According to Nathan Salmon, natural kinds refer to a species or a genus. Natural kinds don't refer to classes because there must be at least one member in a class in a world, w, in order for that class to exist. However, it seems that even in a world that dogs don't exist, 'dog' still refers to the species canine. With this in mind I present the following puzzle:
(1) Scooby-Doo is a dog.
(2) Dog refers to the species canine.
(3) If Daphne kisses Scooby-Doo, then she kisses a canine.
(4) Scooby-Doo isn't a dog, rather Scooby-Doo is a cartoon drawing of a dog, i.e. Scooby-Doo is a fictional object.
(5) The word 'dog' in (1) is ambiguous.
Let's take the following example:
(6) The Greeks worshiped Zeus.
(7) Zeus is a god.
(8) Gods are a species of divine beings.
(9) Therefore, the Greeks worshiped a species of divine beings.
However, (9) is false, once again Zeus is a fictional object, so the intentionality of the Greeks was directed at a fictional object.
Furthermore, if Christianity is true, then God is a divine substance, consisting of three persons (who are all consubstantial). So if this is the case, then 'God' refers to a divine substance. So let's assume that any occurrence of God that doesn't refer to the divine substance refers to a fictional object.
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But what happens if you find scripture use term God for the Father?
I don't know why that is a problem for my view.
But what happens if you find scripture use term God for the Father?
Because then it is not just ageneral term used for anyone of the three. Scripture often uses the term God specifically to reference the Father. Jesus is the Son of God.
For instance.
1 Cor. 8:6. yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
There is one God and that is the Father and then one Lord. So here and many other places the one God is not the Son. it refers directly and ONLY to the Father.
So Jesus is not God, is that what you're trying to tell me?
Or are you simply saying that 'God' is an ambiguous term and we have to disambiguate 'God' whenever we use that term?
"So Jesus is not God, is that what you're trying to tell me?"
What do you mean when you say God? Isn't that the question? If you mean something like the 2nd person of the Trinity or the God Man than yes. But let me ask you a question. How many times does scripture call Jesus God? and Why do you think it is so few times? Why does scripture seem to use it more often for the Father but not the Son or the Spirit?
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