Arguments from the Problem of Divine Hiddenness

Bertrand Russell is widely regarded as the philosopher who most prominently articulated the Problem of Divine Hiddenness.

The Problem of Divine Hiddenness argues that if God exists, He would reveal Himself to us in a way that is undeniable. Since He has not done so, it is reasonable to conclude that He does not exist.

One common response to the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is that God is hidden because He wants us to have faith. If God were to reveal Himself in an undeniable way, then there would be no need for faith.

The main objection to the response that God is hidden because He wants us to have faith is that it is based on a false dichotomy between faith and reason. Faith is not simply the opposite of reason; it is a kind of knowledge that is based on evidence and experience. There is no reason why God could not reveal Himself to us in a way that is both rational and convincing.

J.L. Mackie argued that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for theism in general, not just for Christianity. He argued that any god who is worthy of worship would reveal Himself to us in a clear and unambiguous way. Since no such god has revealed Himself, it is reasonable to conclude that no such god exists.

The main objection to Mackie's argument that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for theism in general is that it fails to take into account the possibility of a hidden God. It is possible that God exists, but that He has chosen to hide Himself from us for some reason. This possibility cannot be ruled out by Mackie's argument.

John Hick argued that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness can be solved by appealing to the idea of a hidden God. He argued that God is hidden because He is transcendent and beyond our understanding. He also argued that God may have chosen to hide Himself from us in order to give us the freedom to choose whether or not to believe in Him.

The main objection to Hick's argument that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness can be solved by appealing to the idea of a hidden God is that it fails to explain why God would hide Himself from some people but not others. If God is truly loving and compassionate, then it seems that He would want to reveal Himself to everyone, not just to a select few.

Alvin Plantinga argued that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for Christianity, but not for other religions. He argued that Christianity is unique in its claim that God has revealed Himself to us in Jesus Christ. Since there is no evidence to support this claim, Plantinga concluded that Christianity is false.

The main objection to Plantinga's argument that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for Christianity, but not for other religions, is that it fails to take into account the possibility of a hidden God. It is possible that God exists, but that He has chosen to hide Himself from us for some reason. This possibility cannot be ruled out by Plantinga's argument.

A common criticism of the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is that it is based on a false dichotomy between faith and reason. Faith is not simply the opposite of reason; it is a kind of knowledge that is based on evidence and experience. There is no reason why God could not reveal Himself to us in a way that is both rational and convincing.

One common response to the criticism that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is based on a false dichotomy between faith and reason is that God is hidden because He wants us to have faith. If God were to reveal Himself to us in an undeniable way, then there would be no need for faith.

All of the above objections are commonly raised against the response that God is hidden because He wants us to have faith. These objections point to the fact that this response is not fully satisfactory and that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness remains a challenge for theism.

In the context of the Problem of Divine Hiddenness, the term 'divine hiddenness' is used to describe the idea that God may have chosen to hide Himself from us for some reason. This idea is often used as a response to the argument that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for theism.

J.L. Mackie argued that the Problem of Divine Hiddenness is a problem for all forms of theism, including natural theology. He argued that any god who is worthy of worship would reveal Himself to us in a clear and unambiguous way. Since no such god has revealed Himself, it is reasonable to conclude that no such god exists.