Subj : Re: Bible
To   : Todd Henson
From : Joshua Lee
Date : Tue Oct 24 2000 12:00 pm

-=> TODD HENSON wrote to JOSHUA LEE <=-

 >  BE> No need for Zen here; all you need is an appreciation for the
 >  BE> Ontological argument:
 > [argument deleted by me for space]
 >
 >  TH> More of your playing around with definitions.
 [more stuff deleted for space...]
 TH> Here is what Bob said:

 TH> ----->   For the Devil:
  >   The Devil, by definition, is that being than which nothing else
  >   could be more perfectly and completely worse or evil.  If the
  >   Devil existed only in the imagination, he would lack this
  >   property, since, no matter how badly he is thought in his own
  >   concept, he would be even worse and more evil still if he
  >   existed.  Therefore the Devil must necessarily exist in reality.
 >
  > This set of arguments challenges the omnipotence of God.  For if
  > the Devil NECESSARILY exists, God cannot destroy the Devil.  If he
  > cannot destroy the Devil, he cannot be omnipotent.
 TH> -----

 TH> Have YOU studied philosophy long enough to see his error? The error
 TH> glares right at you in the second paragraph. :-)

Actually, the error is in the *first* paragraph; where he implicitly
assumes dualism and total depravity upon the part of the Accuser. The
second paragraph is fine; if one is using the ontological argument,
and one is assuming a dualistic scenerio. His problem, unbeknowest to
his naive grasp of theology, is that Judaism and Christianity are not
dualistic.

                       JBL

.... What is mind? No matter! What is matter? Never mind! - Homer S.
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