The Concept Of God Flashcards
What are the ten divine attributes of God
Eternal Everlasting Anthropomorphic Immanent Transcendent Incorporeal Omnipresent Omnipotent Omnibenevolent Omniscient
What does ‘eternal’ mean
How can it be used
Who made this argument
God is outside of time
This could be used to argue against the problem of omniscient and immutable
Wayne Grudem
What does everlasting mean?
God exists within time and forever
Opposite of eternal
What does anthropomorphic mean ?
Not human but has human qualities
What does immanent mean
God exists within the physical world
What does transcendent mean?
Exists beyond the material world and our understanding
- can be used in all arguments for the existence of God
What is incorporeal ?
Non - material
What is omnipresent ?
All seeing
What is omnipotent ?
All powerful
What is omniscient ?
All knowing
What is omnibenevolent ?
All loving
Outline the paradox of the stone argument ?
Can God create a stone too heavy for him to lift?
God is omnipotent
God either can or cannot create a stone so heavy that even God cannot lift it
If he can create the stone that he cannot lift then there is at least one thing God cannot do which is lift the stone.
This puts a limit on his power so God is not omnipotent.
If God cannot create a stone he cannot lift then there is at least one thing God cannot do so he isn’t omnipotent.
Therefore God does not exist
What is Keene’s argument against the paradox of the stone ?
Why is he a stupid philosopher?
The grammatical structure is the cause of the problem
If we say “God can lift any stone he can create” then it’s fine
This doesn’t tackle or solve the question but simply diverts it. It initial question still stands.
What is Frankfurts’ response to the paradox of the rock?
What’s wrong with his argument ?
God defies logic
If God can create a logically impossible thing then he can lift a logically impossible thing
This relies on the principle that God can do logically impossible things. This abandons the idea of logic.
What does Swineburne say about Keene’s argument? (Paradox of the rock)
He says Keene is basically saying
“God cannot create a stone that has the power to resist his lifting it”
In other words, there is still a limit on his powers
What is Swineburne’s argument against the paradox of the stone?
God can create a stone that he cannot lift
That would remove his omnipotence
But he doesn’t make a stone he cannot lift
So he is technically still omnipotent
“Fact that God can abandon his omnipotence does not entail that he will”
What is the problem with Swineburne’s argument against the paradox of the rock ?
Omnipotence is deducted of persons only in the case of God so it is an internal relation.
Swineburne is suggesting omnipotence is an external relation because he suggests God can give up omnipotence and still be God
This causes problems as it suggests that God could potentially give up all his attributes.
If God can give these up then there is a debate as to whether he would still be God
What is peter Geech’s argument against paradox of the stone?
What’s wrong with it
He grants God is not omnipotent but “almighty”
This means he has power over everything but not to do anything
This contradicts the divine attribute of God
What is Anthony Kenny’s argument against paradox of a stone?
What argues against this?
He says God is omnipotent means = he possesses all powers that it is logically possible for a being with his attributes as God to posses.
We cannot understand a transcendent God so we should not confine a being we cannot understand into our knowledge of “logic”
What are the 5 philosophers that argue against the paradox of the rock?
Frankfurt Geach Keene Kenny Swineburne
Outline the Euthyphro dilemma
If God exists then we need to be able to give a satisfactory account of his relationship with morality
Morality is either a reflection of god’s commands or there is a moral authority outside of God
If morality is a reflection of God’s commands then immoral and moral acts could be considered moral if God commands them
This is not a satisfactory explanation of morality
If there is a moral authority that exists outside of God then God is not omnipotent
This is not a satisfactory definition of God
It is not possible to give a satisfactory account of god’s relationship with morality
God does not exist
What are the two options in the Euthyphro dilemma
Every action that God commands is good
Every action that God commands is good because it accords with some other moral authority
What is the problem with everything God commanding being good?
Cruel or mundane acts could be considered moral
This is not a satisfactory definition of morality
It runs counter to our conscience
Cardinal Newman says conscience is “voice of God within”
God’s voices are contradictory
God does not exist
What is the problem with every action that God commands us being good because it accords with some other moral authority
It suggests God is not omnipotent
This is not a satisfactory definition of God
God’s status of being worthy of worship is undermined
Who wrote the Euthyphro dilemma
Plato
Which two philosophers argue against the Euthyphro dilemma?
Kierkegaard
Aquinas
What did Kierkegaard say about the Euthyphro dilemma
God could command these things as proof of faith like Abraham killing his son
He says faith cannot be rationally be explained or supported by evidence but we should suspend our ethical beliefs for God. The will of God comes before ethics
What did Aquinas say about the Euthyphro dilemma?
God creates nature and nature determines our purpose
Our purposes shows us what is moral
The teleological argument of morality
What are the 3 problems with the idea of God being omniscient
The problem of free will
The problem with knowing the illogical
The problem with being omniscient and unchanging
What is the problem of free will and omniscience ?
If God knows everything, he must know our actions. Therefore it could be argued that we are pre determined and don’t have free will.
If God knew people would sin and created them so they would sin then God is responsible for the crimes of humanity
What is the solution to omniscience and free will?
God knows what we will do however it doesn’t mean we didn’t do it freely .
If I knew you were going to drink a cup of tea doesn’t mean you didn’t do it freely
What is the problem with God knowing the illogical?
If God is omniscient, does he know the illogical?
E.g. A round square.
This contradicts our idea of logic.
What is the solution to God knowing the illogical ?
God should not be confined to the human limitation of ‘logic’. He is far greater than that and far too great for us to understand.
What is the problem with God being omniscient and immutable?
God being immutable/unchanging and having the ability to know everything contradict eachother
Things on this earth change for example if I know how tall a building is then so does God. Then if the building for taller then I would know a different height of the building and so would God.
This shows god’s knowledge can change which contradicts God being unchanging/ immutable
What is the solution to God being immutable and omniscient.
God is eternal
Wayne Grudem
God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act
