Can god exist?

Question

God is (by definition) a being than which no greater being can be thought.
Greatness includes greatness of virtue.
Therefore, God is a being than which no being could be more virtuous. But virtue involves overcoming pains and dangers.
Indeed, a being can only be properly said to be virtuous if it can suffer pain or be destroyed.

A God that can suffer pain or is destructible is not one than which no greater being can be thought. For you can think of a greater being, that is, one that is nonsuffering and indestructible.
Therefore, God does not exist.

Answer 1

Yes, yes he does.

Answer 2

First of all, virture can exist without struggle. Virtue has nothing to do with overcoming pain. It has everything to do with adhering to an absolute moral code, one which is universal. A universal code cannot exist without an authority to decide it. So, if there is no supreme being, there can be no absolute morality. Without this, no one can be said to be more virtuous than anyone else, destroying the meaning of virtue. Hitler overcame many obstacles in his quest for power, yet no one would have the balls to call him virtuous. Secondly, any God that is supreme can suffer pain. A God that is supreme can feel every emotion humans can- how could we, His creations, feel them if He had not first? Everything we have and are is His creation, including our emotions. The Muslim view of God cannot feel pain, or pity. The trinitarian Christian God was incarnate, in the flesh, both God and man. He felt pain, and died, and subsequently rose again. Because he is God, he can, and has, experienced everything humans can. Remember, by definition a supreme being can not be bound by human laws. Besides, you already answered your own question. This belongs in the "Yahoo Declarations of Belief" page, not Yahoo Answers.

Answer 3

All you did was to 'define' God out of existence. That's not proof that he doesn't exist.

Your logic is basically:

1) Greatness means greatness of virtue
2) Virtue means that pain/danger has been overcome
3) God can not OVERCOME pain, since he can't feel pain in the first place (nor can he 'sense' danger, since he's God, and nothing is dangerous to him)
4) Therefore since, God can not overcome pain, he is not virtuous
5) Therefore, God doesn't exist.

I don't know where you got your definition of 'virtue' as overcoming pains and dangers.


From: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/virtue

Virtue:
1 a : conformity to a standard of right : MORALITY b : a particular moral excellence
2 plural : an order of angels -- see CELESTIAL HIERARCHY
3 : a beneficial quality or power of a thing
4 : manly strength or courage : VALOR
5 : a commendable quality or trait : MERIT
6 : a capacity to act : POTENCY
7 : chastity especially in a woman



Nice try. That's a poor argument. You'll never prove God doesn't exist by defining him out of existence.


Incidentally, did you know that it's better to have a ham sandwich than it is to have complete happiness? It's true... a ham sandwich is better than complete happiness! Don't believe me?

1) Nothing is better than complete happiness
2) A ham sandwich is certainly better than nothing
3) Therefore, a ham sandwich is better than complete happiness.

Answer 4

You should try reading the Bible with an open mind and checking out how greatness is described. You are coming to conclusions about the Creators virtue or lack of without a real encounter....just food for thought.

Answer 5

First, I would question your "definition".

Second, I would propose that God does that which is for our best purpose. A person who never experiences pain, suffering or personal trial is pretty much the definition of a person in a coma. Someone who rises above this things has truly grown. Sorry if life is a bit inconvenient for you.

Answer 6

Without pain, can we truly appreciate what joy is? I love that we were given emotion and not created as robotic-like drones simply to exist and procreate. To me, feeling love, misery, excitement, disappointment, humor, and all the rest, is one of God's greatest gifts. The right of choice...I like it...I appreciate that even though he watches over me, he still gives me the space and mind to make my own way. I don't want to be a puppet on a string with my path already selected for me. Where's the LIFE in that?

Answer 7

The definition you chose is one used only in ontological arguments. The purpose of an ontological argument is to use semantics to show the 'defined god' exists, knowing that 99.9% of the people will equivocate that with something else.

Answer 8

if a being existed above which no higher being could be, there would not be the slow deterioration of this world, suffering and pain.

the world would be a lot different with someone so powerful at the helm.

Answer 9

Sounds to me like you answered your own question.
God means something different to every person that believes in him.
Personally, I think that if God does exist, it is because people believe he exists. If everyone were to stop believing in God, he would have no influence, therefore he would cease to exist.

Answer 10

Well, as clever as I'm sure you think you are, you have just stipulated your own definitions and boundaries for "God" and then disproved Him by those same definitions and boundaries. Don't expect to win any debates with that circular reasoning.

Answer 11

right-o. Many people have used scicence and reason to prove that god can't exist but yet many christian's say, "Well yes he can." and leave it at that. like them saying he's real is all the proof they need. There is no proof god is real, but there a lot of proof that he isn't.