Can "God die"?

[Elijah John]

Preacher said, "God died for your sins".

For the purposes of this forum, the OP is assuming for the sake of argument that God exists.

For debate, can God die?

Even for three days?

Doesn't that statement deny God's characteristic immortality?

And don't such statements highlight the absurdity of believing that "Jesus is God"?

[Willum]

EJ, as usual, you are completely correct. A death of three days, is not death. Its either charlatanism, or a kind of sleep or coma. However...

Illud quod aeternitatem iacere potest non mortuus est, ac dis peregrinis etiam mors moriatur

And if Death can die, why not God?
In fact God was slain in the mid-1400's, after Jean d'Arc. That is why nothing has been heard of Him since.

A sympathetic angel here and there perhaps - angel losing meaning after the big G's death, maybe a mischievous spirit playing a sick game or two. But largely these beings have gotten tired of us, and moved on.

But can God die, and how?
I think we all understand that there are things beyond our comprehension. God was slain by one (or more) of them.

He fought Death and Evil, and if I were a gambling man, those two would be my primary suspects:

Means: Both are ancient and powerful phenomenon.
Motive: God assaulted them and promised they would be slain.
Opportunity: Aeons and more resources than we can imagine.

God promised to eliminate evil and death, they are still alive and kicking. God hasn't been seen or heard of since Jean.

QED.

[McCulloch]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

I suppose that it depends on your definition of God. It probably also depends on your definition of death. Religious people are notorious for redefining words. Natural might mean artificial. Death might mean separation. God might mean son of God. One might mean three.

[Kenisaw]

Preacher said, "God died for your sins".

For the purposes of this forum, the OP is assuming for the sake of argument that God exists.

For debate, can God die?

Even for three days?

Doesn't that statement deny God's characteristic immortality?

And don't such statements highlight the absurdity of believing that "Jesus is God"?

One would have to assume that a god can die and somehow resurrect itself while dead. Or at least believe, as it relates specifically to Jesus, that a god can be in three parts yet NOT be in three parts, and one of its parts can die and then be resurrected, even though it is also one while being three parts. It can also be fully man and fully god at the same time when it dies.

I am told this is a more simple explanation than things like the theory of evolution....

[dio9]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

God died in Adam.

[ttruscott]

Preacher said, "God died for your sins".

...

And don't such statements highlight the absurdity of believing that "Jesus is God"?

Are Adam and Eve dead? Abraham, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah etc all dead? Yes but upon resurrection are they created again or is their essential being, their spirit, re-united with a body? Especially since the Psalm tells us we return to Sheol / Hades upon our death.

The problem is not being careful in the definition of death for there are two death experiences spoken of by one word, death. Physical death when the spirit is removed from an unliving body and and 'spiritual' death when the spirit is removed from GOD's realm of reality, HIS presence.

His death of leaving a His unliving body for even a second counts as a death. That HE resurrected three days later does in no way cut short His death to make it meaningless...it is His own economy after all. We too will be dead and that death is not negated by the fact of our future resurrection.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 6 by ttruscott]

I would say that Adam and Eve aren't dead, since He died, most of His works have continued without Him, of course.
Planets still orbit the Sun, etc., even with God being deceased for the last 550 years, his work lingers.

Just like if you were to make a house, it wouldn't disappear because you died, that would be silly.

Of course, since Death and Evil killed God, they may have spitefully destroyed his works, so indeed Adam, Eve, Moe, Larry and Curly could all be dead forever.

How would we find out?

[liamconnor]

[Replying to post 1 by Elijah John]

No God cannot die. The preacher had either forgotten his systematic theology or was being rhetorical.

[Willum]

[Replying to post 8 by liamconnor]

God can and did die.
1450 AD or so.

His lack of any manifestation since proves it, as well as Death not being denied, and Evil running rampant.

Can you show the least bit of proof, from any source, otherwise?

[marco]

Illud quod aeternitatem iacere potest non mortuus est, ac dis peregrinis etiam mors moriatur

Interesting quotation, Willum. "That is not dead which lies for eternity, but among alien gods even death can die."

But it should be mortuum not mortuus.
And moriatur is a wrongly used subjunctive for "even death may die" but one cannot use the subjunctive for this. The Roman would write: mors etiam mori potest.