Oct 1, 2014

W.L. Craig on the impassibility of God


W.L. Craig on the Impassibility of God.
Why he made up a rule as he went along.  

W.L. Craig says that God isn’t impassive, isn't emotionless. Craig, without explaining why, rules that an emotional being is better than a non-emotional being.

Therefore, God has emotions.
 
"[I]t is a weakness for a person to be unmoved by human suffering and a strength to feel emotions, including pain, indignation, compassion, etc. In fact, think of the etymology of the word “compassion”: to suffer along with. As the greatest conceivable being, God must be compassionate and share our sorrows and joys. Impassibility is actually a weakness, whereas compassion redounds to God’s greatness."

Thus W.L. Craig says that God has emotions like us.

A different theological view, however, says that God doesn't have emotions like us. Moreover, it says that it's necessary that God doesn't--
"The doctrine of God's impassibility states that God does not experience emotions (as humans understand them). That is, God is 'impassive' in the face of events. God is not surprised, alarmed, chagrined, amused, charmed, angered, happy, frustrated or saddened by events the way we humans are. God isn't, like us, affected by events. If God were affected by things then God isn't Transcendent and omnipotent. You can't 'touch'--physically, causally, or emotionally--God. This doctrine is simply the logical outcome of God's omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. If God knows all things from the beginning of time then he can't properly be surprised by the outcome of events. True, the Bible does suggest that God experiences emotions, even strong and violent emotions. And God even seems to regret some of his choices. But according to the adherents of divine impassibility all this is just metaphor and anthropomorphism." 

It's one thing to take a side. But it's another thing to show it's true.
W.L. Craig takes a whimsical rule and tries to pass it off as reliable.


But it simply doesn't go the distance.

No comments:

Post a Comment