Now this is very interesting, Tom. Thanks for your thoughts.

I agree we are discussing a western concept of an omnipotent god, and whether that concept stands up to scrutiny according to its own terms. I did not anticipate we would also review other religions' concepts of godhead too ~is godhead the perfect blow-job?~, but if it helps, it is certainly worthwhile doing so.

I wonder if Milton was trying to deal with the question of gnosticism; but I don't think so. I don't believe that anywhere in the poem is there any reference to a Monad or that God is a demiurge. And Milton would certainly not thank Satan for freeing Mankind from the control of a being who was either evil or only of limited goodness. Although Milton has been described as a heretic, that was not because he held gnostic beliefs, but rather because he was a monist and believed that all things, animal, vegetable, mineral and divine were the same. He was also anti-episcopal and a republican, which would have made him very unpopular in England before and after the interregnum and would have increased the antipathy the Establishment held for his religious views. I'm sure he believed God to be absolutely perfect.

Furthermore, I'm not sure we're considering what moves the prime mover. Only the notion of divine perfection. Is that different?


I don't think any modern religion - even fundamentalist ones - thinks that reasoning about the nature of God is heretical, although it might be concerned that heretical ideas could result from "incorrect" reasoning. But I don't think we should let that stop us. Do you?

TYWD