©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.