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Originally Posted by asaris
The doctrine of divine simplicity depends on a certain sense of simple. To use a simplistic (hah!) example, when Christians say God is simple, they don't mean he's stupid. What they mean is that God is identical to himself and completely indivisible to the point of also being identical to his properties. For example, a potato chip may instantiate the property of being good. But God is goodness itself. Also, your chip analogy falls apart because the potato is not, in itself, fully chip, but Jesus is fully God.
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You're trying to describe details about something in my imagination. This special chip is goodness incarnate. This chip is perfect in every way. But it's still a potato chip. Simple.
I don't think that anyone is saying god is stupid, but it was demonstrated that he/she/it is not simple by any means when Halifax briefly described the concept of a triune god. That's only one example. That's just one of god's supposed properties out of many which is complex.
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Originally Posted by asaris
I don't get why you say God must be a subjective phenomenon just because people disagree about the best way to worship him (among other things). I'm sure that my friends and family, even those who know me best, disagree about how to worship --- erm, strike that --- make me happy. My sister has a different idea about what to get me for my birthday from my best friend. That doesn't mean I'm a subjective phenomenon (assuming I understand what you mean by that term.
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What about different religions? Are you suggesting that god and Shiva are the same perfect being? If so, then there are two very distinct descriptions of the god creature that would seem to be at odds. If not, then are there multiple gods?
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Originally Posted by asaris
I understand your objection to #2, but think it's insufficient. If I can form some conception of something in my head, not merely thinking the words 'round square' but actually conceiving of something like a 'unicorn', that's a good prima facie case that that thing is possible. That puts the burden of proof on the person who wants to say that it is, in fact, impossible. It's not that difficult -- just derive a contradiction of the form "p & ~p" from the concept you're trying to show is impossible.
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I can conceive going back in time and killing my grandfather. Tolkien imagined the Lord of the Rings. Actually, I think that's the perfect fantasy series, so it must exist.