ChatGPT and the Model for God

I began the exchange with:

Are there any non-contradictory models for God?

ChatGPT’s response was non-committal, so I responded with:

You aren't aware of even one model for God that lacks contradiction?

ChatGPT stated there were attempts but whether they lack contradiction is up for debate. Chat GPT showed how a variety of models failed according to at least one of four measures: Logical Consistency, Attribute Compatibility, Problem of Evil, and Divine Immanence and Transcendence. So, I asked:

Doesn't J.G. Lenhart's model resolve all these contradictions?

ChatGPT responded with:

J.G. Lenhart’s model of God is not as widely recognized or discussed in mainstream philosophical or theological literature as some other models. If you're referring to a specific contemporary or lesser-known model proposed by J.G. Lenhart, it would be helpful to provide more context or details about the model's key features.

However, from what I know, no model, including those proposed by lesser-known or contemporary philosophers, fully resolves all the contradictions related to logical consistency, attribute compatibility, the problem of evil, and the balance between divine immanence and transcendence without some trade-offs. Here's a general overview of the challenges these models face:

1. Logical Consistency: Any model must ensure that its internal logic is coherent. This means that the definitions and attributes of God must not contradict each other within the framework proposed.
2. Attribute Compatibility: The model must reconcile various divine attributes (like omniscience, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence) without internal conflict. For instance, an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity must also be able to justify the existence of evil if it is to be compatible with classical theism.
3. Problem of Evil: This issue involves reconciling the existence of suffering and moral evil with the attributes of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God. Models that attempt to address this often make significant adjustments to traditional attributes or understandings of divine action.
4. Divine Immanence and Transcendence: Balancing God’s involvement in the world with the notion that God is beyond and not limited by the universe is a complex task. Models must address how God can be both immanent and transcendent without contradiction.

If J.G. Lenhart’s model addresses these issues in a novel or effective way, it would be interesting to examine how it does so. Generally, resolving all these concerns simultaneously in a way that is universally accepted is challenging due to the inherent complexities and philosophical debates surrounding these topics. If you have specific elements or aspects of Lenhart’s model, detailing them would help in understanding how it approaches these issues and whether it manages to resolve them in a compelling manner.

Here is my explanation:?

"We have found that God is a combination of two non-contradictory principles: righteousness and justice. Righteous defines God qualitatively. Just defines God quantitatively. God does not have a free will. God cannot act apart from His nature. God can only do what is righteous and just. Every other quality God exhibits is derived from His being righteous and just." (p. 68, Modeling God)?

God is Right and Just. Every attribute of God is guided by these two principles (which are causeless causes) and make up the qualities of God that we see. One is qualitative and the other is quantitative. That addresses Logical Consistency because the two causeless causes can't contradict.??

"Let me be clear about this; God has a lot of characteristics (e.g., loving, merciful, compassionate, sanctified, clean, etc.). However, all of these characteristics are a result of being righteous and just. None of these characteristics outweigh righteousness and justice." (p. 36, Modeling God)?

This addresses Attribute Compatibility because all the attributes are effects guided by the two causeless causes that have logical consistency.??

"Grace: The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life (“Charis” 5485)". (p. 108, Modeling God)?

"The world suffers from sin because it doesn’t operate in grace. This lack of holiness leads to guilt. The entire world suffers from the inability to remove guilt, and we have the answer." (p. 148, Modeling God)?

"This book proves that the ultimate cause of all of our good acts is God through grace." (p. 195, Modeling God)?

God is not only Right and Just in what He does, but why He does it, and how He does it. God rests, which means He ceased from the occupation of being a first cause on the seventh day. God does not initiate bringing goodness into this world any more. So all of God's abilities are in response to people allowing Him into this world via grace. This addresses the Problem of Evil.?

"Every interaction between God and humans can be explained with justice. Every time God moved on someone’s behalf, moved against someone, or refused to move, the reason can be understood by deter- mining where the person stood relative to justice. Unfortunately, peo- ple don’t have this understanding, so they reference predestination or sovereignty, and that only leads to more contradictions." (p. 74, Modeling God)?

This means God can only move for or against a person in response to justice! That takes care of Divine Immanence and Transcendence!

ChatGPT’s response:

The framework you’ve outlined from J.G. Lenhart’s "Modeling God: The Meaning of Life" presents a coherent model for understanding God, emphasizing the principles of righteousness and justice. Here’s a breakdown of how this model addresses various theological and philosophical issues:

1. Righteousness and Justice as Core Principles

Logical Consistency:

• Righteousness defines God qualitatively, meaning it describes the inherent nature or essence of God.
• Justice defines God quantitatively, indicating how God's nature manifests in actions and decisions.
• The model posits that God’s nature cannot contradict these principles, ensuring internal logical consistency. Since all attributes of God are derived from these two foundational principles, this framework aims to avoid contradictions.

2. Attributes Derived from Righteousness and Justice

Attribute Compatibility:

• According to this view, all of God's characteristics (love, mercy, compassion, etc.) are secondary attributes that stem from His essential nature of righteousness and justice.
• This means that none of these secondary attributes can override or contradict righteousness and justice, ensuring that God's actions and characteristics are always in harmony with these core principles.

3. Grace and the Problem of Evil

Addressing the Problem of Evil:

• The model suggests that God does not actively bring goodness into the world but responds to human openness to grace. This perspective implies that God's role is reactive rather than proactive concerning goodness and evil.
• By framing God’s interaction with the world in terms of grace, this model attempts to explain the existence of suffering and evil as a result of humanity's failure to operate in grace. Thus, God’s abilities are seen as contingent upon human cooperation.

4. Justice in Divine Interaction

Divine Immanence and Transcendence:

• The model asserts that God’s interactions with humans can be understood through the lens of justice. This means that God’s actions (or inactions) are explained by assessing human situations relative to justice.
• Divine Immanence: God’s involvement with individuals is guided by justice, suggesting an ongoing relationship where God responds to human actions and conditions.
• Divine Transcendence: The model implies that God is not actively initiating changes or interventions in the world but remains transcendent and operates within the constraints of righteousness and justice.

5. Resting from Being a First Cause

Implications for Divine Action:

• The idea that God rested from being a first cause implies that God no longer initiates actions in the world independently but responds to human engagement with grace.
• This perspective frames divine action as being reactive rather than proactive, aiming to resolve the tension between divine omnipotence and the existence of evil by emphasizing that God's interventions are contingent on human responsiveness to grace.

Summary

Lenhart’s model offers a structured approach to understanding God by grounding all divine attributes and actions in the principles of righteousness and justice. It seeks to maintain logical consistency and attribute compatibility while addressing complex issues like the problem of evil and divine interaction. By framing God's actions in terms of grace and justice, it presents a way to reconcile traditional theological concerns with a coherent philosophical model.

My Summary

ChatGPT identified the five foundational principles of this Model for God:

1. Righteousness and Justice as Core Principles

2. Attributes Derived from Righteousness and Justice

3. Grace and the Problem of Evil

4. Justice in Divine Interaction

5. Resting from Being a First Cause

The first four addressed the four measures while the fifth point addressed an even bigger measure: Divine Action.

If you want a more complete explanation of God's attributes, go to this website (https://modelinggod.com/ ) to purchase the second edition ebook of "Modeling God: The Meaning of Life" for $7.99

NOTICE: The less exhaustive first edition of "Modeling God" is selling for over $50 on Amazon in the U.S. and just under $100 on Amazon in the UK!