Nature Or Attributes Of God Flashcards
Meaning of omniscience
To know everything
Meaning of omnibenevolent
To be all loving
Meaning of omnipotence
To be all powerful
What philosophers are within Nature or Attributes of God
Boethius
Anslem
Aquinas
Descartes
Swinburne
Who believes God can do everything - even the illogical (omnipotence)
Descartes, Anselm
Why does Descartes believe that God is fully omnipotent?
Because as all logic comes from God, God is able to perform miracles and the impossible
Why does Anselm believe that God is fully omnipotent?
God has unlimited power - even the power to lie, but he wont because of his benevolence.
Why is God being able to be fully omnipotent a difficulty?
As it turns God into a figure that is unpredictable and may be changing
Questions why doesn’t God change the laws so nothings evil
The bible says God cannot lie
Who believes that God can only do the logically possible
Aquinas
Swinburne
Why does Aquinas believe that God can only do the logically possible
God can only do things which do not lead to a contradiction, such as a square circle, as it is not a thing. It also means God cannot sin because its not logical.
Why does Swinburne believe that God can only do the logically possible
Swinburne agrees with Aquinas and argues that since a square circle is not a thing, God cannot create one, Gods powers are logical and not contradicting
Who believes that God self imposes limitation upon himself
Christians
Why may Christians believe that God self imposes limitation upon himself
Because God may of decided that he wants to operate under the natural laws that he has created, therefore God doesn’t upset the balance of his creation by doing the logically impossible
An example is God limiting himself as Jesus being in human form
Who believes God is eternal
Boethius
Anselm
Aquinas
Who believes God is everlasting
Swinburne
Meaning of eternal
Separate to time, timeless
Meaning of everlasting
Within time, beginning to end
Why does Boethius argue that by God being eternal, we are morally responsible for our actions
Boethius argues that God sees everything all at once while humans views it as linear. We do not embrace the infinity of life all at once.
How does Anselm continue Boethius’ approach with his four-dimensionalist approach
Humans are within space and within time, but God is separate, which makes him not limited by space and time, which makes God present within all dimensions everywhere all at once.
Why does Swinburne reject the idea of God as eternal
Because God in the bible seems to be within time, it is seen in some of the bible that God changes his mind (new testament)
Hezekiah prays to God for him to not let him die, God changes his mind
Therefore an eternal God must be rejected as God cannot interfere or love his creation as much if he was everlasting
What are some evaluation points you can use for the nature or attributes about God regarding if he is timeless or everlasting
ETERNAL QUESTIONS
How can God be separate to the world that he intervenes within?
Do we really have free will if God knows what we will do?
Are we free if God knows if we’re going to heaven or hell before we’re born?
EVERLASTING QUESTIONS
Is God limited within space and time?
Is basing if God is everlasting or eternal on bible texts valid?
Can a already perfect God change over time?
What are arguments that God can know the future
- God can be seen as a chess master against a novice, the chess master can predict moves
- Gods plan would always win regardless
- Questions if we are truly free
How does Boethius and Anslem conclude that we can have free will with Gods omniscience
We have free will because God sees it as the action being chosen freely by a person, God is outside of space and time and so he doesn’t interfere with our decisions
How does Swinburne conclude that we can have free will with Gods omniscience
As God is along side he cannot know for sure but he can predict it very accurately
What issues does omnibenevolence bring
Do evil and suffering contradict a benevolent God?
Can our language explain Gods benevolence
Are we potentially anthropomorphising god?
Issues with omnipotence
Why does an omnipotent God not stop bad things from happening if he is all powerful, why is he surprised by events
Issues with omniscience
If God cannot know the future, what does that suggest about his omniscience? do we have free will if he knows his future
Issues with omnibenevolence
How can God be omnibenevolent and allow suffering within the world
