by Sarah Allen

Created on: November 10, 2009

Is God Perfect?

It is a question which has plagued many philosophers over the course of thousands of years. Is God perfect? If we are to assume that God is in fact perfect, then we must also assume that He is at the very least omnipotent and more than likely omniscient as well. The very meaning of the word perfect implies that that which is deemed so is lacking in nothing. Using Anselm's definition of God in his famous five proofs that-which-nothing-greater-can-be-thought, this definition of perfect does, indeed fit God. However, Anselm's argument can hardly be used to delve in to the perfection of God.

Anselm set out to discuss God's existence through rather circular arguments. God exists because nothing greater than Him can be thought of. Nothing greater than God can be fathomed because God exists and there must always be a greatest. In essence, Anselm argues that God exists because God exists. Of course, one has to remember that during Anselm's time, no one really questioned the existence of God. He simply was. It is important to keep in mind that Anselm's Proslogion was not originally written to prove the existence of God rather to express his own experience of God to other monks in pre-modern times. Some modern theologists, however, like to ascribe a more active title to Anselm's work and use it as a proof. But, aside from the obvious logical fallacy of such an argument, there are several conceptual problems that arise when using the Proslogion to argue about the perfection of God.

One such problem lies within the creation of the human race. God supposedly created us in His own image. If God is perfect then why are humans so imperfect? Perfect, as it is being used in this writing, is something which is beyond the possibility of improvement. A perfect thing is complete and flawless. Yet, as a species, we make bad decisions, treat each other horribly, and are self centered. Some of us are unhealthy and unstable emotionally and mentally. It would seem rather strange for a perfect being to create such as us. What purpose would it serve for Him to make us at all? Let alone make us in His image but with so many imperfections?

Furthermore, Anselm's views argue for the existence of God. The word existence causes certain issues with the word perfect as a descriptor. There is nothing on this planet which can be thought of as perfect. Every thing that exists has a flaw somewhere. Assuming this is true (which I must do as I have found no evidence of anything that

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