A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Premise: Evil is a privation of good.
Premise: Any reduction in good, is evil.
Premise: God created all things good.
Premise: Humans are created in the Image and Likeness of God. That is good.
Premise: Human beings cannot get into heaven in their current state. They need a Savior, who is Christ.
Premise: Nothing impure can get into heaven.
Argument: People are created good, but are not good enough for heaven.
Argument: There is a privation there, that is evil
Conclusion: That means that people are really evil, and not good.
But this is contradicting the premises. God created people good and endowed us with His dignity.
Premise: Any reduction in good, is evil.
Premise: God created all things good.
Premise: Humans are created in the Image and Likeness of God. That is good.
Premise: Human beings cannot get into heaven in their current state. They need a Savior, who is Christ.
Premise: Nothing impure can get into heaven.
Argument: People are created good, but are not good enough for heaven.
Argument: There is a privation there, that is evil
Conclusion: That means that people are really evil, and not good.
But this is contradicting the premises. God created people good and endowed us with His dignity.
--BobCatholic
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
The supernatural destiny of human beings is not part of human nature. It's a gratuitous gift. If we grant the premise (which I think is correct) that the soul is naturally immortal, still God did not have to admit the deceased to Heaven. He could have granted them a simple earthly paradise, or something like the Limbo of the Fathers.
Secondly, although humans are created good, we also all inherit Original Sin, so we are not able to enter Heaven.
Secondly, although humans are created good, we also all inherit Original Sin, so we are not able to enter Heaven.
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Also, "good" does not mean "morally good" , when God says that creation is "good" he doesn't mean creation is moral.
If you ever feel like Captain Picard yelling about how many lights there are, it is probably time to leave the thread.
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
So because of the privation of good, this means the human nature is evil.Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Wed Apr 02, 2025 3:02 pm The supernatural destiny of human beings is not part of human nature. It's a gratuitous gift. If we grant the premise (which I think is correct) that the soul is naturally immortal, still God did not have to admit the deceased to Heaven. He could have granted them a simple earthly paradise, or something like the Limbo of the Fathers.
So we are created good, but thanks to Original Sin, we become evil, because of that privation of good.Secondly, although humans are created good, we also all inherit Original Sin, so we are not able to enter Heaven.
--BobCatholic
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
So something can be "good" but morally evil? I don't understand that.
--BobCatholic
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
No. It's the privation of a due good that makes something evil. The Beatific Vision is not a due good for any created thing.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Wed Apr 02, 2025 10:50 pmSo because of the privation of good, this means the human nature is evil.Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Wed Apr 02, 2025 3:02 pm The supernatural destiny of human beings is not part of human nature. It's a gratuitous gift. If we grant the premise (which I think is correct) that the soul is naturally immortal, still God did not have to admit the deceased to Heaven. He could have granted them a simple earthly paradise, or something like the Limbo of the Fathers.
It might be cool to have wings like a bird, but that's not a good due to human nature and so it is not evil that I lack them.
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
BobCatholic wrote: ↑Wed Apr 02, 2025 10:51 pmSo something can be "good" but morally evil? I don't understand that.
Whatever the opposite of the logical fallacy of "equivocation" might be you are committing the opposite fallacy.
If you ever feel like Captain Picard yelling about how many lights there are, it is probably time to leave the thread.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Failure to draw a necessary distinction? Univocation? (I think I made up that word.)
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
So how do I get all the due goods of a human?Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Thu Apr 03, 2025 2:13 pm No. It's the privation of a due good that makes something evil. The Beatific Vision is not a due good for any created thing.
It might be cool to have wings like a bird, but that's not a good due to human nature and so it is not evil that I lack them.
If I have all the due goods of a human, can I go to heaven?
Those who are evil go to hell.
--BobCatholic
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
What is the distinction?Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 1:04 pm Failure to draw a necessary distinction? Univocation? (I think I made up that word.)
--BobCatholic
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Moral good vs. physical good.What is the distinction?
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
A due good is something that properly accompanies something having a nature, so that we would say the "something" is not a full instantiation of that nature if it doesn't have it.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:07 pmIf I have all the due goods of a human, can I go to heaven?
