MODULE SIX : MAN AND GOD

Introduction

In the previous modules we studied “Man as an Embodied Subject,”

“Man as Knowing” and “Man and Freedom.” This module we have to study
“Man and God”—the essence of man in relations to his Maker. A philosopher
was strolling inside a university campus. He passed by an untilled garden and
picked up a flower. He said, “Little flower, I plucked you out from an obscure
garden. Little flower, I am holding you in my hand. Little flower, if I can
understand your roots, your stem, your petals—and all in all—then I can
understand man and if I can understand man . . . then I can understand God.”

The study of man in relations to God is important because man is the highest
of God’s earthly creatures. And we learn something about the Creator by seeing
what he has created. For only man is said to have been made by God in his own
image and likeness. Thus, a direct clue to the nature of God ought to emerge
from a study of man. To the extent that the copy resembles the original, we will
understand God more completely as a result of our study of the highest
creature.
 LESSON 1

THE STUDY OF MAN

Images of Man

Man as Machine

One prevalent perspective on the human is in terms of what he is able

to do. The employer, for example, is interested in the human being’s
strength and energy, the skills and capabilities possessed. On this basis, the
employer “rents” the employee for a certain number of hours. That humans
are sometimes regarded as machines is particularly evident when
automation results in a worker being displaced from a job.
In this approach, persons are basically regarded as things, as means to
ends rather than ends in themselves. They are of value as long as they are
useful.

Man as an Animal

Another view sees man primarily as a member of the animal kingdom

as a derivation from some of the higher forms. He has come into being
through the same sort of process as all have other animals, an will have
similar end.

This view of man is perhaps most fully developed in behavioristic

psychology. Here human motivation is understood primarily in terms of
biological drives. Knowledge of man is gained not though introspection, but
experimentation upon animals.

Man as a Sexual Being

Sigmund Freud regarded sexuality as the basic framework of man. In a

world in which sex was not openly discussed or even mentioned in polite
circles, Freud developed a whole theory of personality around human
sexuality.

Man as an Economic Being

Another view is that economic forces are what really affect and
motivate the human being. In a sense, this view is an extension of the view
that man is an extension of the view that man is primarily a member of the
animal kingdom. It focuses upon the material dimension of life and its needs.
Man as a Pawn of the Universe

Among certain existentialists, particularly, but also in a broader

segment of society, we find the idea that man is at the mercy of forces in the
world which control his destiny but have no real concern for him. These are
seen as blind forces, forces of chance in many cases. Sometimes they
personal forces, but even then they are forces over which man has no
control, and upon which he has no influence, such as political superpowers.

Man as a Free Being

The approach which emphasizes the freedom of man, his ability to

choose, sees the human will as the essence of the personality. This basic
approach is often evident in conservative political and social views. Here
freedom from restraint is the most important issue, for it permits man to
realize his essential nature. The role of government is simply to ensure a
stable environment in which such freedom can be exercised.

The Christian View of Man

The Christian view of man dwells on the fact that man is a creature of
God. This means, first, that is to be understood as having originated not
through a chance process of evolution, but through a conscious purposeful
act of God. Thus, there is a reason for man’s existence, a reason which lies in
the intention of the Supreme Being.

Further, the image of God is intrinsic to man. Man would not be human
without it.Hence, man puts his faith in the God who created him. In the
words of St. Augustine, “Lord, you have created us for yourself, oh God, and
our soul is restless until it rests in you!”
 LESSON 2

PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION: BASIC CONCEPTS

In Lesson One we discussed that man originated from God. This

explains that human experiences cannot ignore questions about God. Thus,
philosophers have also tried to answer questions related to God. That
branch of philosophy specifically concerned with this aspect is known as
philosophy of religion.

What is philosophy of religion? Until recently it was generally

understood to mean religious philosophizing in the sense of the philosophical
defense of religious convictions. Its program is to demonstrate rationally the
existence of God,. Thus preparing the way for the claims of revelation. In
short, it is philosophical thinking about religion.

Philosophy of religion is not an organ of religious teaching. It need not

be undertaken from a religious standpoint at all. It studies the concept and
propositions of theology and reasoning of theologians and analyzes concepts
such as God, holy, salvation, worship, creation, eternal life, miracle, etc. It
also tries to determine the nature of religious utterances in comparison with
those of everyday life.

