The True Religion
It always seemed to me that any true religion worshipping a true god should have a few logical features (or laws or axioms whatever you want to call it). I've laid these out here for discussion.
1) It is true.
seems obvious, but this also includes the less then obvious facts (which don't need to be stated in the rule, but are explained here) It is true whether or not anyone believes it. It is true in all places at all times. It is never not true. Using the basic commonly understood form of gravity (ignoring all other theories and such for the time being) we can formulate a simple example. If you don't believe in gravity and you jump out of a building you will none the less go splat.
Interestingly enough this is also the highest law and truth of the religion. If it weren't, then other things would be more important than the religion being true, which would violate this very law.
1-1)It encourages all forms of analysis.
If it is true it will not be satisfactorily disproved by anything, but it might be proven, and therefore would not fear analysis and would in support of itself actually encourage such analysis.
2) It is internally consistent
It can have no laws which contradict any of its other laws. It cannot say anything that is not true. Can god make a rock so big he cannot lift it? God can do anything, therefore god can make a rock he cannot lift. But god can do anything, therefore he can lift the rock he made that he cannot lift. This is a basic contradiction, and thus any religion presupposing an all-powerful god is false. Many argue that god is not subject to the rules of this universe, thus he can both make a rock he can't lift and he can lift it (because laws of physics as well as logic do not apply to an all powerful being) however this creates another internal contradiction, by creating contradictory sets of laws which apply in different places (universe and god respectively) which violates rule 1, that which is true must be true in all places at all times. (More logically you might say god can move anything thus he is incapable of making something he cannot move so he can only create things he can move) God therefore can be very powerful, but not all powerful.
3) It is complete
All things must be explained by this religion. That does not mean everything has to be laid out in written form and given to you, but in accordance with laws 1 and 2 nothing in existence can violate these laws and the laws must be capable of explaining everything. This also means that there is nothing apart from this religion and there is no aspect of existence which can deny one access to this religion. If you had some quality that disallowed you from "joining" this religion, your not being a part of it would mean it does not include the entirety of existence, it is therefore not complete, and therefore lacking in truth because it fails to explain your existence, violating all three rules. (It would require inconsistency, different rules in different places to explain your existence in opposition to rule 2).
1) It is true.
seems obvious, but this also includes the less then obvious facts (which don't need to be stated in the rule, but are explained here) It is true whether or not anyone believes it. It is true in all places at all times. It is never not true. Using the basic commonly understood form of gravity (ignoring all other theories and such for the time being) we can formulate a simple example. If you don't believe in gravity and you jump out of a building you will none the less go splat.
Interestingly enough this is also the highest law and truth of the religion. If it weren't, then other things would be more important than the religion being true, which would violate this very law.
1-1)It encourages all forms of analysis.
If it is true it will not be satisfactorily disproved by anything, but it might be proven, and therefore would not fear analysis and would in support of itself actually encourage such analysis.
2) It is internally consistent
It can have no laws which contradict any of its other laws. It cannot say anything that is not true. Can god make a rock so big he cannot lift it? God can do anything, therefore god can make a rock he cannot lift. But god can do anything, therefore he can lift the rock he made that he cannot lift. This is a basic contradiction, and thus any religion presupposing an all-powerful god is false. Many argue that god is not subject to the rules of this universe, thus he can both make a rock he can't lift and he can lift it (because laws of physics as well as logic do not apply to an all powerful being) however this creates another internal contradiction, by creating contradictory sets of laws which apply in different places (universe and god respectively) which violates rule 1, that which is true must be true in all places at all times. (More logically you might say god can move anything thus he is incapable of making something he cannot move so he can only create things he can move) God therefore can be very powerful, but not all powerful.
3) It is complete
All things must be explained by this religion. That does not mean everything has to be laid out in written form and given to you, but in accordance with laws 1 and 2 nothing in existence can violate these laws and the laws must be capable of explaining everything. This also means that there is nothing apart from this religion and there is no aspect of existence which can deny one access to this religion. If you had some quality that disallowed you from "joining" this religion, your not being a part of it would mean it does not include the entirety of existence, it is therefore not complete, and therefore lacking in truth because it fails to explain your existence, violating all three rules. (It would require inconsistency, different rules in different places to explain your existence in opposition to rule 2).
posted by cyber-mountain guru at 12:19 PM
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