Mackie claimed that "God is a necessary being" is unclear. Theists sometimes take this to mean that God's existence is metaphysically necessary. But it's unclear what "metaphysically necessary" means.
Mackie claimed that "God is a necessary being" is unclear. Theists sometimes take this to mean that God's existence is metaphysically necessary. But it's unclear what "metaphysically necessary" means.
Some suggest that to call God's existence "metaphysically necessary" means that God, by definition, is an uncaused, indestructible, and eternal being. So if God exists, then he has no cause; there's nothing outside of himself that his existence depends on. And if God doesn't exist, then nothing could bring him into existence (since anything that was brought into existence would not be God). So God's existence couldn't be a contingent matter.
Mackie claimed that "God is a necessary being" is unclear. Theists sometimes take this to mean that God's existence is metaphysically necessary. But it's unclear what "metaphysically necessary" means.
Some suggest that to call God's existence "metaphysically necessary" means that God, by definition, is an uncaused, indestructible, and eternal being. So if God exists, then he has no cause; there's nothing outside of himself that his existence depends on. And if God doesn't exist, then nothing could bring him into existence (since anything that was brought into existence would not be God). So God's existence couldn't be a contingent matter.