Our primary task at this point, however, is to clarify the Jewish-

Christian concept of God, seeking a philosophical understanding of its
various aspects.

The term used for the main ways of thinking about God are formed
around either from the Greek word theos or its Latin equivalent, deus.

1. Atheism (Greek a – without or no; theos - God) a belief that there is

no God of any kind.
2. Agnosticism (Greek a – without or no; gnostic – knowledge) – the
belief that we do not have sufficient reasons or knowledge either to
affirm or deny the existence of God.
3. Skepticism (Greek skepto – to doubt) simply means to doubt the
existence of God.
4. Daism – refers to the idea of an “absentee” God who long ago set
the universe into motion and has hereafter left it alone.
5. Theism – belief in God
6. Polytheism (Greek poly – many; theos – God) the belief among
primitive people and reaching its classic expression n Ancient
Greence and Rome, that there are multitude of personal gods, each
holding sway a different department of life.
7. Pantheism – Greek pan – all; theos – God) is the belief, perhaps,
most impressively expounded by some of the poets, that God is
identical with nature or with the world as a whole.
8. Monotheism – (Greek mono – one; theos – God) – the belief that
there is but one God, who is personal and moral and who seeks a
total and unqualified response from his human creatures.
 LESSON 3

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (PART 1)

The doctrine of God is the central point for much of Philosophical

Theology. There’s a need for a correct understanding of God. Some people
think of God as a kind of celestial policeman who looks for opportunities to
pounce upon erring and straying persons. The opposite view, that God, is
grandfatherly, is also prevalent. Here God is conceived of as an indulgent,
kindly, old gentleman who would never want to detract from humans
enjoyment of life. These and many other conceptions of God need to be
corrected, of our spiritual lives are to have any real meaning and depth.

The study of God’s nature should be seen as a means to a more

accurate understanding of him and hence a closer personal relationship with
God. When we speak of the attributes of God we are referring to those
qualities of God which constitute what he is. They are the very
characteristics of his nature. The attributes are permanent qualities. They
are essentials and inherent dimensions of his very nature. Divine attributes,
according to Aristotelian conception, are inseparable from the being and
essence of God.

Classifications of Attributes

1. Communicable attributes. They are those qualities of God of which at

least a partial counterpart can be found in his human creations. Example,
love, which, while infinite in God, can be found in man. The
incommunicable attributes, on the other hand, are those unique
qualities for which no counterpart can be found in humans. One example
of this is omnipresence of God. God is everywhere simultaneously. Even
with jet and rocket travel, man is incapable of being everywhere
simultaneously.
2. A second pair of categories is the immanent or intransitive and the
emanant and transitive qualities. The former are those which remain
within God’s own nature. His spirituality is an example. Emanant or
transitive attributes are those which go out from and operate outside the
nature of God, affecting the creation. God’s mercy is a transitive attribute.
It makes no sense to think or speak of God’s mercy apart from the
created beings to whom he shows mercy.
3. Closely related to the immediately preceding classification and sometimes
combined with it is the distinction between absolute and relative
qualities. The absolute attributes of God are those which he has in
himself. He has always possessed these qualities independently of the
objects of his creation. The relative attributes on the other hand are those
which are manifested through his relationship to other subjects and
 inanimate objects. Infinity is an absolute attribute; eternity and
omnipresence are relative attributes representing the relationship of his
unlimited nature to the finite objects of his creation.
4. Our final classification is that of natural and moral attributes. The moral
attributes are those which in the human context would relate to the
concept of rightness (as opposed to wrongness). Holiness, love, mercy,
and faithfulness are examples. Natural attributes are the non-moral
superlatives of God, such his knowledge and power.

The last system with some modifications will be used in this study.
Instead of natural and moral, however, we use the terms attributes of
greatness and attributes of goodness.

Attributes of Greatness

Spirituality
God is spirit; that is, he is not composed of matter and does not
possess physical nature. One consequence of God’s spirituality is that she
does not have the limitations involved with a physical body. For one thing, he
is not limited to a particular or spatial location. Furthermore, he is not
destructible, as is material nature.
In biblical times, the doctrine of God’s spirituality was a counter to the
practice of idolatry and of nature worship. God, being spirit, could not be
presented by any physical object or likeness.

