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Bo Bennett, PhD

What do you call a contradiction that spawns another contradiction?

In the doctrine of the Trinity, it is claimed that there are 3 persons in the one God.

The defining characteristics of God are omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence and omnibenevolence.

Under intense questioning, the proponent agrees that each person is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and omnibenevolent, and each person has a unique identity an independent will.

Therefore, that's 3 Gods, not 1 God. 3 Gods <> 1 God, hence contradiction #1

2 omnipotent co-existing beings is logically impossible (omnipotent is a superlative, and only 1 superlative is logically possible), therefore contradiction #2

Contradiction #1 and contradiction #2 are both spawned from the original claim.

asked on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 05:53:26 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:

As far as I have understood the doctrine, the "omni's" mean "all" rather than "most," so it would not be a problem to have one or more omnipotent persons. Besides that, I agree with RE (his name is too difficult to keep writing!) that it would be conflicting conditions .

posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 06:41:58 AM
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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Bo Bennett, PhD]

I agree that "omni" means "all", but theoretically two omnipotent beings would be impossible, since each would limit the other's power, thus making each [not] all-powerful.

It's a tricky one, because doctrines are not supposed be be deconstructed, and can lead to switch-flipping in certain people's brains. If instead, the example claimed there existed 2 tallest men, then that would be contradictory, since then neither can be the tallest.

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 09:08:24 AM
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TrappedPrior (RotE) writes:
[To Jim]

They'd be joint-tallest :)

Then again, this can easily be considered equivocation especially if there was an emphasis on one particular entity as being supreme.

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 10:00:43 AM
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TrappedPrior (RotE) writes:
[To Rationalissimus of the Elenchus]

Rat...el

I agree that "joint-tallest" is partly correct, but only in the sense of convention/convenience fudging.

If we had a competition for the strongest man, and the result was a tie, then convention would want both to share the title. However, in terms of strict logic, "strongest" means stronger than no other, so two people cannot be stronger than each other. In terms of strict logic, only one superlative is allowed.

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 11:10:15 AM
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Bo Bennett, PhD writes:
[To Jim]

 but theoretically two omnipotent beings would be impossible, since each would limit the other's power, thus making each [not] all-powerful.

This is the same argument is "can god make a stone so heavy he can't lift it." Apologists just argue that this being is actually "maximally powerful" which excludes such contradictions.

[ login to reply ] posted on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 11:35:08 AM

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Answers

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TrappedPrior (RotE)
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There's no specific name as far as I know.

It's just contradictio in adjecto (conflicting conditions)

answered on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 06:18:24 AM by TrappedPrior (RotE)

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richard smith
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I would say just an opinion and a way to rationalize what they believe. Also Their is more than one Trinity doctrine and not all accept the 3 in one belief.

answered on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 08:37:40 AM by richard smith

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Dr. Richard
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The Fallacy of Inconsistency is also known as an internal contradiction. It occurs when a person asserts two or more propositions that cannot both be true at the same time and in the same respect—restated more simply, holding two or more beliefs that cannot be true when considered together. 

I always to say start at the very beginning. The first thing I notice is that using dictionary definitions of omnipotent and omniscient, we find these two concepts are mutually exclusive. So whatever it is the folks are discussing, that thing cannot be both and they need to define their terms.

answered on Saturday, Jun 26, 2021 12:00:47 PM by Dr. Richard

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