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    Classical theism, from Aquinas through the Thomistic trad... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→God can be considered 'personal' even if God is not identical to any personal being

    Classical theism, from Aquinas through the Thomistic tradition, holds that God is absolutely simple and cannot be a composite of parts.

    ?Rate how convincing each reason is below to see the overall strength.
    1 reason for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    1 perspective
    Reason for
    ?
    • 1.If God has parts, those parts would be ontologically prior to God, making God dependent on components rather than maximally independent.
      ?

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    • 2.Composition entails potential for division or dissolution; an absolutely perfect being cannot have this vulnerability.
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    • 3.Divine simplicity preserves God's aseity (self-sufficiency) and explains why all divine attributes are identical to God's essence.
      ?

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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.God appears to have distinct attributes (justice, mercy, knowledge, power); pure identity of all attributes seems conceptually incoherent.
      ?

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    • 2.A God with no internal distinctions cannot explain how He sustains a composite, differentiated creation without composition Himself.
      ?

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    • 3.Divine simplicity makes it mysterious how God can have knowledge of multiple distinct truths without internal multiplicity.
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    Related

    A God with no internal distinctions cannot explain how He sustains a composite, ...Composition entails potential for division or dissolution; an absolutely perfect...Divine simplicity makes it mysterious how God can have knowledge of multiple dis...Divine simplicity preserves God's aseity (self-sufficiency) and explains why all...
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    God appears to have distinct attributes (justice, mercy, knowledge, power); pure...God can be considered 'personal' even if God is not identical to any personal be...If God has parts, those parts would be ontologically prior to God, making God de...

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    claim
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