The concept and nature of God

Question 1

Name and explain God´s attributes

Answer 1

Omnipotence = the quality of having unlimited power

Omnibenevolence = kind and generous towards everyone and everything

Omniscience = fully knowing all things

Question 2

Explain eternity in context of God´s relationship to time

Answer 2

• The past, present and future are alike him (he is atemporal)
• God is outside time and sees all events
• Time is bound up in creation but does not affect God (he introduced it)
• He is unchanging and timeless meaning he is not bound by space and can be everywhere at once

Question 3

What does “temporal” and “atemporal” mean?

Answer 3

Temporal = in time

Atemporal = not in time; outside of time

Question 4

Outline strengths of God being eternal

Answer 4

• Shows that God is not limited (support for omnipotence)
  -It suggests that God is immutable (incapable of change) which is argued by some to be necessary if God is also perfect as a perfect being does not need change

Question 5

Outline objections of God being eternal

Answer 5

• Contradicts scripture – the Bible speaks of God promising and remembering
• A timeless God would not be able to love as he is immutable so is not affected by anything
• Humans are not capable to talk about God as we are limited to language – God is beyond our limited comprehension
• lack of empirical evidence - there is no sufficient prove or scientific basis to support the claim that a being exists beyond time and is eternal.

Question 6

Explain everlasting as the relationship of God with time

Answer 6

• He has always existed and always will exist
• God exists without end at all points in time

Question 7

Outline strengths of God being everlasting

Answer 7

• allow for a God of classical theism
• allows for miracles and actions which the Christian faith depends on, such as the incarnation of Jesus Christ, to happen
• the concept of an everlasting God might only be difficult to understand for humans because of our limited thoughts

Question 8

Outline objections of God being everlasting

Answer 8

• Logical incoherence (the idea of an infinite past or an endless series of moments seems paradoxical and raises questions about causality and the nature of infinity.

Question 9

Define immutable

Answer 9

unchanging over time or unable to be changed

Question 10

Outline the Euthyphro dilemma

Answer 10

First Horn: Does God say things because they are good?
Second Horn: Are things good because God says they are?

First Horn:
There is something out their God did not create because he refers to it. Morality would exist even if God would disappear. When they are not his rules but he follows them, then he is not omnipotent - God is a transcriber rather than a creator

Second Horn:
Makes morality seems arbitrary and takes away deeper reason of morality because God just made it up. Also, “cruel” actions could be seen as good if they are stated so by God.

Question 11

Outline the Stone Paradox

Answer 11

Can God create a stone too heavy for him to lift?

If yes, then he is not truly omnipotent as he could not lift the stone.

If no, then he is not truly omnipotent as he could not create such as stone.

It questions whether the concept of omnipotence can truly exist without inherent limitations.

Question 12

Outline the problem of the existence of an omniscient God and free humans

Answer 12

1. We have the choice to either do A or B
2. God knows we will do A as he is omniscience
3. Therefore we must do A and we do not have free will to do B

Question 13

What does “transcendence” mean?

Answer 13

Existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level