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Originally Posted by Infinite_Loser
Now, assuming there are an infinite number of possibilities for God...
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This assumption includes non-existence as one of those possibilities, since "an infinite number of possibilities" would by definition include any possibility conceivable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Infinite_Loser
I'm not so sure how such an argument would invalidate my religion as, assuming God is anything, then, by association, my definition of God would be among one of the possibilities. This doesn't validate the atheist position, though, as while anything can be something, anything can't be nothing. And, yes, while I realize that the argument here is, if I'm understanding it correctly, that "Nothing is a possibility of anything (Which would make the probability of God existing being zero)", the usage of the word anything excludes nothingness (Or, in other words, existence doesn't include non-existence).
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If you wish to use a completely literal interpretation of the statement "God could be anything" and therefore exclude non-existence as a possibility, that statement ceases to be atheistic in nature (which it never really was to begin with) and becomes an implied declaration of faith. Therefore, assuming such an interpretation for the statement "God could be anything," it for the purposes of this discussion carries essentially the same meaning as "God is an all-knowing, all-powerful benevolent creator," and any atheistic viewpoint becomes irrelevant. You are essentially making an argument against the different flavours of theism, rather than an argument for or against atheism. Regardless, the first highlighted statement and the second highlighted statement are inconsistent unless one adopts a more liberal interpretation of one or the other.
Also note that the statement "God could be anything" is not identical in meaning to the statement "God is anything." Your terminology in general is somewhat inconsistent here, which makes deciphering your message difficult.
EDIT for cross-posting -
Quote:
Originally Posted by Infinite_Loser
For argument's sake, let's just define God as the creator of the universe.
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This definition is theistic in nature and is therefore not well suited to a discussion of theism vs. atheism. A better definition would be "an entity assumed by some individuals to be the creator of the Universe," since it will allow discussion of God without an implied discussion of the Universe.