An extraordinarily important, core aspect of the Mormon faith is the concept of "free agency." Jesus Christ exercised free agency, Satan exercised it, and we also exercise it. Their "free agency" seems to be identical to what others refer to as "libertarian free will."
Unlike many other Christian groups, Mormons correctly realize that their concept of "free agency" cannot be correct if we, and everything around us, were actually entirely created by God. If we were entirely created by God, our wills and choices would simply be the result of how we were created. Therefore, according to the LDS church, Heavenly Father did not actually create us entirely -- instead, he appropriated existing "intelligences" and gave those intelligences both spirits and bodies. According to the LDS church, our intelligences are not created by God. Rather, they were merely utilized by him. This allows for humans to have "free agency," or libertarian free will.
The problem that I see here is that if there is no singular creator God -- and there could not be if we have libertarian free will -- then no being can rationally make universal truth claims.
If God didn't create our intelligences, then our intelligences don't have to behave in whatever way he wants them to. Just because God wants to believe that if an intelligence exists, then it exists -- just because God wants to believe that our intelligences have the property of noncontradiction -- there is actually no reason behind his belief that they do. An intelligence could both exist and not exist, at the same time and in the same way, as far as God knows.
On the other hand, if everything is the result of God's desire -- if God's will is the foundation of everything as classical monotheism holds -- then God's belief that an intelligence cannot both be and not-be at the same time and in the same way is rationally warranted simply because he wants it to be that way.
If ontological monotheism is false, as Mormonism would have it, then contradictions cannot be ruled out, and reality is incoherent. All beliefs are then completely without reason.
As a result, Mormonism, just like atheism and polytheism, simply cannot be rationally affirmed.
Comments