- #1
Sikz
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- 0
Any omnipotent being must, by logic, have created everything else in existence. If anything existed without the omnipotent being's creation, then the being would not have the power to create that existing object; that would render the being NOT allpowerful, NOT omnipotent- because that other object would have been created whether the being wished for it to be or not to be. Therefore there can be only one omnipotent being, and that being must have created anything else in existence.
If this being created everything, there must have been a time when only the creator existed, and not the creation*. In such a time, the creator comprised the entirety of existence. If the creator was everything, was infinity, was all that existed...- where did the creation come from? Since the creator is everything, and anything created would, obviously, be a part of "everything", anything created would be a part of the creator. Creation would be a part of the creator.**
So, creation has to be part of its omnipotent creator. In which case we have two possiblities: either there is no seperation, and the creation and creator are actually one and the same... Or, creation is only a small part of the creator. In the first case, the only omnipotent being (since, as said above, there can be only one) in existence is the universe*** itself; there was no creation and there is no separate God. If the idea of it being impossible for EVERYTHING to end is accepted, the universe can also be seen to have always existed and to be on a path of continued, eternal existence.
In the case of the second possibility, namely that creation is a PART of the omnipotent creator, ALL of creation is a part of the creator. In which case (as with the other), an omnipotent being cannot be "perfect" in any dualistic sense of the term. Even if one rejects the dualistic view and says that in instances of things such as "good" and "evil", one is only the absence of the other, an omnipotent being still must contain both. Some parts of creation, and thus the creator, are "evil" (even if it is only the lack of good), and some parts are "good" (even if it is only the lack of evil). Therefore, an omnipotent being cannot be purely good, evil, kind, harsh, or anything else.
Either there is no omnipotent God, the universe itself is God, or the universe is a part of God. In each of these cases, a personal God (omnipotent) is impossible. In each of these cases, a purely good God is impossible. Therefore, monotheistic religions are logically impossible.
Notes:
*I use "a time" becuase it is convinient and easily understandable; whether it is an actual "time" or not is irrelevant. If time exists only for creation, the creator can still be separated as something outside of the time in which creation exists- which, whether or not a time itself, serves the same purpose for our discussion. We will discuss it gramatically as if it were a separate time; but keep in mind that it need not literally be "in time".
**Another, although probably less valid, way of looking at it is this: If the creator is everything, how can it create anything other than itself? The ideas for the creation can't come from anything else, because nothing else exists- and if they come from the creator, then they never LEAVE the creator, and creation is part of the creator: not a separate entity.
The point can also be thought of like this; "existence" is the set of all things that exist. Since nothing can exist without being created by the omnipotent being, the set "existence" cannot exist itself. So the creator is not IN the set called "existence", the creator IS the set called "existence". Anything the creator creates (brings into existence) will be in that set; and in such a case, either the creator remains the definition of existence, or a subset is created that is what is normally thought to be existence (this would have to be created WITHIN THE OMNIPOTENT BEING), and "creation" would be there. "Existence" is not a box in which God would be the only item; God would be the box itself.
***Not necassarily just the "universe", but the entirety of existence; the "multiverse", "ultiverse", or whatever existence actually is. "Universe" will be used for clarity and simplicity.
If this being created everything, there must have been a time when only the creator existed, and not the creation*. In such a time, the creator comprised the entirety of existence. If the creator was everything, was infinity, was all that existed...- where did the creation come from? Since the creator is everything, and anything created would, obviously, be a part of "everything", anything created would be a part of the creator. Creation would be a part of the creator.**
So, creation has to be part of its omnipotent creator. In which case we have two possiblities: either there is no seperation, and the creation and creator are actually one and the same... Or, creation is only a small part of the creator. In the first case, the only omnipotent being (since, as said above, there can be only one) in existence is the universe*** itself; there was no creation and there is no separate God. If the idea of it being impossible for EVERYTHING to end is accepted, the universe can also be seen to have always existed and to be on a path of continued, eternal existence.
In the case of the second possibility, namely that creation is a PART of the omnipotent creator, ALL of creation is a part of the creator. In which case (as with the other), an omnipotent being cannot be "perfect" in any dualistic sense of the term. Even if one rejects the dualistic view and says that in instances of things such as "good" and "evil", one is only the absence of the other, an omnipotent being still must contain both. Some parts of creation, and thus the creator, are "evil" (even if it is only the lack of good), and some parts are "good" (even if it is only the lack of evil). Therefore, an omnipotent being cannot be purely good, evil, kind, harsh, or anything else.
Either there is no omnipotent God, the universe itself is God, or the universe is a part of God. In each of these cases, a personal God (omnipotent) is impossible. In each of these cases, a purely good God is impossible. Therefore, monotheistic religions are logically impossible.
Notes:
*I use "a time" becuase it is convinient and easily understandable; whether it is an actual "time" or not is irrelevant. If time exists only for creation, the creator can still be separated as something outside of the time in which creation exists- which, whether or not a time itself, serves the same purpose for our discussion. We will discuss it gramatically as if it were a separate time; but keep in mind that it need not literally be "in time".
**Another, although probably less valid, way of looking at it is this: If the creator is everything, how can it create anything other than itself? The ideas for the creation can't come from anything else, because nothing else exists- and if they come from the creator, then they never LEAVE the creator, and creation is part of the creator: not a separate entity.
The point can also be thought of like this; "existence" is the set of all things that exist. Since nothing can exist without being created by the omnipotent being, the set "existence" cannot exist itself. So the creator is not IN the set called "existence", the creator IS the set called "existence". Anything the creator creates (brings into existence) will be in that set; and in such a case, either the creator remains the definition of existence, or a subset is created that is what is normally thought to be existence (this would have to be created WITHIN THE OMNIPOTENT BEING), and "creation" would be there. "Existence" is not a box in which God would be the only item; God would be the box itself.
***Not necassarily just the "universe", but the entirety of existence; the "multiverse", "ultiverse", or whatever existence actually is. "Universe" will be used for clarity and simplicity.