The concept and nature of God (religion) Flashcards
What’s the difference between revealed theology and natural theology?
Revealed- God’s existence answered by reference to a body of pre established beliefs- based on revelation.
Natural- Using intuition and deduction to deduce God’s existence. Separate from revelation.
What are Gods attributes?
Omnipotence, omniscience, benevolence,
omnipresence (eternal/everlasting)
What is the argument made in omniscience vs immutability?
Kretzmann argues there is a contradiction between God being omnscient (all knowing) and immutable (ever changing). ONLY AQUINAS CALLS GOD IMMUTABLE
P1) God isn’t subject to change
P2)God knows everything
P3)A being that knows everything, knows everything in time.
P4)A being that knows things in time is subject to change.
C) Therefore God is subject to change, contradiction P1.
So, omniscience= “God knows everything which it is logically possible for God to know and which doesn’t limit his knowledge”
What are criticisms of Gods omnipotence?
-Paradox of the stone: Can God create a stone so heavy he cannot lift it? If he can, he isn’t because if he can’t lift it, if he can’t he’s not omnipotent because he cannot create it.
-God cannot sin, but that is logically possible. He cannot act in any way that goes against his fundamental nature which is not logically impossible.
What are the counter criticisms to the paradox of the stone?
-Incoherent argument- God has to abide by being perfect and that paradox is completely illogical for Gods character.
-Meaningless pseudo task- nonsense and gibberish. An empty task that linguistically sounds right.
What is the Euthyphro dilemma and divine command theory?
Argument attacking Gods omnipotence and benevolence.
In modern terms with the divine command theory, Is what God commands right because it is right (1st horn), or is it right because God commands it? (2nd horn)? Whatever side of the horn chosen, there are consequences with no quick fix.
If horn 1- Something else has decided what is right and wrong, being another benevolent and omnipotent being, taking away Gods qualities. This removes the need for God and his qualities are eroded due to independence. God is not omnipotent as there must be a higher power.
If horn 2- arbitrary horn (lacks logic or reason). God could change what is right at any time or commands could come about at ay time because God can do so. It removes structure to rules because we are less inclined to follow them if they’re illogical. So God is not benevolent as morality could change at anytime.
What is the logical problem of God as a result of evil and suffering?
Logical= deductive argument. If premise is true, conclusion will be true.
The inconsistent triad= 3 statements that cannot be logically true at the same time. 1.God is all good 2.God is all powerful 3.Evil exists. If god has the will and power to eliminate evil, why does it exist? Mackie suggests God doesn’t exist.
Epicurean paradox= God is willing but not able to remove evil/suffering or God is able but not willing to remove evil/suffering. So God is benevolent and not omnipotent vice versa.
What is the evidential problem of God as a result of evil and suffering?
The evidence of evil in the world creates belief in God unjustified. Inductive argument regards evil as evidence against God. Hume puts forward aposteriori evidence of evil- animal suffering, creatures having limited abilites, extremes in survival. God could have made a world without that.
What is Augustines Theodicy against evil and suffering?
Humans have a natural disposition to sin which contradicts Gods benevolence to suggest he created it. Therefore humanity must be to blame. Originates from original sin.
What is the argument for Free will and Omniscience? (Free will paradox)
If God is all knowing then he must know every one of our actions in life. That means we cannot act freely because we cannot act other than in accordance with what God already knows.
P1) A being with free will has option A or B. P2)God is omniscient.
P3)God knows the being will choose A P4)God cannot be wrong since he is omniscient
5) From 3 and 4, the being will choose A and cannot choose B
C) 1 and 5 suggest omniscience and free will cannot coexist.
What is a counter to the free will paradox?
God has the special property of being outside of time so his knowledge is not foreknowledge. It doesn’t occur before any events in the world. However you can work around this. If his knowledge is timeless, he knows timelessly all that has happened, is happening and will happen. He knows timelessly a person will commit X action so they cannot not perform it.
What does eternal and everlasting mean?
Eternal= God is atemporal, existing outside of time, he is timeless. This makes him transcendent- not part of the world that we know and cannot be fully grasped by humans. Self sufficient and the creator of the universe. Aquinas says God is timeless as it maintains his immutability.
Everlasting=Existing in time without beginning or end.
Strengths and weaknesses of God being eternal?
Strengths-
-God is not limited
-God is immutable (unchanging)
Weaknesses-
-God cannot be eternal because he then cannot interact with that in time, the world. Temporal things have to react with temporal things. Therefore he cannot answer prayers or make miracles.
Strengths and weaknesses of God being everlasting?
Strengths-
-God is in time so he can answer prayers and perform miracles. An everlasting God is more personal as he knows everything logically possible and changes down the road with us.
Weaknesses-
-Bound by time so cannot be the creator if he’s inside time
-Feels our pain and suffering with us which seems contradictory of his characteristics
What is einstein’s relativity of simultaneity? (Developed by Stump and Kretzmann)
God is eternal and experiences all time simultaneously. He is outside of time and perfect so he can see all.
