Subject:
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Re: One of my issues with the god of the old testament
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:54:41 GMT
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Viewed:
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1083 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, David Eaton writes:
> > Sort of, but I'm not sure that I agree with it. Why should an infinite
> > being be constrained by our notions of impossibility, even if those notions
> > seem absolute to us?
>
> I dunno. What makes you so sure that he shouldn't be? Is it a logical fallacy
> to say that he shouldn't be? Is there a flaw with such a belief that makes it
> invalid?
A few posts back I put forth "God is that being greater than which nothing
can be thought" as a rhetorical assumption. It's not my personal belief,
but, in my attempt to understand the Christian source of morality, it seemed
an okay starting point. Now, I realize that the Ontological Argument is
flawed as a means of proving the existence of God, but once one assumes His
existence, I'm not sure I can understand any definition of Him that allows
something greater to be imagined. Ignoring for a moment the question of
evil, it seems to me that a being that can do something is greater than a
being that cannot do something. I can imagine, at least conceptually, a
being that can accomplish the impossible, and, since I can think of it, God
must be greater than that (accepting the earlier assumption).
> > I would argue that [morality] describes something that can't be
> > as readily demonstrated to be external to man.
>
> Demonstrated, no. At least not within our abilities.
Unfortunately, that's the god-of-the-gaps argument restated; we can't
posit something unverifiable and then use it as an escape clause as needed.
If we can't verify it, then it's not really useful in empirical thought.
> But again, is there a logical problem with the belief that morality is
> fixed "ulitmately"? Certainly you've argued against relative morality-- would
> you argue for it here? I'm not sure I understand the point of the objection...
I'm still arguing in an effort to understand the Christian viewpoint. I
don't hold Christians (or anyone else) accountable for my view of morality,
but I don't understand how a Christian reconciles his view morality with God
and His goodness (the latter of which I recognize you and I aren't
discussing) in terms of how each applies or relates to the other.
Dave!
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