Personality
Philosophical Theology perceives God as personal. He is an individual
being, with self-consciousness and will, capable of feeling, choosing, and
having a reciprocal relationship with other personal and social beings.
Another dimension of God’s personality is the fact that God has a name. God
identifies himself with Moses as “I Am” or “I Will be.” By this he
demonstrates that he is not an abstract, unknowable being, nor a nameless
force but rather it refers to him as a personal God. Further, an indication of
the nature of God is the activity in which he engages. He is depicted as
knowing and communicating with human persons.

A Living God
God is alive. He is characterized by life. His name “I am” indicates that
he is a living God. Not only does this God have life, but he has a kind of life
different from that of every other living being.. While other beings have their
own life in God, he does not derive his life from any external source. He is
never depicted as having been brought into being. The adjective “eternal” is
applied to him frequently, implying that there never was a time when he did
not exist.
Infinity
God is infinite. This means not only that God is unlimited, but that he is
unlimitable. In this respect, God is unlike anything we experience. Even
those things that common sense once told us are infinite or boundless are
now seen to have limits. The ocean once seemed to be an endless source of
good, and a dumping place so vast that it could not be contaminated. Yet we
are becoming aware that its resources and its ability to absorb pollution are
both finite. The infinity of God, however, speaks of a limitless being.

The infinity of God may be thought of from several angles. We think

first in terms of space. Here we have what has traditionally been referred to
as immensity and omnipresence. God is not subject to limitations of space.
All finite objects have a location. They are somewhere. With God, however,
the question of whereness or location is not applicable. God is the one who
brought space (and time) into being. He was before there was space. He
cannot be localized at a particular point.

God is also infinite in relation to time. Time does not apply to God. He
was before time began. The question, How old is God? Is simply
inappropriate. He is no older now than a year ago. He is simply not restricted
by the dimension of time.

God is timeless. He does not grow or develop. There are no variations

in his nature at different points within his existence. He has always been
what he is.

Further, the infinity of God may also be considered with respect to

objects of knowledge. His understanding is immeasurable. A further factor,
in the light of this knowledge, is the wisdom of God. Bu this is meant, that
God acts in the light of the facts and in light of correct values. Knowing all
things, God knows what is good.

Finally, God’s infinity may also be considered in relationship to what is

traditionally referred to as the omnipotence of God. By this we mean, God
is powerful. God is able to do all things which are proper objects of his power.
What he chooses to do, he accomplishes, for he has the ability to do it.

There are, however, certain qualifications of this all-powerful character

of God. He cannot arbitrarily do anything whatsoever that we may conceive
of. He can do only those things which are objects of his power. Thus, he
cannot do the logically absurd or contradictory. He cannot make square
circles or triangles with four corners.

Constancy
God is described as unchanging. He does not change. The divine
constancy involves several aspects. There is first no quantitative change.
God cannot increase in anything, because he is already perfection. Nor can
he decrease, for if he were too, he would cease to be God. There is no
qualitative change. The nature of God does not undergo modification.

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD (PART II)

Attributes of Goodness

Moral Qualities

If the Attributes of Greatness we studied in the preceding lesson were

God’s only attributes, he might be conceivably be an immoral or amoral
being, exercising his power and knowledge in a capricious even cruel
fashion. But what we are dealing is a good God, one who can be trusted and
loved. He has attributes of goodness as well as greatness. In this lesson, we
will consider his moral qualities, that is, the characteristics of God as a moral
being. For convenient study, we will classify his basic moral attributes as
purity, integrity and love.

1. Holiness

There are wo basic aspects of God’s holiness. The first is his

uniqueness. He is totally separate from all creation. It speaks of “the
otherness of God.” This is what Louis Berhof called the “majesty-holiness”
of God. The other aspect of God’s holiness is his absolute purity and
goodness. This means that he is untouched and unstained by the evil in
this world. God’s moral perfection is the standard for our moral character
and the motivation for religious practice. The whole moral code follows
from his holiness.

2. Righteousness

The second dimension of God’s moral purity is his righteousness. This,

as it were, the holiness of God applied to his relationships to other beings.
The righteousness of God means, first of all, that the law of God, being a
true expression of his nature, is as perfect and righteous as he is.

3. Justice

God administers his kingdom in accordance with his law. That is, he
requires that others conform to it. God’s righteousness is his personal or
individual righteousness. His justice is his official righteousness, his
 requirement that other moral agents adhere to the standards as well. God
is, in other words, like a judge who as a private person adheres to the law
of society, and in his official capacity administers that same law, applying
others.
The justice of God means he is fair in the administration of his law. He
does show favoritism or partiality.

