It does not look like I can retire this year, maybe next year (it could happen!).  But I think I will start my ten-year plan to develop a multi-volume critique of Christianity in January, even if I’m still working my 9 to 5 job.

Part of evaluating Christianity is evaluating the fundamental metaphysical claim that ‘God exists’.   If there is no God, then, obviously, there is no Son of God or God Incarnate, so the truth of most of the other basic Christian beliefs depends on the truth of theism.  Similarly, if the existence of God is improbable, then the existence of the Son of God or God Incarnate is also improbable, at best.  So, if it cannot be proven that there is no God, it would still be significant to determine an estimated probability for the existence of God.

There are many questions that need to be investigated and answered to have a fully-developed view of theism.  Here are some of the questions that I would like to have my own views on:

1. Does God exist?

2. Is the sentence ‘God exists’  a meaningful sentence?

3. Does the sentence ‘God exists’ make a statement?

4. What is the meaning of the sentence ‘God exists’ ?

5. Assuming that ‘God exists’ makes a statement, does it make a coherent statement?

6. Is the word ‘God’ a proper noun?

7. Assuming the word ‘God’ is a proper noun, should we analyze ‘God’ in terms of various divine attributes?

8. Assuming the word ‘God’ should be analyzed in terms of various divine attributes, which divine attributes are part of the meaning of the word ‘God’?

9. Assuming the word ‘God’ should be analyzed in terms of various divine attributes, how are we to determine which attributes are part of the meaning of the word ‘God’?

10. Assuming the word ‘God’ should be analyzed in terms of various divine attributes, should those divine attributes be considered criteria or necessary conditions?

11. What are the meanings of the various divine attributes that are part of the meaning of the word ‘God’?

12. Is each one of the divine attributes that is part of the meaning of the word ‘God’ coherent?

13. Is the combination of all divine attributes that are part of the meaning of the word ‘God’ coherent (when attributed simultaneously to one person)?

14. Assuming that the sentence ‘God exists’ makes a coherent statement, is this statement a necessary truth or a contingent claim?

15. Assuming the sentence ‘God exists’ makes a contingent claim, is it an empirical claim or an a priori claim (i.e. synthetic a priori)?

16. Assuming the sentence ‘God exists’ makes an empirical claim, is this claim true or probably true?

17. Assuming the sentence ‘God exists’ makes an empirical claim, how can we determine the truth or probability of this claim?

18.  Are there any valid deductive arguments for God that use only premises that are known to be true?

19. Are there any valid deductive arguments against God that use only premises that are known to be true?

20. Are there any valid deductive arguments for God that use only premises that are either known to be true or that are probably true?

21. Are there any valid deductive arguments against God that use only premises that are either known to be true or that are probably true?

22. Are there any non-deductive arguments for God that make the existence of God probable, other things being equal?

23. Are there any non-deductive arguments against  God that make the existence of God improbable, other things being equal?

24. Are there any valid deductive arguments for the rationality of belief in God which use only premises that are known to be true?

25. Are there any valid deductive arguments against the rationality of belief in God which use only premises that are known to be true?

26. Are there any valid deductive arguments for the rationality of belief in God that use only premises that are either known to be true or that are probably true?

27. Are there any valid deductive arguments against the rationality of belief in God that use only premises that are either known to be true or that are probably true?

28. Are there any non-deductive arguments for the rationality of belief in God that make it probable that it is rational to believe in God, other things being equal?

29. Are there any non-deductive arguments against the rationality of belief in God that make it improbable that it is rational to believe in God, other things being equal?

There, that should keep me busy for awhile.