Peter Kreeft said that God was an unknown X who’s direction is known; that this X is more. That He is to great beauty what small or no beauty is to beauty; only infinitely more. His Being is endlessly ‘more’ beautiful and the same of other perfections.
I’ll go straight to the point; as there is such a miserly amount written by other authors on this subject, a tiny amount of preachers who talk about it with importance and a minute percentage of Christians who drift into conversations on the subject…do we truly believe it to be so?
F.J.Sheed said all reality is infinitely perfect in Him. Again, you’d have thought this would be a huge hook for theists to engage people with… 'Yes, I know you like cars, films and girls…but all the things you like about them are multiplied endlessly in Him…and one day, you might get to meet God!"
Yet, nothing. Silence.
In the words of Charlie Brown; “Good grief.”:shrug:
Non-believers will still want proof. You and Sheed and Kreeft are basing this particular premise on the idea that God is indeed the source of beauty and all that is good, and that what we are aware of now really is just the “tip of the iceberg.” I’m not disagreeing with you. All I’m saying is, based on my own discussions with an agnostic, the response is still likely to be, “All that we perceive as goodness and beauty could still have occurred by random forces and natural selection - not necessarily by the act of God.” And the enticing possibility of meeting this source of all goodness might beg the question, “Why does Ultimate Goodness put me through the test of this life, requiring me to endure all kinds of suffering before I can meet Him?” While it seems obvious to me that God is the source and fullness of being, it still requires an act of will on our part to accept the gift of faith - an act of will that some are not willing or presently able to make. But if you are able to reach non-believers with this approach, then good, and God bless you!
Certainly, those questions will come from atheists and agnostics, but they can be answered. I don’t think the OP was saying that his argument would instantaneously convert people, just that it would be a good “hook” to draw them into the conversation. It might work especially well with apatheists (practical atheists) and “moral therapeutic deists.”
Alright, as a conversation starter this might be an effective point. On its own, I’m still not sure how convincing it will be. As to why to we don’t see it addressed as often as the OP would like, it is perhaps too abstract for many people. For people struggling just trying to get through life, talking about God as infinite and endless is likely to elicit a shrug of the shoulders. Talking about these attributes of God presupposes, not necessarily leads to belief, in my opinion. That’s why, in addition to intellectual arguments, we need to be living examples of God’s love. This is what I most often hear from the pulpit at least, and our challenge is carrying it out, making God’s often abstract or unrealized presence real for others. On the other hand, not everyone thinks as I do (thank God!) so maybe this should be emphasized more. Go for it!
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