Re: If god exists, what created god?

Nasser Gazi (ng@easynet.co.uk)
3 May 1995 11:18:30 GMT

In article <carolyn-0205951918180001@ip080.lax.primenet.com>,
carolyn@primenet.com says...
>
>I don't think Jacob was asking God to commit suicide. He merely pointed
>out a contradiction that is well worth the pondering...if God is all
>powerful then he can destroy himself...If he can destroy himself then
>how can he be all powerful? Good question. Hmmmm. He's not all
>powerful against himself; therefore, he's not *all* powerful.

For those with a metaphysical bent, here's a solution:

Jacob did not really point out a contradiction, but merely an erroneous
way of looking at the nature of things. It is the error of subordination
of Being to Power.

Meaning:
God *is*. This is his Being, and as such, he is Eternal and Absolute.
Or, we can say that there is somthing existing in nature which is Eternal
and Absolute (beyond relativities), and this thing we choose to call
"God".

Now, God's power is something which requires an object on which to act
on, or else it would not be power. The entities in the Creation are
objects. However, God is not an object as this would imply that he is
"one object amongst many", but he cannot be because he is, by
definition, Eternal and Absolute. God cannot act upon Himself because
there is, in a sense, no-thing to act upon. You cannot change what is
eternal.

I said at the start that this "a" solution, and not The Solution.
This is necessarily so, not only because there are people for whom
it does not consititute a solution at all, but also because it is merely
a solution in words and, as such, is an attempt to describe with relative
concepts that which is absolute. The container is simply too small for
the thing to be contained. Those who can see the Truth in their hearts
will recognise this as an attempt to verbalise what is there. However,
many things have been left out in this "solution" and it gives rise to
many other questions itself. This tale could go on forever...

-- 

Nasser

"Whatever can be said about the Tao is not the Tao" - Lao Tzu