The Omnipotence paradox.

191 posts / 0 new
Last post
Randomhero1982's picture
The Omnipotence paradox.

I'm not sure if this question has been asked already as I'm fairly new to the forum... but has any theist or can any theist answer the Omnipotence paradox?

This is essentially that theistic gods are supposedly omnipotent, wielding ultimate power!

With that said, could God create a rock so heavy, that he couldn't lift it himself?

If he can create it and therefore not be able to lift it, he is not omnipotent...

If he cannot create it then by default he is not omnipotent.

It could therefore be asserted that this would be a logical impossibility.

Thoughts?

Subscription Note: 

Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.

Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.

mykcob4's picture
Yes, that is the imperative.

Yes, that is the imperative.

cnr5134's picture
God is omnipotent. What the

God is omnipotent. What the question is asking is can an omnipotent being create a rock so heavy that he himself could not lift it. This is speaking in terms of a being, not God. God is 'to be' (past, present, and future). God is outside of time. To create means to bring into existence or to bring into time. Once the rock is in existence, it can change. It can be ground down or grow to become a mountain. God does not lift the rock, but is the action to lift. The being can lift the rock through God.

CyberLN's picture
Caitlin, what evidence to you

Caitlin, what evidence to you have to demonstrate this?

cnr5134's picture
I'm honestly not exactly sure

I'm honestly not exactly sure what would constitute as evidence of this but it is known that a question like this demonstrates a misunderstanding of what/who God is. I think a lot of secular people view God as an all knowing all powerful being. Something that is of the realm but it is believed by a lot of religious people that God is the creator and therefore does not does not exist in the same sense as people do. We are created in God's image but we are not God's equivalent. People tend to ask questions about God from their human perspective. What/who God is can be found in the Bible. I can use the example of the burning bush. First off the bible says that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. The bush did not burn, it consisted of fire. It speaks to Moses and Moses questions who is this. The reply God gives is I am that I am. This is an example of why theologians believe that God outside of time and the action of 'to be'. This is widely known belief in Catholicism. There are also many references in the catechism on this subject.

CyberLN's picture
"...it is known that a

"...it is known that a question like this demonstrates a misunderstanding of what/who God is."

It is known by whom?

cnr5134's picture
People of religion

People of religion

CyberLN's picture
Which religion? There are,

Which religion? There are, and have been, so many. Which god? There are, and have been, so many.

cnr5134's picture
Christianity

Christianity

xenoview's picture
Caitlin

Caitlin
Do you have any proof your god is real?

cnr5134's picture
I believe in God because I

I believe in God because I see the human race as a whole to be divinely inspired. I believe this because as human beings, we have capabilities far beyond any other species of earth. I believe that the god I follow is true because I have not heard of any other god that comes into existence in human form and lives as a common human. God came and was proclaimed the Savior and it was confirmed through his resurrection. He visited and made himself known to each of his apostles on separate occasions and they were so inspired, they developed his church.

xenoview's picture
Human race is not divinely

Human race is not divinely inspired by your god. First you have to prove your god is real, by giving testable evidence that can pass peer review.

cnr5134's picture
Why do you say it is not

Why do you say it is not divinley inspired? Also I usually look at Eucharistic miracles as some form of physical evidence. I'm not sure if that's good enough for you but if you reject it it's okay

xenoview's picture
Humans wrote the bible,

Humans wrote the bible, humans use religion to control other humans. Can those miracles pass peer reviewed science test?

mykcob4's picture
No, Caitlin, you don't get to

No, Caitlin, you don't get to move the goal posts. If a god is omnipotent then that being should be able to create a rock he can't lift which means he is omnipotent!

cnr5134's picture
What I'm saying is God is

What I'm saying is God is more than omnipotent. He is the action to be so the question does not apply to God but a being. The question in itself highlights a false idea of God.

Sky Pilot's picture
Caitlin,

Caitlin,

"God is omnipotent. What the question is asking is can an omnipotent being create a rock so heavy that he himself could not lift it."

