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©Dr. Norman L. GeislerMaster’s Class
Chapter 2
Recognizing False GodsRecognizing False Gods“It’s impossible to recognize a counterfeit
without knowing the genuine.”
I.I. The True God: The True God: TheismTheismII.II. False Views of God:False Views of God:
DeismFinite Godism AtheismPantheismPanentheismPolytheismNeotheism
THEISM: THEISM: God Created All
DEISM: DEISM: God is beyond the world but not in it
FINITE GODISM: FINITE GODISM: God is beyond the world, but is limited in power and/or perfection
ATHEISTS: ATHEISTS: No God at all
PANENTHEISM: PANENTHEISM: God is in all
POLYTHEISM: POLYTHEISM: There are many finite gods
THEISM VERSUS DEISMTHEISM VERSUS DEISM
PROBLEM: God did the big miracle (creation) but not smaller ones (like the resurrection)
Beyond World & In the World
Beyond World & not In the World
THEISM VERSUS FINITE GODISMTHEISM VERSUS FINITE GODISMInfiniteInfinite FiniteFinite
PROBLEMS:PROBLEMS: 1.Contrary to principle of causality; “Every finite being needs a cause.” So, God would need a Cause (in which case He would not be God but a creature)
THEISM VERSUS FINITE GODISMTHEISM VERSUS FINITE GODISMInfiniteInfinite FiniteFinite
PROBLEMS:PROBLEMS: 2. No guarantee of victory over evil, in which case evil is more ultimate than good.
THEISM VERSUS ATHEISMTHEISM VERSUS ATHEISMGod existsGod exists No God existsNo God exists
PROBLEMS:PROBLEMS: 1.There is no evidence for atheism (Evil presupposes God)2.There is strong evidence against it (cosmological, teleological and moral argument)
THEISM VERSUS PANTHEISMTHEISM VERSUS PANTHEISMGod made allGod made allI am not GodI am not GodEvil is reaEvil is reall
God is allGod is allI am GodI am God
Evil isn’t realEvil isn’t realPROBLEMS:PROBLEMS: 1.You changed from not knowing you were god, to knowing you are god, but God doesn’t change.2. It denies experiences, yet uses it to find and share their truth.
THEISM VERSUS POLYTHEISMTHEISM VERSUS POLYTHEISMOne GodOne GodInfiniteInfinite
Many GodsMany GodsFiniteFinite
PROBLEMS:PROBLEMS:1.1.Every finite needs an infinite Every finite needs an infinite cause (polytheistic gods need a cause (polytheistic gods need a Creator)Creator)2.2.A uni-verse needs a uni-Cause A uni-verse needs a uni-Cause (cf. the Anthropic Principle)(cf. the Anthropic Principle)
THEISM VERSUS PANENTHEISMTHEISM VERSUS PANENTHEISMMonopolarMonopolarNo partsNo partsInfiniteInfinite
IndependentIndependentAbsolutely Absolutely
perfectperfectUnchangingUnchanging
BipolarBipolarPartsPartsFiniteFinite
DependantDependantNot perfectNot perfectChangingChanging
The Problem with Panentheism1. God is a self-caused which is impossible.2. God and the world are mutually
dependent, which is impossible.3. God is changing which is not possible
without an unchanging basis for change (which would be more ultimate than God).
4. God is not perfect (which demands a Perfect by which He is measured).
The Problem with Panentheism5. Their concept of change is
incoherent for-a) There is no continuity in the changeb) It is change w/o anything that
changesc) It is annihilation/recreation without
a Creator to do the recreation.
NeotheismNeotheismFive Characteristics of Neotheism1. God not only created this world ex
nihilo but can (and at times does) intervene unilaterally in earthly affairs.
2. God chose to create us with incompatibilistic (libertarian)5 freedom - freedom over which he cannot exercise total control.
NeotheismNeotheismFive Characteristics of Neotheism3. God so values freedom - the moral
integrity of free creatures and a world in which such integrity is possible - that he does not normally override such freedom, even if he sees that it is producing undesirable results.
4. God always desires our highest good, both individually and corporately, and thus is affected by what happens in our lives.
NeotheismNeotheismFive Characteristics of Neotheism5. God does not possess exhaustive
knowledge of exactly how we will utilize our freedom, although he may very well at times be able to predict with great accuracy the choices we will freely make.
Read Geisler’s article:http://www.ovrlnd.com/FalseDoctrine/Neotheism.html
The Problem with NeotheismThe Problem with Neotheism1. They claim God is Infinite2. They claim God has parts3. But an infinite being can’t have
partsa. Everything with parts can have more partsb. But there cannot be more than an Infinitec. Hence, an infinite Being cannot have parts
The Inconsistencies of NeotheismThe Inconsistencies of Neotheism1. They claim God is temporal.2. But what is temporal undergoes change,
for time measures change.3. Hence, a temporal God changes.4. But what changes is caused, for—
a. Change moves from potential to actb. And no potential can actualize itself.
5. But Neotheists believe God is uncaused.6. Hence, the neotheistic view is inconsistent.