RP - Christian beliefs

Question 1

Omnipotence problem

Answer 1

Can god create a stone too heavy for him too lift? (Ibn Rushd), and therefore deny his own existence (Dionysius)

Question 2

Omnibenevolence probelm

Answer 2

God is OOO - Evil/suffering exists - contradicts OOO therefore God cannot be OOO (Epicurus)

Question 3

Omniscience problem

Answer 3

Does God’s foreknowledge destroy the possibility of free will, and therefore make eschatological rewards/punishment unjust?

Question 4

Omnipotence reply

Answer 4

Aquinas - God only does things which are logically consistent/consistent with his nature - anything else is a contradiction and therefore nonsense

Question 5

Omnibenevolence reply

Answer 5

The problem of evil causes a false dilemma, as the deity could be OOO but permit suffering/evil for a greater good. Regarding moral evil, in order to achieve free will and goodness, there must be the possibility of evil.

Question 6

Omniscience reply

Answer 6

God’s foreknowledge is not determinative and does not compete with human freedom (Boethius)

Question 7

Conflation fallacy of God’s OOO properties

Answer 7

God’s power of love and knowing are falsely conflated to be identical to humans.

Question 8

Trinity

Answer 8

Deity with 3 beings (hypostases) unified into one overall being. Trinity not found in New testament, but is pointed to (Gospel of Mark).

Question 9

Criticisms - Tri-theism/Modalism/Irrationalism

Answer 9

Tri-theism - There are 3 distinct Gods
Modalism - The persons of the Trinity are not different but merely modes/faces of God
Irrationalism - Trinity violates principle of non-contradiction, cannot be 1 and 3 at the same time.

Question 10

Counterarguments - Contradiction

Answer 10

The counterarguments fail because they contradict the account of the Father/Son/Holy Spirit (in Mark 1:9) and personal mystical experiences

Question 11

St Augustine and the Trinity

Answer 11

States the Trinity is analogous to the mind. Mind composed of 3 functions, memory, will, reason. 3 separate functions unified into 1 mind, mind is made in the “imago dei”. 3 persons of the Trinity are distinct and real functions of the 1 God

Question 12

Conflation/via positva fallacy of the Trinity

Answer 12

Heresies commit conflation fallacy as they apply literal anthropomorphic, via positva language to the Trinity, it is an article of faith and divine mystery and therefore incomprehensible/ineffable

Question 13

2 contrasting views of Heaven

Answer 13

Heaven = new earth, akin to an eternal garden of Eden, purified of all disharmony between God and humans
Others regard heaven to be a perfect spiritual state, but the exact details remain beyond our understanding (via negativa)

Question 14

2 contrasting views of Hell

Answer 14

Some conservative regard hell and the pains of hell occurring in a place of eternal fire “There is no rest for the wicked”
Some deny hell altogether, God is omnibenevolent, hell is a type of purgatory

Question 15

2 contrasting beliefs of purgatory

Answer 15

Catholics - Saints go to heaven immediately, those who have mortal sins forgiven exist in purgatory until they are purified of their venal sins.
Liberal Protestants - Advocates universalism, all reach heaven after a period of proportionate eschatological suffering.

Question 16

2 contrasting beliefs of resurrection

Answer 16

Some believe only the soul lives on after death, resurrection is spiritual as opposed to physical. “The dead will be raised imperishable…The body…is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body” - 1 Corinthians 15
Some believe resurrection is ineffable and a via negativa mystery

Question 17

Gospel of John

Answer 17

“In the beginning was the word (logos)…All things were created through him…The word became flesh