Eugene begins with the observation that church leaders seem to be doubtful about a possible proof for the existence of God, along with doubts about many of the articles of faith previously held.
To prove is to probe and we cannot probe anything outside ourselves without probing inside. Our sense organs tell us there is an external world and we know that we have an internal world more or less correspondent with it. Some thinkers have put forward a philosophy of dualism between mind and matter, or sometimes spirit and body. Body is tangible, occupying space, and mind is intangible and does not. He calls this naive dualism. Dualism means two causes of reality and the two are alien, no points of correspondence. In a dualism, two beings, being alien, could not interact, yet our minds and bodies do; we can think about what we are doing. Therefore, mind and body must be 2 aspects of one ultimate fact. Dualism is impossible.
The Infinite, Sentient Power we call God, is simultaneous power, form, function. He suggests using the hand as a mnemonic for this. The thumb represents the power (will), the index finger, form, or idea, and the middle finger, function. If a power can interact with form, i.e. will with idea, then they cannot, ultimately, be different. “If this power and idea can go into actuality (function) then actuality is not different from power-form or formulated power.” When we define God, we say He is omnipotent, on the thumb, omniscient on the index finger, and omnipresent on the middle finger. “So when human beings are talking about a God worthy of the respect of human beings, that God must have whatever the human being has but raised to Infinity.” Man has, in finite degrees, power, intelligence and the ability to do things. i.e. power, form, function. Also, our will can interact with the wills of other humans, with animals and with plants, so our will must be able to interact with that of God. Likewise our reason must be correspondent with the intelligence of God and our ability to act must also correspond to the act of creation of the universe. So in all three we can say that we have a correspondence with God.
Please note that further information can be found at www.eugenehalliday.com/welcome
On the website, there are links for you to freely download full transcripts of all of the talks available here. eugenehalliday.com encourages dialogue and would warmly welcome opening a dialogue with anyone who has an interest in wanting to discuss the contents of eugenehalliday.com further.
