Is God impossible?

[JerryL]

Assuming? Again?

You've just chosen to believe that. You cannot logically justify your belief that I am assuming.

 

[allfoak]

That may be, but establishing their value - and relevance - is on you, not me.

I'm not going to read some long web site based just on your say-so. Make an argument, back it up with supporting material as necessary, and then we'll have a starting point for discussion.

There is nothing else to tell you.
There is no proof in the reading of a book.
All proof comes through action.
It is impossible to know any truth that is not first experienced.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

There is nothing else to tell you.
There is no proof in the reading of a book.
All proof comes through action.
It is impossible to know any truth that is not first experienced.

So you don't want a discussion. Fair enough.

 

[JeremK]

I say maybe.

... if for no other reason than when we ask a question and have no information to help us come up with an answer, the default answer is always "maybe": it could be yes or no, but we don't have enough information yet to tell which.

So could God be impossible? The answer is yes... until someone gives a good reason to believe that God is possible.

Does anyone have such a reason?

Well, the concept of God makes sense in theory. Sandwiches exist. We make sandwiches. The universe exists, so someone must have made that too. I know that's not how it works in reality (I'm an atheist myself), but I can see why one would think the universe needs a designer.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Well, the concept of God makes sense in theory. Sandwiches exist. We make sandwiches. The universe exists, so someone must have made that too.

Wouldn't the next step there be "God exists, therefore someone must have made God, too"?

I know that's not how it works in reality (I'm an atheist myself), but I can see why one would think the universe needs a designer.

How does that translate to "God is possible"?

 

[allfoak]

So you don't want a discussion. Fair enough.

I can tell you all day long how much fun it is to jump off a cliff at my local swimming hole but until you do it ,you will never know what i know.

 

[JeremK]

Wouldn't the next step there be "God exists, therefore someone must have made God, too"?


How does that translate to "God is possible"?

Many theists would use Aquinas' argument that the universe needs a contingent being, an Unmoved Mover, their God. Hence, their logical progression would end at God.

I'm not saying God is possible, I'm just saying I can see why someone would think so.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I can tell you all day long how much fun it is to jump off a cliff at my local swimming hole but until you do it ,you will never know what i know.

Jumping off a cliff and hoping that you land in the swimming hole is a really bad way to establish whether the swimming hole exists.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Many theists would use Aquinas' argument that the universe needs a contingent being, an Unmoved Mover, their God. Hence, their logical progression would end at God.

I think it's overly generous to use the word "logical" in a sentence talking about the cosmological argument.

 

[allfoak]

Jumping off a cliff and hoping that you land in the swimming hole is a really bad way to establish whether the swimming hole exists.

Proving the truth is not the same thing.

People think that it is my responsibility to prove to them what the truth is or isn't.
I'm afraid people like that will never know the truth.

 

[psychoslice]

And one's reasonable arguments, please
Regards

There is no argument.

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

"9-10ths_Penguin,"

Namaste,

So could God be impossible? The answer is yes... until someone gives a good reason to believe that God is possible.
Does anyone have such a reason?

If the definition of God is open, then in Hindu Dharmah we have a saying, "na maatuhu param daivatam", which means "There is no greater God than Mother", If we take God to mean Devi in the Hindu term, is this still a impossibility?

 

[JeremK]

I think it's overly generous to use the word "logical" in a sentence talking about the cosmological argument.

You're not wrong.

 

[1137]

I can tell you all day long how much fun it is to jump off a cliff at my local swimming hole but until you do it ,you will never know what i know.

9_10ths actually doesn't understand this type of problem, such as Nagels bat. I don't think any reductionist does.

 

[allfoak]

9_10ths actually doesn't understand this type of problem, such as Nagels bat. I don't think any reductionist does.

That's interesting. I know nothing about labels. I just live my life.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Proving the truth is not the same thing.

People think that it is my responsibility to prove to them what the truth is or isn't.
I'm afraid people like that will never know the truth.

You were the one who insinuated that you had a good reason to believe that God is possible. You certainly weren't obligated to do this, but it's mildly annoying that you apparently decided to waste my time with an irrelevant tangent.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

"9-10ths_Penguin,"

Namaste,



If the definition of God is open, then in Hindu Dharmah we have a saying, "na maatuhu param daivatam", which means "There is no greater God than Mother", If we take God to mean Devi in the Hindu term, is this still a impossibility?

Sure: if we take the word "God" to mean "mother", then I agree that God is possible. Why should we do this?

 

[allfoak]

You were the one who insinuated that you had a good reason to believe that God is possible. You certainly weren't obligated to do this, but it's mildly annoying that you apparently decided to waste my time with an irrelevant tangent.

You are the good reason.
Know Thyself

 

[Reggie Miller]

Since no one can prove that God is impossible, He must indeed be possible.

Since it can be proven that God is possible, He must indeed be possible.


Sorry, but I just ended the thread. Well, it was nice while it lasted...

 

[Satyamavejayanti]

Sure: if we take the word "God" to mean "mother", then I agree that God is possible. Why should we do this?

Namaste,

Well it is not a question of why we should take "God" to mean "Mother", as the quote says "There is no greater God than Mother", meaning there is nothing more then the "Mother", so a God (that transcends reality, is creator, lives in heaven ect ect) is actually impossible.

The issue is for me that the definition of Devi which is always translated as "Goddess", from Hinduism is actually incorrect, as this is why I say God (defined as transcendent, creator in heaven ect ect) is not a possibility but Deva/Devi of Hinduism/Buddhism/Jain ect is in many cases can be a possibility.

So those who say Hindus have many "gods", would actually have to admit in the case of the quote i provided that the translation of Devi/Deva as god in Hinduism, makes the gods of Hinduism a possibility.

Anyways, thats my two cents