Return to David's theory of evolution and theodicy (Feser) (Evolution)

by dhw, Wednesday, October 04, 2023, 08:34 (206 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Please tell us what you think was your purposeful God's purpose in creating humans.

DAVID: To have a thoughtful organism who might study God's purposes.

dhw: So a God who has no self wanted to create an organism to study the thinking of his non-self when he created life, including the 99.9 out of 100 species that had nothing to do with his non-self’s purposes. Why do you think he wanted to create an organism that would study his non-self’s purposes?

DAVID: I can guess He would be interested in our thought patterns as we guess about Him. Remember God is immaterial mind, nothing more.

dhw: How could he possibly be interested in our thought patterns without having any thoughts of his own, i.e. without having a self which thinks?

DAVID: God, as an immaterial mind, thinks. Where is your confusion?

You have told us that your God “has no self as we view ourselves”. If he thinks, and is interested in our thoughts, how can he do so without having a self, i.e. a personal identity? My question also applies to your belief that he enjoys creating and is interested in his creations. How can he be all-powerful, all-knowing, all-good, enjoying, interested in, wanting and even hating this and that, without having a self? Your next comment contradicts your contention that he has no self:

DAVID: There are agreed upon characteristics among the accepted experts in the theological theories.

dhw: “Accepted” by whom? They may be experts in studying the vast number of theological theories that humans have come up with, but none of them is an expert on how to think about God, because nobody even knows if God exists, let alone what his nature and purposes might be.

DAVID: Adler tells pagans how to believe. He is a world-renowned philosopher of religion.

dhw: Lots and lots of religious people, including the writers whose works appear in the Bible and all the “authorities” who preside over all the different religions in the world, tell other people how and what to believe. And strange to relate, there are even world-renowned philosophers who tell people not to believe in a God.

DAVID: Agreed.

So please stop hiding behind Adler as if his opinions are gospel!

The rest of your post repeats your various attempts to dodge the theodicy problem, as dealt with on the other "evolution" thread.