If God exists, what is it about his essence that makes him supernatural?

[chi pan]

If God exists why is he supernatural?

Are theists merely defining him that way? "If he's God he must be supernatural otherwise he's not God."

Do they mean that he's not non-natural, he's natural but he's a special 'super' part of nature because he created the rest of it? After all, why say he's not nature, can't you simply say he's the best part of it, being omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent and responsible for the rest of it?

Do theists believe he's supernatural because he's divine? Well why can't nature be divine? Can't he be naturally divine? Is "divine" being defined as non-natural, is that why? Can't anything be divine if it's part of nature? If not, why not?

Do theists believe he's supernatural because he's immaterial and non-physical? If so then what about the possibility of the the non-physical and immaterial world and the afterlife are all part of God's plan that's in his nature and it's just as common as the rest of the world (or possibly even more common), it's a world merely undetected by mortals, why isn't the non-physical and immaterial side of things natural too? And hence, why isn't non-physical and immaterial "God" also natural?

He may be "super" in the sense of "great" and he may be natural, but what makes him supernatural in the sense of not just "above" nature but also separate to it, beyond it and non-natural?

Thoughts?

it certainly depends on how you define nature. lets go through some definitions.
nature-
1. Present in or produced by nature
-well, according to the bible, God created nature, nature did not create him.
2. Of, relating to, or concerning nature
-this really concerns the environment so it's not relevant.
3. Conforming to the usual or ordinary course of nature
-according to the bible, he does not always conform to the usual or ordinary course of nature.
4.
a. Not acquired; inherent: Love of power is natural to some people.
b. Having a particular character by nature: a natural leader.
c. Biology Not produced or changed artificially; not conditioned: natural immunity; a natural reflex.
5. Characterized by spontaneity and freedom from artificiality, affectation, or inhibitions. See Synonyms at naive.
6. Not altered, treated, or disguised: natural coloring; natural produce.
-probably not the definition you meant for any of these.
7. Faithfully representing nature or life.
-i don't see how God has stood as a representation of life or nature. i only see how he is the creator of it. i guess in a vague way you could say he represents it because he created it, though i doubt this is the point you are making.
8. Expected and accepted: "In Willie's mind marriage remained the natural and logical sequence to love" (Duff Cooper).
9. Established by moral certainty or conviction: natural rights.
10. Being in a state regarded as primitive, uncivilized, or unregenerate.
-again, probably not what you are considering.

so i don't exactly see what you are trying to express. either you are saying God is a natural being who dwells in a world or dimension beyond ours, which i wouldn't argue with; or you are saying he is nature, sort of representing pantheism. short answer, being omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent presents an unlimited quality. there is no infinite quality of anything natural, so this makes him supernatural. also, the fact that he created nature automatically means he supersedes nature.