceptance that arguing God’s omniscience means arguing against human free will

Question 9

What is the Euthyphro Dilemma?

Answer 9

“Is something morally good because God commands it, or does God command it because it is morally good?”

Question 10

Why is the Euthyphro Dilemma, a dilemma?

Answer 10

Because both answers create a problem for God’s divine attributes

Firstly, if something is morally good because God commands it, then ANYTHING could be declared moral (e.g. racking up lines at school)

Secondly, if God commands something because it is morally good then morality exists independent of God’s influence. This deems God as not omnipotent.

Question 11

Outline two replies to the Euthyphro Dilemma

Answer 11

1. William of Ockham; whatever God commands is moral (even racking up lines at school)
2. Kai Nielson; it is not possible to talk about God’s goodness unless we have a prior standard of goodness to compare him (or anything) to