by snare&racket 55 Replies latest jw friends
Many ancient believers of god used cognition to 'think' their way from belief to atheism. What initially seems a silly question to reason over, can actually destroy a whole theology.
Here is a question made famous by 'Saint' Thomas Aquinas, believers in a almighty god with unlimited ability, please have a think about this....
The OMNIPOTENCE PARADOX:
"Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even he could not lift it?"
I believe in God. I believe he created the universe, so I believe he is omnipotent and intelligent. Why would God create something he could not pick up? That is in fact showing lack of power in an intellectual way. Many dumb wegiht lifters do the same and damage their bodies, it shows lack of power rather than showing power.
I don't believe he is benevolent though, and I think he has the power to remove all suffering but the the benvolence to do so.
Kate xx
I remember Billy Graham talking about this, and the simple answer is no. God cannot do anything that is against His own nature.
Whoever devised that question, which I remember from the 1930s, did not consider PHYSICS.
1)The first part is about MAKING, an object,- like using energy to make matter
2) the second part is about PROPULSION. lifting. Even a big stone like a planet can be moved (some) with very little thrust. think ion engines.
besides, a big stone would have WEIGHT comensurate with it's MASS only near an equally big mass.
so could god make 2 of such stones? and just rotating them using such little, but constant push would eventually get them to separate via centrifugal forces. . think of all the binary stars; -- 50% of all suns in our galaxy.
it is simply the structure of simplistic human logic that keeps such questions hanging in the void for eons.
LOL, it is an interesting question, and I guess the answer is yes and no. But where does the idea of an omnipotent god come from? When I look in the Bible I can see a god who is forgetful, jealous, regretful, and given to homicidal rages- basically a flawed half human, half-god. Omnipotence is just an idea.
What if God was one of us?
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make his way home
Just trying to make his way home
Like a holy rolling stone
Back up to heaven all alone
Just trying to make his way home
Nobody calling on the phone
Except the Pope maybe in Rome.
I apologise for being a moron first.
But if you could "create" a stone then surely lifting it by the same forces used to create it wouldn't be a problem.
Or, you could create it "in situ".
Humans "create " giant heavy stuff all the time that they cannot move.
They then just "create " something else that can move it. OR contract it out to someone else with the skills.
So if men can figure that out............
I suppose all I am saying is I dont presume to know or pretend to understand how intelligent design might work.
I just like the idea of the possibility.
After all "there are more things in heaven and earth Horatio......".
Is it possible that he did create something like this?
Not a stone, but Satan. A creature that though god seems confident he will overcome, it seems (according to the bible) like there is a chance satan could overthrow him.
Maybe he was stoned when he created satan.
This is a thought exercise nothing to do with weight lifting for gods. If you can't get past that, focus on it being COULD your god, not would your god....
He either CAN do anything or can't. This simple question shows it is impossible. It goes back to the 12th century, probably older. It simply proves the impossible illogic of omnipotence.
Anyone talking of restrictions such as the laws of physics, is missing the whole idea. if god is all powerful and can do anything, he can overcome physics.
(prologos, I sincerely have no idea what you are saying chief, also its missing the point totally.)
The question shows the impossibility of an all powerful anything......
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." According to Jesus, nothing is impossible for God.
How can this question prove that I am wrong if I beleive my God can do anything?
