Sudarshan
08 January 2007, 05:00 AM
Proof that the Semitic God is logically untenable - apllies primarily to the Gods of mainstream Islam and Christianity.
Islam/Christianity cannot claim that God is omniscient and also claim that humans have free will. The claims form a paradox. If God is omniscent then even before we are born, God would be knowledgeable of every thought and action we make. Any apparent freewill we exercise regarding the acceptance or denial of God is predetermined.
Alternatively if human free will is valid, meaning that the outcome of our decisions is not pre-determined, then God cannot be omniscient, since he would not know the future and God would be forced to be anxious as to whether his creation would accept him or reject him. If God is of really loving nature, he would be really depressed that many people may reject him.
If God knows the decision of every individual, before they are born, regarding the acceptance or denial of God, then why does he create one set of individuals destined for heaven and another set destined for eternal damnation? This is unjust and evil. If all God wanted was some fun, there was no need to create two sets of people.
If God is omniscient then humans do not have free will and the apparent arbitrary choice of God to condemn many individuals to eternal damnation is evil. God is not impartial and graceful in this case and is therefore not worth any worship.
If humans have true free will then God cannot be omniscient . If he is not omniscient then he also cannot be omnipotent since knowledge of the future is a prerequisite for total action. Without these abilities the Semitic God ceases to exist. Thus the Semitic God is not omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent - Godhead has disappeared.
If humans do not have free will then the choice of whether to accept God or not becomes total nonsense since the choice is pre-determined and we are merely puppets at the hands of a God, which is actually the case. So these religions have to either cling on their freewill, or give up the claim that their God is omniscient and omnipotent.
Note:
The above fallacy is not present in the Hindu school of Dvaita because God never created the soul. The soul is eternal and has an intrinsic nature of good or bad for which God is not responsible. Thus God remains both omniscient and fair, inspite of the ideas of damnation.
Islam/Christianity cannot claim that God is omniscient and also claim that humans have free will. The claims form a paradox. If God is omniscent then even before we are born, God would be knowledgeable of every thought and action we make. Any apparent freewill we exercise regarding the acceptance or denial of God is predetermined.
Alternatively if human free will is valid, meaning that the outcome of our decisions is not pre-determined, then God cannot be omniscient, since he would not know the future and God would be forced to be anxious as to whether his creation would accept him or reject him. If God is of really loving nature, he would be really depressed that many people may reject him.
If God knows the decision of every individual, before they are born, regarding the acceptance or denial of God, then why does he create one set of individuals destined for heaven and another set destined for eternal damnation? This is unjust and evil. If all God wanted was some fun, there was no need to create two sets of people.
If God is omniscient then humans do not have free will and the apparent arbitrary choice of God to condemn many individuals to eternal damnation is evil. God is not impartial and graceful in this case and is therefore not worth any worship.
If humans have true free will then God cannot be omniscient . If he is not omniscient then he also cannot be omnipotent since knowledge of the future is a prerequisite for total action. Without these abilities the Semitic God ceases to exist. Thus the Semitic God is not omnipresent, omniscient or omnipotent - Godhead has disappeared.
If humans do not have free will then the choice of whether to accept God or not becomes total nonsense since the choice is pre-determined and we are merely puppets at the hands of a God, which is actually the case. So these religions have to either cling on their freewill, or give up the claim that their God is omniscient and omnipotent.
Note:
The above fallacy is not present in the Hindu school of Dvaita because God never created the soul. The soul is eternal and has an intrinsic nature of good or bad for which God is not responsible. Thus God remains both omniscient and fair, inspite of the ideas of damnation.