Is it possible to make any absolute statement about God?

[The Nihilist]

Well this thread strayed off topic rather quickly. Let me ask again... Is it possible to make any absolute statement about God? If so then on what grounds do you make that statement? If not why not?

What do you mean by "absolute?"

 

[us38]

Well this thread strayed off topic rather quickly. Let me ask again... Is it possible to make any absolute statement about God? If so then on what grounds do you make that statement? If not why not?

It is possible to make absolute statements about anything, as it is a logical paradox to not be able to make an absolute statement about something.

 

[DarkProphet]

It is possible to make absolute statements about anything, as it is a logical paradox to not be able to make an absolute statement about something.

I didn't consider that. Could you give a quick example of such a paradox?

 

[us38]

I didn't consider that. Could you give a quick example of such a paradox?

If there were an object about which no absolute statements could be made, then one can make no absolute statements about it. However, by it's very nature, there would be one absolute statement that could be made, namely that no absolute statements could be made. This is a contradiction, and is thus impossible. Ergo, at least one absolute statement can be made about any object (though that one statement may be no more than "At least one absolute statement can be mad about this object").

 

[Jadeite]

Is it posible to make any absolute statement about God??
Absolutely not!

 

[TheSn8ke]

It is a personal belief of mine that it is impossible to make any absolute statement about God because of the nature of what God is supposed to be. If God exists then it might well be impossible to prove that existence because he is supposed to be outside the realm of existence we can perceive. The same problem appears if God doesn't exist because you cannot show something doesn't exist if by it's nature you cannot perceive it. Perhaps I am simply mistaken on the nature of God but I would like to know how Christians and atheists come to their conclusions on the existance of God. Note that this question is about GOD and not RELIGION, there is a difference.

I can make an absolute statement. God is a liar. God doesn't have a God above himself, so why should I have a God above myself? God is a liar. He just created a religion to control your life, every aspect thereof. Lost are those who trust in the liar. Braindead victims of the holy, preach your holy lies.

 

[JohnLocke]

For my two-bits:

Assuming you're talking about a Christian God, I don't think you can make any statements about God that are absolutely true, nor if you are a believer should you. God admits of no image, and words which compromise statements are merely images of a different substrate.

To be blunt, any statement of God would inherently a limited image (that to which our language can produce and our minds conceive) it will, therefor be at least partially incorrect or incomplete and thus not absolute.

Cheers

 

[elman]

Is it posible to make any absolute statement about God??
Absolutely not!

Now that is funny. You just made an absolute statment about God. In this world everything changes except the rule that everything changes.

 

[binSchmidt]

How about this then....

"No absolute statements can be made about the existence or character of God."

It's not self-contradictory but it does deny, generally, that we can make any useful absolute statements about God.

It seems this position could be argued logically. One could say:

God is spirit and therefore does not exist in the physical world.
We can only know stuff about the physical world.
Therefore, we cannot know anything about God.

That seems to make sense to me...surely that's not self-contradictory - although either of the propositions could be debated.

 

[ManOfTheAmish]

What if it was shown that faith was damaging to humanity as a whole? would it be wrong then?

I find that faith in materialistic vices backed by extreme mechanical philosophies to be far more damaging.

 

[ManOfTheAmish]

Yay circular reasoning!

The cosmos isn't a straight line.

 

[ManOfTheAmish]

Well this thread strayed off topic rather quickly. Let me ask again... Is it possible to make any absolute statement about God? If so then on what grounds do you make that statement? If not why not?

Intuition I think is a good grounds for a statement about God.

 

[quatona]

It is a personal belief of mine that it is impossible to make any absolute statement about God because of the nature of what God is supposed to be. If God exists then it might well be impossible to prove that existence because he is supposed to be outside the realm of existence we can perceive. The same problem appears if God doesn't exist because you cannot show something doesn't exist if by it's nature you cannot perceive it. Perhaps I am simply mistaken on the nature of God but I would like to know how Christians and atheists come to their conclusions on the existance of God. Note that this question is about GOD and not RELIGION, there is a difference.

Could you clarify what you mean when saying "absolute"?

One might argue, though, that you don´t get around making statements about god. Even you did when basing your entire argument on the notion that god "is outside the realm of existence we can perceive".
If somebody talks to me about god without making any statements about god, I don´t even know what he´s talking about. Hence I cannot make any statements about god, and I cannot even make any statements about his god concept.
Whilst if he makes statements about the god of his concept, he can hardly argue that one cannot make statements about god.

But maybe an explanation as to what your operational term "absolute" means will shed a different light on the issue.

 

[aigiqinf]

"ab·so·lute (ăb'sə-lūt', ăb'sə-lūt')

adj.

1. Perfect in quality or nature; complete.
2. Not mixed; pure. See synonyms at pure.
3. 1. Not limited by restrictions or exceptions; unconditional: absolute trust.
   2. Unqualified in extent or degree; total: absolute silence. See Usage Note at infinite.
4. Unconstrained by constitutional or other provisions: an absolute ruler.
5. Not to be doubted or questioned; positive: absolute proof.
6. Grammar.
   1. Of, relating to, or being a word, phrase, or construction that is isolated syntactically from the rest of a sentence, as the referee having finally arrived in The referee having finally arrived, the game began.
   2. Of, relating to, or being a transitive verb when its object is implied but not stated. For example, inspires in We have a teacher who inspires is an absolute verb.
   3. Of, relating to, or being an adjective or pronoun that stands alone when the noun it modifies is being implied but not stated. For example, in Theirs were the best, theirs is an absolute pronoun and best is an absolute adjective.
7. Physics.
   1. Relating to measurements or units of measurement derived from fundamental units of length, mass, and time.
   2. Relating to absolute temperature.
8. Law. Complete and unconditional; final.

n.

1. Something that is absolute.
2. Absolute Philosophy.
   1. Something regarded as the ultimate basis of all thought and being. Used with the.
   2. Something regarded as independent of and unrelated to anything else." (answers.com)

God=God
For if God does not exist than 0=0. But if God does it exist then
infinity=infinity and infinity- infinity is undefined.