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    If 'being acted upon' disqualifies genuine agency, then G... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→All agents other than God are only metaphorically agents

    If 'being acted upon' disqualifies genuine agency, then God's reception of prayers and worship would paradoxically compromise divine agency under al-Kindi's own criterion.

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    1 reason for
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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Al-Kindi's criterion treats all forms of receptivity as agency-compromising without distinguishing voluntary from involuntary reception.
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    • 2.If God's nature requires absolute immutability, then receiving prayers (which causally affect divine response) entails real change in God.
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    • 3.Exempting God from the receptivity rule to preserve divine agency proves the criterion is incoherent, not that the objection is invalid.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.Reception need not compromise agency if the agent voluntarily permits or invites the reception as an expression of their own will.
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    • 2.God's responsive action to prayers demonstrates agency through intelligent deliberation, not passivity—God actively chooses the response.
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    • 3.Al-Kindi distinguished between undergoing change and exercising causal power; receiving prayers need not entail the former.
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    Moral Responsibility1 linkedDivine Attributes1 linked

    Related

    Al-Kindi distinguished between undergoing change and exercising causal power; re...Al-Kindi's criterion treats all forms of receptivity as agency-compromising with...All agents other than God are only metaphorically agentsExempting God from the receptivity rule to preserve divine agency proves the cri...
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    God's responsive action to prayers demonstrates agency through intelligent delib...If God's nature requires absolute immutability, then receiving prayers (which ca...Reception need not compromise agency if the agent voluntarily permits or invites...

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