(December 13, 2024 at 1:13 pm)Angrboda Wrote:(December 13, 2024 at 1:03 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Sheldon got every form of apologism over this right in mentioning that the resolution is to limit one or both descriptors. So it can know everything except that which would make it impotent, or do everything except that which would make it ignorant. The whole thing is kind of moot in that people don't tend to believe in rational gods. You could repair any given god to make it explicitly logical and the faithful will simply reject that in favor of one miracle or another. People don't go to theistic gods for logic. They go to gods because they have an impossible ask. A desire. A demand. An idea of how the world should be which only makes sense in the context of it not being that way in mere reality.
The question is not whether there are limitations on these concepts, as defining anything necessarily requires establishing both positive and negative characteristics of the thing, so defining itself is necessarily limiting. So suggesting that there is something untoward or inappropriate about any limitations on a concept is itself a bit incoherent. The question is not whether or not there are limitations upon a specific conception, but rather whether those limitations are reasonable, rational, and defensible.
There are inherent limits upon the Christian god. For instance, being perfect, it follows that this god would be perfectly merciful and just, yet we see it isn't; it is reputed to lay down infinite punishment for things as simple as saying "goddamn" in a conversation unless pleas for forgiveness are offered. "Hey, using the brain they say you gave me, I just don't think you make sense." "Right, off to Hell with you, don't forget your ice-water." Perfect vengeance? No doubt. Perfect forgiveness? Probably not. And so on.
It follows that the Christian conception of god is flawed. We have spotted a couple of imperfections. That is reasonable and defensible. We can accept the possibility of a god, of some sort or another, while saying at the same time that the Christian conception of god fails for internal contradiction.
Let's move on to some other conception of god, then.
