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Poll: The best argument against God, capital G.

What is the best argument against God?


  • Total voters
    60

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
For myself, I think Divine Hiddenness is probably the best argument. If God exists, cares about us, wants us to know she's there...where the hell is she? Why doesn't she clearly communicate? Etc.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
This is a new take to me; how is this evidence against God?

Its not it's evidence against omnipotence.

One cannot have infinite power (infinite energy expended over infinite time) qt the same time as mass (you and i and everything else physical)
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
To be fair, this is only one possible sense of the word power, which has a wide semantic field. This is the mechanical sense, used in Physics classes. Power can also mean potency/potential, or alternatively social influence, or…

All require energy to be expended over time.
 

Zwing

Active Member
All require energy to be expended over time.
No, that is not so. “Power” meaning potential or, indeed, social influence do not, since no work is done. In these cases, “power” describes a state of being rather than the result of a process, and this is why no work is done.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
No, that is not so. “Power” meaning potential or, indeed, social influence do not, since no work is done. In these cases, “power” describes a state of being rather than the result of a process, and this is why no work is done.

Power is the capacity to do work, no matter what the work is it requires energy, even you answering my post required energy.
 

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Its not it's evidence against omnipotence.

One cannot have infinite power (infinite energy expended over infinite time) qt the same time as mass (you and i and everything else physical)

That assumes everything is physical. Now you have the burden of proof for that.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
That is not the principal or even secondary definition of the English lemma power. Note, if you will, how far down the line of senses (to wit, at sense 3-3) your definition is here:



Try using a dictionary (preferably the OED) not an unattributed blog that anyone can write and edit.

This case is about omnipotent. Not about some guy with a brass hat bossing people about. That of course also takes energy
 
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mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
Try using a dictionary (preferably the OED) not an unattributed blog that anyone can write ans edit

Well, here is another one.

It is 4c there.


It is 6c there.

I will try one more.

It is the 10th there.
 

Zwing

Active Member
Try using a dictionary (preferably the OED) not an unattributed blog that anyone can write ans edit
Wiktionary is an excellent dictionary. I am doubtful that the OED has “energy expended over time” as the principal sense. Please show me if it does. In any case, the sense you are indicating is “a measure of the rate of energy expended as a result of work being done”, and I would argue that this is the primary sense nowhere. I don’t have easy access to the OED, but here are other sources which, likewise, do not have your definition as primary:
 

Kelly of the Phoenix

Well-Known Member
I think God not listening. For me that was the final nail in the hammer for me to leave Christianity. I never had my prayers answered. Who cares what an old book says...if I don't feel a connection with that god why follow?

Other gods I felt a connection to and felt answered my prayers. So i followed them instead
Yeah. Whoever answers the phone gets the cookie.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Wiktionary is an excellent dictionary. I am doubtful that the OED has “energy expended over time” as the principal sense. Please show me if it does. In any case, the sense you are indicating is “a measure of the rate of energy expended as a result of work being done”, and I would argue that this is the primary sense nowhere. I don’t have easy access to the OED, but here are other sources which, likewise, do not have your definition as primary:

Wiktionary can be edited by anyone with any agenda, errors deliberately introduced may be corrected at some time in the future, that leaves time where false/incorrect information is freely available. I most certainly would not call that excellent. I have no qualms about using it as a guide to be verified later but i would not use it as a source.


Primary or not, does it matter? or are you saying god is only omnipotent in certain definitions of power and not in others?
 

Zwing

Active Member
I think God not listening.
Yes , this was the beginning of the end for me.
…if I don't feel a connection with that god why follow?
Or, as I used to put it in the first stages of my slipping away from theism: “Who in the f~(k needs a God who doesn’t do anything that I require of it, or make itself present in a time of need? Who in the Christ needs a ‘hidden God’?
 
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ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Oh, I see. But God is generally not understood to be physical, so I'm not sure that applies.

To be omnipotent requires infinite power by definition, physical or not the claim of omnipotence still exists.
 

VoidCat

Use any and all pronouns including neo and it/it's
Yeah. Whoever answers the phone gets the cookie.
Yeah. There's a reason Bastet is my patron. Cats have been in my life and been there for me since forever and i myself am very catlike. I wasn't really surprised that I felt drawn to her or that she'd answer my prayers.

The christian god on the otherhand? I tried to make that work. Prayed frequently and all this. But no prayers were answered. Also I feel much more connected to the pagan gods then i do to Jesus
 
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