Does God Shave?

[Jayhawker Soule]

The question is: does Occam's Razor have any relevance to an omnipotent Diety? Might such a God view one task as more difficult to perform than another or more complex to than another? Did it take more effort for God to create Man than mud?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

Of course not....nothing would be "difficult" for an omnipotent Diety. That is why the Problem of Evil is such a difficult thing for theists to explain.

 

[tumble_weed]

yes like that proverb or whatever about the inpenatrable shield and the sword that can penetrate anything...

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Two quick points:

1. While I applaud your youthful certainty, be advised that the consequences of the answer are far reaching and not allways obvious. Theists are wise to avoid the question.
2. Omnipotence has zero to do with the POE. You are confusing omnipotence with omnibenevolence.

 

[dan]

Of course not....nothing would be "difficult" for an omnipotent Diety. That is why the Problem of Evil is such a difficult thing for theists to explain.

What about it is difficult?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

does Occam's Razor have any relevance to an omnipotent Diety?

Yes, it always eliminates the need for gods in any given situation. One must remember that Occam Razor is a guide as opposed to a definitive.

Get over yourself and address the question asked.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Get over yourself and address the question asked.

I did. Perhaps you didn't understand the question?

I find it mildly humorous that you would deign to instruct me on the meaning of a question asked by me in the first place. Be that as it may, there is, in fact, a difference between

• the relevance to X, and
• the relevance to the existential possibility of X.

a distinction reinforced by the sentences that followed the opening question. So, again, feel free to address the question asked.

Parenthetically, should you wish to open your own thread on the applicability of Occam's Razoz to the question of Diety, I'll be glad to contribute.

====

I note that the post I quoted has subsequently been deleted, which is probably for the best.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

For the record, (Q), my suggestion that you "get over yourself" was wholly inappropriate, and I apologize.

 

[(Q)]

Thanks Deut - I was only commenting to the fact that Occams razor eliminates the needs for gods in every situation simply because they add levels of unnecessary confusion to simple explanations, therefore to comment further to your hypothetical questions would be pure speculation on my part.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

... Occams razor eliminates the needs for gods in every situation simply because they add levels of unnecessary confusion to simple explanations, ...

I seriously doubt it on philosophic grounds but, as I said, that's fodder for a different thread.

 

[Paraprakrti]

The question is: does Occam's Razor have any relevance to an omnipotent Diety? Might such a God view one task as more difficult to perform than another or more complex to than another? Did it take more effort for God to create Man than mud?

How would one task be more difficult than another? Man or mud, it is infinitely insignificant to the Infinite God.

So...

What are the consequences of these answers?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

omnipotence: the state of being omnipotent, having unlimited power.
That has a great deal to do with the Problem of Evil, Deut. In my mind, the POE suggests that God does not have the power to eliminate evil and is therefore not omnipotent, or that He wills or is indifferent to the existence of evil and suffering. Anyway, I gather this is not what you wanted to discuss in this thread.

So tell us Deut, how would you answer your own question, and what are the "far reaching" conclusions at which your non-youthful wisdom would arrive?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

omnipotence: the state of being omnipotent, having unlimited power.

Thanks, Mr_Spinkles.

That has a great deal to do with the Problem of Evil, Deut.

It has relevance only once you stipulate omnibenevolence. The history of theology/mythology is peppered with Gods for which there is no POE simply because there is no presumption of omnibenevolence - one such Deity being the Gnostic Christian Demiurge.

So tell us Deut, how would you answer your own question, and what are the "far reaching" conclusions at which your non-youthful wisdom would arrive?

I would say, in part, that :

• parsimony is irrelevant to diety,
• nipples on men make a mockery of 'intelligent design', and
• don't call me old.

I doubt that wisdom has anything to do with it.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

It has relevance only once you stipulate omnibenevolence.

Ok.

The history of theology/mythology is peppered with Gods for which there is no POE simply because there is no presumption of omnibenevolence - one such Deity being the Gnostic Christian Demiurge.

I never said there is a Problem of Evil in every religion, I simply said that omnipotence is relevant to the POE. I agree that omnibenevolence is also relevant to the POE, but I respectfully disagree that "Omnipotence has zero to do with the POE." As you pointed out, omnipotence has zero to do with the POE only when there is no POE to begin with.

I would say, in part, that :

• parsimony is irrelevant to diety,
• nipples on men make a mockery of 'intelligent design', and
• don't call me old.

I doubt that wisdom has anything to do with it.

I didn't call you old. Your "non-youthful wisdom" was merely an attempt to distinguish it from my "youthful certainty".

 

[Kungfuzed]

The question is: does Occam's Razor have any relevance to an omnipotent Diety? Might such a God view one task as more difficult to perform than another or more complex to than another? Did it take more effort for God to create Man than mud?

Occam's Razor: This is often paraphrased as "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one."

It seems to me that from an omnipotent God's perspective everything is equally simple making Occam's Razor irrelavent. But looking at it from our perspective, the existence of an omnipotent God is much more difficult to rationalize and may not be the simplest explanation. I've only heard of Occam's Razor being used as an argument against the existence of God.

 

[Yerda]

It seems to me that from an omnipotent God's perspective everything is equally simple making Occam's Razor irrelavent.

So God, infact, does not shave. Hippy.

 

[busy.love.bee]

omnipotence: the state of being omnipotent, having unlimited power.
That has a great deal to do with the Problem of Evil, Deut. In my mind, the POE suggests that God does not have the power to eliminate evil and is therefore not omnipotent, or that He wills or is indifferent to the existence of evil and suffering. Anyway, I gather this is not what you wanted to discuss in this thread.

So tell us Deut, how would you answer your own question, and what are the "far reaching" conclusions at which your non-youthful wisdom would arrive?

God has the power to eliminate Evil, just has a hard time making up his mind about what constitutes Evil. Whatever you don't like some do, so it's not evil to them.

 

[outhouse]

YES the poor dude has to rest after creating all of us!

So some tasks are not easy on the old feller.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

God has the power to eliminate Evil, just has a hard time making up his mind about what constitutes Evil. Whatever you don't like some do, so it's not evil to them.

You are responding to a 10-year-old post.

 

[ruffen]

Hey cool, the problem of Evil has not been solved the last 10 years. My bet is that it won't be solved in the next 10 years either.

The problem of omnipotence as well.