4.3 Creator of the world, creator of value, revealer, offerer of eternal life

Group activity: Accidental properties

Offer at least a sentence in response to the main question for each of the four properties below in the Accidental properties forum, which is accordingly divided into four areas. This is a required activity. There are a few links to websites, which you might like to chase up, but doing that is optional. You might like to see how much time you have at the end of the required activities and go back to do it then.

1. Creator of the world

Does the theistic view that God created the universe imply that the universe must have had a beginning? What might the implications of the answer to this question be?

God in conversation with an angel:

God: ‘I just created a 24-hour period of alternating light and dark on Earth.’

Angel: ‘What are you going to do now?’

God: ‘Call it a day.’

For some thoughts on different ways that we might think about God ‘creating’ the universe you might find this short video ‘God’s Omnipotence’ by Elmer Kremer stimulating.

2. Creator of value

Is something good because God wills it or does God will it because it is good?

Here see if you can draw on your initial reading of part of Plato’s dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro, as well as Mawson’s articulation of the issue. Watch this short video that explains Euthryphro’s dilemma. You may also find this reading useful.

3. Revealer

Does the fact that there’s such disagreement between theists over what exactly it is that God has revealed provide a reason to suppose that God hasn’t revealed anything? What would follow from this conclusion?

Have a look at ‘The Argument from (Reasonable) Nonbelief’ on The Secular Web. There are a number of different articles further down the page that may also be of interest on this topic.

4. Offerer of eternal life

Can an intelligible and plausible account of ‘eternal life’ be given?

As we’re interested in both the truth and meaning of this question you may want to break this down into the following:

• Could personal identity endure after bodily death? Can any of the accounts that Mawson discusses be defensible? Why/why not?
• In what way would ‘eternal life’ be a good?

You may want to begin to answer this question by offering a definition of ‘eternal life’, and its relation to bodily death.

You might also want to take a look at this link on the notion of an eternal God (see the section "Omniscience, Free Will, Omnibenevolence & Time") and/or this short video on personal identity.

For more on issues of personal identity that go beyond the philosophy of religion, you might want to listen to this podcast from Philosophy Bites. (Think about whether you agree with the claims made about religious belief.)