Logic and God..?
I realise that the previous two posts might be challenged on the grounds that 'God is beyond logic'. This post will address that potential rebuttal.
There are a few problems with using the 'God is beyond logic' line. If God is indeed beyond logic, then no doubt, any logical contradictions would not apply. No disproof could ever be found, in any circumstance. I'll get more into this later.
It is a double-edged sword for a theist to use such a line. Certainly, all possibility of criticism is removed, but so is all possibility of positive evidence. If indeed that were the case, then there could be no positive proof of God, too. Forget Intelligent Design, forget any of the holy books, forget ANY form of evidence of God. Everything is based in logic, evidence included. The thought process of looking at something, and then linking it to something else, is based in logic. Once the famous line is invoked, then all this becomes irrelevant. Then religion boils down to 100% faith, with absolutely NO reason whatsoever to justify the belief.
The alternative, is to subject God to the laws of logic, to ensure that the current system of 'evidence' of God is relevant. However, such a move would effectively ensure that theists would be forced to accept a much reduced notion of God. For example: If God is subject to the laws of logic, is he then truly omnipotent? If he is subject to logical contradiction, then many logical criticisms can arise, such as the critique of omnipotence and omniscience co-existing, among others..
Not to mention, who defines the concept of God? Humans. Who awards the attributes of God, to God? Humans. If I wanted to ensure that an idea I thought of could never be disproven, what better way to ensure it by defining it from the outset as 'supernatural', and 'beyond our understanding'?
It's funny how some theists can claim that God is so beyond human understanding, yet are able to rigorously defend his actions as if they understood his thoughts, and are also able to accurately know his attributes..Would the same reverence be given to Santa Claus, if I were to say that he was a supernatural being beyond our understanding?
There are a few problems with using the 'God is beyond logic' line. If God is indeed beyond logic, then no doubt, any logical contradictions would not apply. No disproof could ever be found, in any circumstance. I'll get more into this later.
It is a double-edged sword for a theist to use such a line. Certainly, all possibility of criticism is removed, but so is all possibility of positive evidence. If indeed that were the case, then there could be no positive proof of God, too. Forget Intelligent Design, forget any of the holy books, forget ANY form of evidence of God. Everything is based in logic, evidence included. The thought process of looking at something, and then linking it to something else, is based in logic. Once the famous line is invoked, then all this becomes irrelevant. Then religion boils down to 100% faith, with absolutely NO reason whatsoever to justify the belief.
The alternative, is to subject God to the laws of logic, to ensure that the current system of 'evidence' of God is relevant. However, such a move would effectively ensure that theists would be forced to accept a much reduced notion of God. For example: If God is subject to the laws of logic, is he then truly omnipotent? If he is subject to logical contradiction, then many logical criticisms can arise, such as the critique of omnipotence and omniscience co-existing, among others..
Not to mention, who defines the concept of God? Humans. Who awards the attributes of God, to God? Humans. If I wanted to ensure that an idea I thought of could never be disproven, what better way to ensure it by defining it from the outset as 'supernatural', and 'beyond our understanding'?
It's funny how some theists can claim that God is so beyond human understanding, yet are able to rigorously defend his actions as if they understood his thoughts, and are also able to accurately know his attributes..Would the same reverence be given to Santa Claus, if I were to say that he was a supernatural being beyond our understanding?
posted by benisonp at 10:34 PM
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