Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

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Kurieuo
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Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by Kurieuo »

This is just a question I'd like to ask others to see how they respond.

What do people mean when they say God is an "immaterial substance"?

How does this square with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance?
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by B. W. »

Kurieuo wrote:This is just a question I'd like to ask others to see how they respond.

What do people mean when they say God is an "immaterial substance"?

How does this square with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance?
Questions: Do atheist consider God as an "immaterial substance"?
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by Silvertusk »

I guess I mean he is spirit.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by RickD »

Kurieuo wrote:This is just a question I'd like to ask others to see how they respond.

What do people mean when they say God is an "immaterial substance"?

How does this square with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance?
I can't speak for anyone, but I will anyways. :mrgreen:

My guess, is that it's another way of saying God is spirit. He's not physical/material.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by EssentialSacrifice »

I have no problem with God is an "immaterial substance" and/or squaring with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance? ... immaterial is only one attribute of His substance. If, by substance, we mean "a particular kind of matter with uniform properties". then the immaterial substance for God would apply, obviously to all 3 persons within that immaterial realm. IMO, the "immaterial" to "substance" oxymoron is best explained, as Silvertusk and RickD says, through the term spirit. What is that "immaterial" substance and can it even be called "substance". Most importantly the conversion of that unique immaterial substance , John 1:14 .

Paradoxical, Oxymoronic claims rush from the bible ... Phil. 3:7-8 ... John 12:24 ... Matt. 10:39 ... Jas. 4:10 ... II Cor. 12:10 ... Acts 20:35 ... Rom. 6:18. It's who we are and what we believe and what is required for salvation, belief in the unbelievably true God.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by Kurieuo »

B. W. wrote:
Kurieuo wrote:This is just a question I'd like to ask others to see how they respond.

What do people mean when they say God is an "immaterial substance"?

How does this square with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance?
Questions: Do atheist consider God as an "immaterial substance"?
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Don't they think God's made of spaghetti? 8-}2
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by Kurieuo »

Saying "God is spirit" is too simple.
That is, it just seems to push the question to another: What is meant by "spirit"?

Take our "physical" bodies that are made of physical material.
If "immaterial substance" means "spirit", then ignoring the contradiction with "immaterial" for a moment, do you/we actually picture a spiritual material of sorts? (like an ethereal ghostly substance)
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by EssentialSacrifice »

Questions: Do atheist consider God as an "immaterial substance"?
Do atheists consider God at all.
Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence. -St Augustine
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by EssentialSacrifice »

Saying "God is spirit" is too simple.
That is, it just seems to push the question to another: What is meant by "spirit"?
I agree with this... it's another example of paradoxical comparison. God the all powerful is also the most simple. His spirit, (substance) if it may be called such, is actually quite unknown to us and can be described only in terms our limited brains can ingest. So spirit becomes a "substance" that, although unknowable, is still definable for us to attempt comprehension. Is energy a substance, is light ? Yes, but both are made of physical particles and we know God isn't ...

so, God is spirit is too simple, but I struggle to arrive at a more comprehensive definition that is both substantive and immaterial at it's conclusion.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by Nessa »

So, when I read in my bible that 'God is everywhere', I guess to some that can make him seem like air in an immaterial way e.g his spirit is not contained but is everywhere.

But I don't think that..

Psalm 139 goes 'Where can I flee from your spirit?' so that can sound like an uncontained thing too maybe? But not in the sense that everything is a part of God.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by abelcainsbrother »

I agree God is Spirit however Christ is the physical part of God which is why we were created in the image of God.
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Re: Immaterial Substance - Oxymoron?

Post by B. W. »

Kurieuo wrote:
B. W. wrote:
Kurieuo wrote:This is just a question I'd like to ask others to see how they respond.

What do people mean when they say God is an "immaterial substance"?

How does this square with a Social Trinitarian concept of God is three persons in one substance?
Questions: Do atheist consider God as an "immaterial substance"?
-
-
-
Don't they think God's made of spaghetti? 8-}2
Sump tin liake dat...

:beer:
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Science is man's invention - creation is God's
(by B. W. Melvin)

Old Polish Proverb:
Not my Circus....not my monkeys
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