Paradox of the Stone

God can hide behind time. He can remain omnipotent if he can take infinite amount of time in creating a stone that he will not be able to lift.
 
everneo,

God can hide behind time. He can remain omnipotent if he can take infinite amount of time in creating a stone that he will not be able to lift.
Click to expand...
Gibberish. Something logically impossible will remain impossible no matter how much time is involved. Trying to claim he will never reach the event is simply a dishonest attempt to evade the issue.

But really there is no paradox. The issue is an incorrect interpretation of what is meant by omnipotence. The ability to do anything does not include an ability to do the impossible. Omnipotence does not break the rules of logic in the sense that a god could no more make a square circle anymore than he could make a regular car travel both north and south at the same time.

An omnipotent god would be able to make a stone of any size and weight and would always be able to lift it. This means there can never be a stone he couldn't lift, such a condition is logically impossible. I.e. the subset of all stones that he couldn't lift is an empty set.
 
Cris said:
everneo,

Gibberish. Something logically impossible will remain impossible no matter how much time is involved. Trying to claim he will never reach the event is simply a dishonest attempt to evade the issue.

But really there is no paradox. The issue is an incorrect interpretation of what is meant by omnipotence. The ability to do anything does not include an ability to do the impossible. Omnipotence does not break the rules of logic in the sense that a god could no more make a square circle anymore than he could make a regular car travel both north and south at the same time.

An omnipotent god would be able to make a stone of any size and weight and would always be able to lift it. This means there can never be a stone he couldn't lift, such a condition is logically impossible. I.e. the subset of all stones that he couldn't lift is an empty set.
Click to expand...

Considering a stone is part of this universe and God is outside of it then it would be easy for Him to create a stone He couldn't lift within this universe, based on the laws that exist.
 
dave,

Considering a stone is part of this universe and God is outside of it then it would be easy for Him to create a stone He couldn't lift within this universe, based on the laws that exist.
Click to expand...
Why would being outside of the universe enable something impossible to be possible?
 
dave,

Because He isn't restricted to our laws.
Click to expand...
What does that mean? If something is logically impossible a god of any power cannot change that.
 
If God is omniscient, why is he lifting rocks? Why does he even want to?
 
God is illogical. Or to a religious person I'd say if god is all-powerful and all-knowing then he can defy logic if he wants!

god doesn't play by any rules
 
When faced with paradoxes and double binds, psychologists suggest to look at the metacommunicative aspect in order to resolve the uncomfortable situation.

In the case of the OP topic, this means asking oneself questions like -

Why am I wondering about the Paradox of the Stone?
What's in it for me to solve the Paradox of the Stone?

- answer such question to yourself, and then work from there.
 
Cris said:
Gibberish. Something logically impossible will remain impossible no matter how much time is involved. Trying to claim he will never reach the event is simply a dishonest attempt to evade the issue.
Click to expand...

If the question is dishonest then god can act in kind.

The ability to do anything does not include an ability to do the impossible.
Click to expand...

impossibility nullifies omnipotency.
 
Cris said:
Omnipotence does not break the rules of logic in the sense that a god could no more make a square circle anymore than he could make a regular car travel both north and south at the same time.
Click to expand...

If god is stoned these may happen. Like Skewing/folding the space partially with omnipotence.
 
Yorda,

You definition of God and the Xian defintion of God are two different beasties. Needless to say, 300 years ago you'd of been burned at the stake for heresy. :D
 
davewhite04,

Can God be confused? Can God be wrong? Can God learn something new?

Michael
 
dave,

Your way of thinking puts human limitations on God, do you not realize that?
Click to expand...
Something that is logically impossible is true for everything not just humans.
 
everneo,

impossibility nullifies omnipotency.
Click to expand...
Then are you concluding that omnipotency is null and impossible and hence omnipotent gods are not possible?
 
^Or that omnipotency isn't necessarily logical, and can be paradoxical.
 
Cris said:
everneo,

Then are you concluding that omnipotency is null and impossible and hence omnipotent gods are not possible?
Click to expand...

Nothing should be impossible for omnipotent god. What seems to be logically impossible can be possible for omnipotent god perhaps at the cost of logic. God can tweak the basic premises for the logic, partially/temporarily.
 
everneo said:
Nothing should be impossible for omnipotent god. What seems to be logically impossible can be possible for omnipotent god perhaps at the cost of logic. God can tweak the basic premises for the logic, partially/temporarily.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top