Sanctifying grace is necessary to get into Heaven, but sanctifying grace is extrinsic to human nature. Its absence is not a lack of a due good, but its absence does stop someone from getting into Heaven.
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Which good gets us into heaven?Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:24 pmMoral good vs. physical good.What is the distinction?
--BobCatholic
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
So basically God creates us morally evil. That's why we need grace, something extrinsic to human nature to get into heaven.Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:30 pmA due good is something that properly accompanies something having a nature, so that we would say the "something" is not a full instantiation of that nature if it doesn't have it.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:07 pmIf I have all the due goods of a human, can I go to heaven?
Sanctifying grace is necessary to get into Heaven, but sanctifying grace is extrinsic to human nature. Its absence is not a lack of a due good, but its absence does stop someone from getting into Heaven.
--BobCatholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
NeitherBobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:32 pmWhich good gets us into heaven?Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:24 pmMoral good vs. physical good.What is the distinction?
The fallacy of equivocation is using the same word in two different senses in the same argument.
What you are doing is the opposite of that, taking a word with many different meanings and senses, namely "good" and insisting that it can have one and only one meaning.
Do you agree with the statement "Life is good"? Does that mean "Life is nothing but pleasure and joy from beginning to end?" Of course not. Life is filled with difficulty and adversity. And yet, unless one is suffering from depression or other mental illness, people never seriously think 'I wish I never existed" because we think that, despite all the problems, it is better to be alive than not. This is why we mourn the dead; we have an innate sense that life is good, and death is bad.
But when I say "life is good", do I mean "morally good"? Of course not, that doesn't even make sense.
So "good" has more meanings than you are attaching to it.
If you ever feel like Captain Picard yelling about how many lights there are, it is probably time to leave the thread.
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
NeitherBobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:32 pmWhich good gets us into heaven?Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:24 pmMoral good vs. physical good.What is the distinction?
The fallacy of equivocation is using the same word in two different senses in the same argument.
What you are doing is the opposite of that, taking a word with many different meanings and senses, namely "good" and insisting that it can have one and only one meaning.
Do you agree with the statement "Life is good"? Does that mean "Life is nothing but pleasure and joy from beginning to end?" Of course not. Life is filled with difficulty and adversity. And yet, unless one is suffering from depression or other mental illness, people never seriously think 'I wish I never existed" because we think that, despite all the problems, it is better to be alive than not. This is why we mourn the dead; we have an innate sense that life is good, and death is bad.
But when I say "life is good", do I mean "morally good"? Of course not, that doesn't even make sense.
So "good" has more meanings than you are attaching to it.
If you ever feel like Captain Picard yelling about how many lights there are, it is probably time to leave the thread.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
No. You're reading what I didn't say. There is such a thing as naturally good.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 10:35 pmSo basically God creates us morally evil. That's why we need grace, something extrinsic to human nature to get into heaven.Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 9:30 pmA due good is something that properly accompanies something having a nature, so that we would say the "something" is not a full instantiation of that nature if it doesn't have it.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Fri Apr 04, 2025 2:07 pmIf I have all the due goods of a human, can I go to heaven?
Sanctifying grace is necessary to get into Heaven, but sanctifying grace is extrinsic to human nature. Its absence is not a lack of a due good, but its absence does stop someone from getting into Heaven.
-
- Citizen
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Sun Nov 19, 2023 7:21 pm
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
OK, so how am I supposed to understand goodness in the argument I posted?
Please walk me through that.
--BobCatholic
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Jedi Master
- Posts: 988
- Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2023 4:54 pm
- Location: Not quite 90 degrees
- Religion: Catholic
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Another point: We don't get to Heaven by being good. We get to Heaven by being holy, which is the result of an unmerited, unearned gift of grace.
Re: A possible contradiction - goodness of creation
Ontologically good.BobCatholic wrote: ↑Sun Apr 06, 2025 9:39 pmOK, so how am I supposed to understand goodness in the argument I posted?
Please walk me through that.
If you ever feel like Captain Picard yelling about how many lights there are, it is probably time to leave the thread.