Thomas Metcalf

Originally posted by Ottman Out :

It is very medieval-theological; it owes much to St. Anselm. If God is a maximally great being, and it's greater to exist in all possible worlds than only to exist in some, then God will be a necessary existent.

Some say it actually dates from the Hebrew Bible, in which God identifies himself thus: "I am he who exists." He is the thing that exists.

In my opinion, it's a mistake. It doesn't make any sense to define something into having a certain alethic modal status. We don't define something as existent and then go looking for it; similarly, we don't define something as possible or necessary and then go trying to figure out whether it exists.

B. H. Manners

If God exists and can kill himself, he ought to do us all a favor and do it.

Quantum Ninja

Maybe he already did? That would explain a lot.

Waning Moon Conrad

If panpsychism is true, then maybe he already has. Maybe he went out with a bang.

A very Big Bang.

B. H. Manners

Perhaps you are right!

jfryejr

Quantum Ninja wrote: If that were true, how could you explain rainbows? and lightning?

Waning Moon Conrad

Eh?

jfryejr

Just relating a belief in god with using it to explain phenomena that used to lack a natural explanation. More of a stab, albeit a bad one, at those who use god to explain the unknown. My sarcasm never comes across in writing...and rarely when I speak it...

Randy X

A question from Christ, "Can God cease to not exist????????"

[sobbs]

An all-powerful God is very easy to imagine, but silly nonetheless.Creating everything within the universe in an instant would be such a quality for me.Since God cannot create the universe and everything within it by thought alone, then he is not an all-powerful being.For Christ sake, he takes 6 days to create the earth, so exactly what weakling of a "God" is this? He should be called all-weakling, and is not worthy of the all-powerful status.He always takes some effort to get things done in the bible, and never just snaps his fingers.The bible makes him out to be extremely weak, however the bible shouldn't be trusted, as many of suspected in the past.Hell, even snapping fingers requires some effort, and even "he" cannot achieve that.

[takes deep breath]

Now all the "evidence" suggests that God has in fact commited suicide.He has ceased to exist since the beginning of time.All the evidence suggests that "he" ceased to exist, and there are sound reasons for this.Not from will, or from the power to do such an act.He ceased to exist because I say so, and thats all i'm going to say! Perhaps the combined power of the "strong" atheists made God cease to exist.But I stand by me statement, i've killed God indirectly.

Um....its called science and logic.What the hell does lightning and rainbows have to do with God? Explain yourself? Nice mythical logic, however its useless in this day and age.I suspect that we have all moved on since the early years of mythical Gods and their amazing but folly acts.

P.S Who is God anyways? Is he a goat or a bunnybear? Heavenly pitbull, or pint sized ant? Who is God and what is his nature? Anyone who can explain God's motives and intensions should be given $1 billon. Then i'll proceed to ask why your statements take precedence over mine? Why does God have to exist? If God did in fact exist, perhaps he chose to cease to exist.That makes sense, right? Thats a bummer for him though, because how are you going to cease to not exist and then still exist?

Regards

jfryejr

Umm...I've already said that was a poor attempt at sarcasm.

Part of the premise of this discussion was assuming that a god exists in the JudeoChristianIslamic sense. No intent was given to actually prove or define its existence (or to define my beliefs...). It was more of a is god really omnipotent, if so can he limit his omnipotence by making himself not omnipotent question...