Fallacy of Misplaced Deity

Work in progress. 

Does god exist? Yes, no or other. Or does ___ exist? Yes, no or other. We should have an idea of what god is before can answer the question. 

Defining God with a definition that all can agree to is the first problem. I will use this definition; God or god(s) is whatever you think God or god(s) is with the same basic certainty of reality as other things in a category you have placed God or god(s) in, existence, non-existence or other.  Hopefully you agree with whatever you think God or god(s) is but now you must provide the same basic certainty of reality as other things in a category you have identified God or god(s) with, that is existence, non-existence or other. Until you provide that same basic certainty of reality as other things in a category you will be committing a categorical fallacy, no matter what you think God or god(s) is by faith or otherwise. 

Fallacy of Misplaced Deity:

The Fallacy of Misplaced Deity is the error of applying an improper category of reality to Deity, Examples: Theists want to place God or god(s) in the categorical reality of things that are existent and Atheists want to place God or god(s) in the categorical reality of things that are non-existent or still others who would place God or god(s) in the categorical reality of things that are impossible. It is not possible to place God or god(s) in these categories with the same basic certainty of the things already in those categories; ergo to place God or god(s) in the categorical reality of the existent or non-existent or impossible things is the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity. However it would not be a fallacy to place God or god(s) in the categorical reality of things that are possible or in the categorical reality of things that are an alternate reality, because it can be done with the same basic certainty as the things already in those categories.

Committing the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity:

     1.       God exist, no God exist or God is impossibility:

a.       God has not been defined as an exist thing, on the same basic level of certainty as other things in the category of existent things. For example; plans, trains, automobiles, living being, thoughts, emotions and the earth are defined as existent things but God has no definition in the same way as these things. That is there is no definition of God that is supported by an identifiable thing that indicates that it’s an existent God. Because what God is, is not definable in this way, it is then the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity to define God or god(s) as an existing thing.

b.      God has not been defined as a non-exist thing, on the same basic level of certainty as other things in the category of non-existent things. For example; fictional thing and beings, destroyed things and dead beings are non-existent things but God has no definition in the same way as these non-existent things. That is there is no definition of God that is supported by an identifiable non-existent thing which indicates that it’s a non-existent God. Because what God is, is not definable in this way, it is then the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity to define God or god(s) as a non-existing thing.

c.       God has not been defined as an impossible thing, on the same basic level of certainty as other things in the category of impossible things. For example; things or beings that have contradictory definition; squire circle, rectangle oval, no-house house, something being what it is not, but God has no definition in the same way as these impossible things. That is there is no definition of God that is supported by an identifiable impossible thing that indicates that it’s an impossible God. Because what God is, is not definable in this way, it is then the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity to define God or god(s) as an impossible thing.

d.      To define and say that God exist, no God exist or God is an impossibility has fallen short of meeting the same basic level of certainty as other things in the categories of existent, non-existent and impossible thing in three ways; 1. God or god(s) have not been identified as something in our reality that corresponds to a definition in any of the three categories, 2. God or god(s) have not been identified as something that is consistent with the reality of other things defined in the three categories and  3. God or god(s) have not been identified as something that can be satisfactorily defined within any of the three categories.

Not committing the Fallacy of Misplaced Deity:

  2. God is a possibility or God and alternate reality:

a.       God can be defined as a possible thing, on the same basic level of certainty as other things in the category of possible things. For example; possible; plans, trains, automobiles, living beings or other realities are in the category of possible by default just as God or gods can be possible by default, , until they are found to be identifiable in some other category.

 d.      As a sub-category of possibility, God may be partially defined as an alternate reality, on the same basic level of certainty as other things in the category of alternate reality. Alternate reality in the sense that it nether exists nor is non-existent but is a type of reality none the less. Examples; Laws that express the way Reality works, universal qualities as permanent possibilities for things in our reality such as coldness, hotness or redness (as determined my the nature of Reality)and godliness as a possible.