Contradiction Entailed?

[Marc_Anthony]

I often hear the religious claim that an actual infinite is an impossibility, therefore the universe must have a first cause. But Catholic teaching, at least, is that God is eternal. If we hold an actual infinite is impossible, how can we claim that the universe is not infinite but God is?

 

[edwest2]

The Catholic Church has infallibly declared that the universe is of a finite age. God exists outside of the universe, He created it out of nothing.

God bless,
Ed

 

[Marc_Anthony]

The Catholic Church has infallibly declared that the universe is of a finite age. God exists outside of the universe, He created it out of nothing.

God bless,
Ed

I know that. That’s the possible contradiction. If an actual infinite is held to be logically imposible, how can God have been around infinitely?

 

[Mark77]

**Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) and Aristotle (c. 384–322 BCE) both posited first cause arguments.

A possible contradiction as viewed by ignorant men like us is like me declaring “I know everything!”

i could not even venture to guess how or why i was created without the hope of an Infinite & Merciful Father, God!**

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark

 

[jhynds]

From the scientific side…
I believe the context in which your assumption is made, that

“an actual infinite is an impossibility, therefore the universe must have a first cause”

assumes there are no infinites with the confines of the universe. To assume an impossibility beyond the conditions in which our Principal Laws are formed and governed (i.e.: Energy/Matter/Time, i.e: E=MC2) would be an error in logic.
The principles of our universe do apply to the following:
For the the matter of the know universe to come into existence from “nothing”(read: the Big Bang) would require an Infinite amount of energy.
Our own knowledge about our own origination provides for Infinites.

…not to mention the infinite love of the God who created us

 

[JohnDamian]

An actual infinity is only impossible when composed of finite individuals; God is not composed of finite individuals; and thus no contrarity is entailed by the claim that he is infinite.

Finitude subsists in numerical individuals; insofar as it subsists in those which share a unity that is numerical in nature; God does not have this unity; thus he is not substantiated in individuals; it is only if the unitative subsistence is in finitude that the contradiction is entailed by infinity; which is a formal contrary to finitude.