Integrity

The cluster of attributes which we are here classifying as integrity

relates to the matter of truth. There are three dimensions of truthfulness; 1)
genuineness—being true; 2) veracity—telling the truth; and faithfulness—
proving true.

1. Genuineness
In a world in which so much is artificial, our God is real. He is
what he appears to be. God is real; he is not fabricated or constructed
or imitation, as are
all other claimants to deity.

2. Veracity

Veracity is the second dimension of God’s faithfulness. God

represents things as they really are. Whether he is speaking of himself
or part of his creation, what God is says is the way things really are.

God has appealed to his to his people to be honest in all

situations. They are to be truthful both in what they formally assert
and in what they imply.

3. Faithfulness

If God’s genuineness is a matter of his being true and veracity is

his telling of the truth, then his faithfulness mans that he proves true.
God keeps all his promises. This is a function of his unlimited power.

Love

When we think in terms of God’s moral attributes, perhaps what comes

first to mind is the cluster of attributes we are here classifying as love. Many
regard it as the basic attribute, the very nature or definition of God: God is
love! The basic dimension of God’s love to us are: 1) benevolence 2) grace 3)
mercy.
1. Benevolence

Benevolence is a basic dimension of God’s his we mean the concern

of God for the welfare of those whom he loves. He unselfishly seeks
our ultimate welfare. It is agape, not eros type of love.

2. Grace

Grace is another attribute which is part of the manifold of God’s

love. By this we mean that God deals with his people on the basis of
their merit or worthiness, what they deserve, but simply according
to their need; in other words, he deals with them on the basis of his
goodness and generosity.

3. Mercy

God’s mercy is his tender-hearted, loving compassion for his people.

It is his tenderness of heart toward the needy. If grace contemplates
man as sinful;, guilty and condemned; mercy sees him as miserable
and needy.
 LESSON 4

ARGUMENTS FOR GOD’S EXISTENCE

The various arguments for the existence of God can be divided into
two types: the ontological arguments and the cosmological arguments for
God’s existence. In the ontological arguments, they focus attention upon the
idea of God and proceeds to unfold its inner implications. However, in the
cosmological arguments, they start from some general nature of the world
around us and argue that there could not be a world with these particular
characteristics unless there were also the ultimate reality which we call
“God”. Let us now turn to these.

ONTOLOGICAL ARGUMENT – the ontological argument for the

existence of God was first developed by St. Anselm, one of the Christian
Church’s most original thinker and the greatest theologian ever to have been
Archbishop of Canterbury.

Anselm begins by concentrating the Christian concept of God into

the formula” “a being that which nothing greater can be conceived.” It
is clear that by “greater” Anselm means more perfect, rather than spatially
bigger. His argument can be found in the second chapter of his Proslogion.
It runs:

Therefore, if that than which a greater cannot be thought is in the

understanding alone, this same thing than which a greater cannot be
thought is that than which a greater can be thought. But obviously this is
impossible.Without doubt, therefore, there exists, Both in the understanding
and in reality, something than which greater cannot be thought.” Anselm
distinguishes between something, x, existing in the mind only and its
existing in reality as well. If the most perfect conceivable being existed only
in the mind, we should then have the contradiction that is possible to
conceive of a yet more perfect being namely, the same being existing in
reality, as well as in the mind. Therefore, the most perfect conceivable
being must exist in reality, as well as in the mind.

The argument has also several other notable forms, in particular, Rene
Descartes has a similar argument which can be found in his fifth Mediations.
According to Descartes, just as one can have a clear and distinct idea of God.
And as Descartes sees it, the idea of God is the idea of a supremely perfect
being. Furthermore, this being can be seen to have “an actual and eternal
existence” just as some number of figures can be seen to have some kind of
character or attribute. His argument run as follows:
 “Existence can no more be separated from the essence of God than
can its having its three angles equal to two right angles be separated from
the essence of a rectilinear triangle, or the idea of a mountain from the idea
of a valley, and so there is not any les repugnance to our conceiving a God
(tat is, a Being supremely perfect) to whom existence is lacking (that is to
say, to whom a certain perfection is lacking), than to conceive of a mountain
which has not valley.”

The idea of Rene Descartes here seems to be that from the notion of
God one can deduce his existence. God is supremely perfect and must
therefore exist.