Patur Aval Assur,
Thank you for your response.
1)Hashem is in reality either A (corporeal) or B (incorporeal)
We can’t really say that – A and B are within our framework of understanding, and Hashem is completely beyond that understanding. He interacts with us through our framework, and that we can talk about.
2)There is a machlokes in this matter
3)It is not possible to KNOW which opinion is correct
4)It is not possible to absolutely believe that a certain side is correct because the other side might actually be right
5a)Either everyone who ever held the wrong belief is a kofer including Roshonim and including us
5b)Or everyone who held the wrong belief BECAUSE they had no way of definitively determining the truth is excused
There was a machlokes in the Gemara about the date of Yom Kippur, but now the date of Yom Kippur is completely settled across all Jewish communities. If Bob came along and said that he believed Yom Kippur was the other date and ate and drank on Yom Kippur, how would we treat him?
6)The Rambam obviously holds that these things are pashut enough that there are no excuses, but for us once there is a machlokes, it is not pashut
I know this has been around the block on this thread, but why is it not pashut if it has been settled by the Jewish people at large?
7)Some people say that whichever side became accepted must be right because H’ wouldn’t let kefira become accepted
This is consistent with our belief that Hashem guides and protects our people, and brings us close to Him.
8)I object to step 7 because if you hold like 5b then it wouldn’t matter if kefira became accepted because we would be excused anyway
The goal of Judaism isn’t to be excused, but to become close to Hashem.
and if you hold like 5a then the same way that H’ allowed earlier generations to be kofrim, he can allow us to be kofrim
Isn’t the status of a kofer something that we confer, not Hashem? If someone keeps the Torah and mitzvos but harbors private doubts, he is not treated like a kofer. The kofer is the person who publicly rejects settled beliefs. Since this status is in our hands, I don’t think your step 8 works.