The orthodox doctrine is logically impossible. As Huston Smith, scholar of comparative religion, points out, it would not have been logically impossible if the creed said that Jesus was somewhat divine and somewhat human. But this is expressly what the creed denies. For orthodox Christians, Jesus cannot possess only some human qualities; he must possess all. He must be fully human. At the same time, he cannot possess only some divine qualities; he must have all. He must be fully divine. This is impossible because to be fully divine means one has to be free of human limitations. If he has only one human limitation then he is not God. But according to creed he has every human limitation. How, then, can he be God? Huston Smith calls this a blatant contradiction. In his book The World’s Religions, he writes:
We may begin with the doctrine of the Incarnation, which took several centuries to fix into place. Holding as it does that in Christ God assumed a human body, it affirms that Christ was God-Man; simultaneously both fully God and fully man. To say that such a contention is paradoxical seems a charitable way to put the matter — it looks more like a blatant contradiction. If the doctrine held that Christ was half human and half divine, or that he was divine in certain respects, while being human in others, our minds would not balk. (The World’s Religions, p. 340).
If it was said that Jesus was partly human and partly divine that would not be logically impossible but only scripturally impossible. The Bible nowhere teaches that Jesus was divine in any way. Furthermore, if he was only partly divine then he was not the One True God of the Old and New Testaments. God is All-Powerful, not somewhat all-powerful; God is All-Knowing, not somewhat all-knowing.
2006-08-02 14:16:47 · 23 answers · asked by whynotaskthemoron 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
answer to Sword / Lord:
there is a difference between illogical and inherently illogical. Believing that BOOGY-WOOGY man exists
is not inherently illogical--but if you believe that he doesn't exist at the same time--that will make you
a mental retard. lol.
2006-08-02 14:32:48 · update #1
no
2006-08-02 14:21:03 · answer #1 · answered by mamabird 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Jesus is fully divine, but accepted the limitations of humanity in humility. He has been with the Father from all eternity, and is without sin: He is divine; but He took on Human flesh and lived by the laws of nature (occasionally bending the rules a bit to perform miracles). Perfect Divinity and Perfect Humanity: humanity the way it was created to be. The price for our salvation is more than any one of us can pay: only God could satisfy it. But the sin is committed by humans: only Humanity could make atonement. If Jesus wasn't both fully human and fully divine, our salvation would not have been achieved. Therefore, you either accept this doctrine or you aren't Christian.
2006-08-02 21:28:52 · answer #2 · answered by Stephen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible nowhere teaches that Jesus was divine in any way??????? Have you read the part that says "For unto him every knee shall bow and worship?" I appologize im at work, so I dont have the specific verses but I would be glad to email them to you. But Jesus is called over 15 different names that ONLY are given to God. For example look at verse 5 or 6 in Revlation 1 that calls God "the 1st and the last" and at the end of revelation it says Jesus is the only "1st and last". From where then do you explain Genesis1:26:
26 Then God said, "Let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
Who is he talking to???? And if was really Jesus and the Holy Spirit, why is there still only 1 image?
2006-08-02 21:26:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is not logic.. It is spiritual and not logical.. Jesus healing a sick person is not logical. Jesus raising a dead person is not logical. People having a soul inside of their body is not logical. Jesus flying off into space to heaven is not logical. It would have been logical if he had taken a airplane.. Angels are not logical..
You will not understand the Bible from that way as it is not written by a man, but by God. Penned by men, but inspired by the Holy Spirit and that is not logical either..
2006-08-02 21:29:21 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why wouLd a just God accept the punishment of an innocent man as payment for the sins of the guilty?
Why wouLd a Loving God require a sacrifice from a penitent heart?
Christianity is inherentLy iLLogicaL
2006-08-02 21:27:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chrisitanity, as taught by the Bible is not inherantly illogical, although many so-called Christian religions are. You will be happy to know that although Jehovah's Witnesses are Christian, they do not believe in this blatant contradiction. We believe Jesus to have been all man, albeit perfect, on Earth. Not Divine.
2006-08-02 21:42:46 · answer #6 · answered by da chet 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is illogical to keep trying to figure these things out with three pounds of rotting worm food.
His ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. We were not there when God SPOKE the world into existence- sorry, my rotting worm food cannot fathom that, nor can it fathom operating outside of the boundaries of time- there is a lot that we cannot understand with our limited resources but I know that God is God and I either believe and have faith or I don't - as for me and my household - we will serve the Lord and have faith and trust in His word.
2006-08-02 21:25:12 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES!!!! Christianity along with all religions is a man made way of governing behavior and also used as a way to explain things which we do not understand.. But Nature and the Universe are real.
Math and Science are man created but based on fact and forces that Govern the universe. They are the true voice of GOD.
2006-08-02 21:24:37 · answer #8 · answered by Cable guy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think logic depends solely on the person viewing it. I can pull up a few dozen papers on why not believing in God is illogical. What you need to do, is ask a believer how they find something logical that you do not, and listen to the answer.
2006-08-02 21:24:12 · answer #9 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This would all be fine and dandy, however, faith is almost never logical. The more illogical a religious matter is the more "believable" it is for those who have the faith to take it seriously.
The christians will say, "with god, all things are possible," and "god's ways are not like our ways." and we just can't make sense of it with our brains... it is for our hearts to decide. Just have faith.
I understand what you are saying, however I don't think it will make a bit of difference to those who's faith you are questioning.
2006-08-02 21:30:39 · answer #10 · answered by Dustin Lochart 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because some pseudo-intellectual says it isn't logical doesn't make it true that it isn't logical. With God, by definition, all things are possible. Those 'all things' would include what some would see as impossible, further proving he is God.
2006-08-02 21:26:15 · answer #11 · answered by oklatom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