Think about it (continued)...
"God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived."
"How does this sentence prove God's existence? Easily. If God is 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived,' then he must be the greatest possible being. And what must the greatest possible being be like? For starters, he must possess all of the best possible attributes - he must be the most powerful, most loving, most righteous, most just, most kind, and most beautiful being we could ever imagine. Any and all desirable qualities must be found in the greatest possible being - and to the fullest measure.
What About existence? Must our greatest possible being necessarily exist? Anselm thought this was obviously true, for a most powerful and most loving being who was only the product of our imagination would not yet be the greatest possible being, but would come in second to a being who was most powerful and most loving and who also did exist. Thus, to qualify as the greatest possible being, any candidate not only must possess the best possible attributes but must also exist."
and later...
"Anselm wondered what kind of person would utter the statement, 'God does not exist.' Unpacked, this statement negates itself, for it declares that God, which as the greatest possible being must exist, does not exist. What type of person contradicts himself in a single sentence? Someone who is not yet thinking clearly."
That's an excerpt from "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Michael Wittmer. I'm reading it for my Christian Life and Thought class, and I figured I'd share a bit of thought-provoking literature with you all. Hope this has made you think a little bit more about God. Don't go telling people they have to believe in God because of this though... It isn't an infallible argument to many people; rather look at it as a helpful way to think about God in your own life.
With love,
-Ach
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? -Psalm 139:7
"How does this sentence prove God's existence? Easily. If God is 'that than which nothing greater can be conceived,' then he must be the greatest possible being. And what must the greatest possible being be like? For starters, he must possess all of the best possible attributes - he must be the most powerful, most loving, most righteous, most just, most kind, and most beautiful being we could ever imagine. Any and all desirable qualities must be found in the greatest possible being - and to the fullest measure.
What About existence? Must our greatest possible being necessarily exist? Anselm thought this was obviously true, for a most powerful and most loving being who was only the product of our imagination would not yet be the greatest possible being, but would come in second to a being who was most powerful and most loving and who also did exist. Thus, to qualify as the greatest possible being, any candidate not only must possess the best possible attributes but must also exist."
and later...
"Anselm wondered what kind of person would utter the statement, 'God does not exist.' Unpacked, this statement negates itself, for it declares that God, which as the greatest possible being must exist, does not exist. What type of person contradicts himself in a single sentence? Someone who is not yet thinking clearly."
That's an excerpt from "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Michael Wittmer. I'm reading it for my Christian Life and Thought class, and I figured I'd share a bit of thought-provoking literature with you all. Hope this has made you think a little bit more about God. Don't go telling people they have to believe in God because of this though... It isn't an infallible argument to many people; rather look at it as a helpful way to think about God in your own life.
With love,
-Ach
Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? -Psalm 139:7
posted by Chris Acheson at
10:13 AM
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