Reasonable Faith Podcast Question of the Week #960: Is God Part of Existence?
Oct 9, 2025
A caller from Georgia sparks a thought-provoking discussion about pantheism and the nature of God's existence. Is existence a higher category than God? Using a Venn diagram, they explore this intriguing idea. William Lane Craig elaborates on the distinction between necessary and contingent existence, arguing that God is not synonymous with all that exists. He also addresses the notion that 'existence exists' is a category mistake, reinforcing a theistic worldview. The irony of the pantheist's tautology problem is a captivating conclusion.
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Listener's Pantheist Debate
- A listener from Georgia recounts debating a pantheist who claimed existence is a higher category than God.
- The listener asks how to resolve the tautology and category issues raised by pantheism.
Necessary vs Contingent Existence
- William Lane Craig distinguishes necessary from contingent existence to rebut pantheism.
- He explains God alone exists necessarily while created beings exist contingently, so God is not identical to existence.
Existence Is Not A Thing
- Craig rejects the idea that 'existence' is itself a thing that exists and calls that a category mistake.
- He argues that because existence is not a thing, God can be within the set of existing things without being identical to 'existence itself.'