Comparative Religion
Lecture 8

FINITE GODISM

The world with a finite ______________Finite Godists and their Reasoning
•	1. If God were all ______________, he could destroy evil.
•	2. If God were all-good, he would ______________ evil.
•	3. But evil has not been destroyed.
•	4. Therefore, either God does not exist or he is limited.
•	5. There is evidence that ______________ exists.
•	6. Therefore, God must be limited
Basic Beliefs of Finite Godism
•	Not all finite godists believe all points about God and the world. The following summary emphasizes the points they have in common and notes some differences.
•	God is Finite in power and/or love.
The most fundamental characteristic of the finite-God view is that God is limited in his very nature. Some say he is limited in ______________ but not in ______________, while few (if any) claim the reverse. Some claim that God is limited in both power and goodness.  All agree that God is not infinite in power.
Some
See, like Plato, that God is not intrinsically limited in his nature, but they believe the world places certain limits on God. They hold that God did not create the world. If God did not create the world and does not sustain its existence, then he is not able to do just anything he chooses with it, for example, he cannot destroy it.
2. Creation is out of nothing or out of preexisting matter.
•	Finite godism has no uniform view on ______________. Some who come out of the dualistic Greek tradition proceeding from Plato hold to creation ex materia (out of preexisting, eternal matter.) According to this view, God did not bring the world into existence; he merely shaped the matter already there. Thus, there is something about the extent and nature of matter over which even God has no ultimate control. He simply has to work with the world and do the best he can under the limitations it places on his creative powers.
3. The World operates by natural ______________4. ______________ do not occur
5. Man is created and may survive ______________.
6. Evil limits ______________7. Ethics are enduring and helpful for human ______________.
8. Human destiny is uncertain
Contributions of Finite Godism
•	A ______________ Approach to Evil
2. Limitations on the use of divine ______________3. The need for man to struggle against ______________.
Criticism of Finite Godism
•	A finite ______________ would need a cause.
2. A Finite God is not worthy of ______________.
3. ______________ does not eliminate an infinite God.
4. By what standard do we ______________ God?
5. A ______________ God concept poses a dilemma.
6. Uncertainty over the ______________ of evil limits moral motivation.