That's a silly question because you can't lift something unless you are on a base of some kind. IOW, you can't lift anything in space if there's no gravity and nothing for you to stand on. You will just be holding the object. And what's the gravity of the place God is standing on? If the object's gravity is greater than that of the platform that he's standing on then he would be moving the platform instead of lifting the object.

Randomhero1982's picture
A question then regarding a

This leads us nicely into god being omniscient...

A question then regarding a god being all knowing... why did he say the following in book of genesis?

•But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

•And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

•Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

Why would he need to ask if he is all knowing? Or is he just poor at hiding seek in regards to the first statement?

Could it be asserted that he is either a) not all knowing if he is indeed asking in question form or b) He is all knowing and was testing them, which considering they had no concept of right and wrong and the actual consequences, that he is inactuality a morally questionable entity?

cnr5134's picture
I am not sure what the

I am not sure what the theology is on this but my belief is that he was asking so that Adam and Eve could confess. It is believed that God knows everything that will happen, and it is believed that he did know they would eat the apple, so he is giving them the opportunity to confess the wrong they did. This story in Genesis shows the beginnings of free will. Again I am by no means a theologian but from what I do know and understand this is the answer I can give.

mykcob4's picture
No, Caitlin, there is no such

No, Caitlin, there is no such thing as free will if you are christian.

Nyarlathotep's picture
Right; if god is omnipotent;

Right; if god is omnipotent; no one has freewill.

cnr5134's picture
God is all powerful and

God is all powerful and allows free will.

Nyarlathotep's picture
You can repeat that as many

You can repeat that as many times as you like; but it doesn't address the contradiction.

cnr5134's picture
Please exaplain, I don't see

Please exaplain, I don't see a contradiction.

LogicFTW's picture
Look up the definition of

Look up the definition of omnipotent. Then look up the definition of free will.

It is a bit like saying the tub water (as a whole) is both hot and cold. A contradiction. The water cannot be both hot and cold without changing the definition of either the word hot, or the word cold.

You could say: God can be omnipotent, but is currently not omnipotent, because he chooses to not control free will of humans.

Or you can personally change the definition of omnipotent to make it work, not tell us, and we understandably will be confused and tell you that: you are saying a contradiction based on the commonly accepted definition of the word.

cnr5134's picture
Sorry I still do not see it.

Sorry I still do not see it. God has all power plus more. People have free will. God allows people to have free will. If God is all powerful why is it a contradiction to say he allows people to have free will?

Nyarlathotep's picture
Caitlin - Sorry I still do

Caitlin - Sorry I still do not see it.

If god is omnipotent (knows everything); then he knew everything you will ever do or think; before you existed. Therefore once you did exist, you could not choose to do anything other than what god already knew you would do.

If god exists and is omnipotent, free will can't exist.

jonthecatholic's picture
He does know everything.

He does know everything. Including, say, what would've happened had I not responded to this post. Free will give you A or B. God knows you'll choose A. But that doesn't take away from your own free will.

Take this example:

Your child likes chocolate ice cream more than any other flavor. You go to the ice cream shop to treat him out, you tell him he can pick any flavor he chooses (free will) but you know he'll choose chocolate. This doesn't in any way take away from either the parent knowing in advance what the child will pick neither the child's free will on the matter.

Nyarlathotep's picture
Jon the Catholic - but you

Jon the Catholic - but you know he'll choose chocolate

Philosophically speaking, that is NOT knowledge. For example: they might be out of chocolate; in which case it is clear you didn't know. According to most theists anyway; god does not have this problem.

Peripatetic's picture
he knows what you are going

he knows what you are going to do by your own choice. what's wrong with that?

"you could not choose to do anything other than what god already knew you would do"
it's the other way around i think, he can not know that you'll do anything other that what you had planned/choose to do. there's no obligating or forcing to do anything.

Nyarlathotep's picture
he can not know that you'll

Peripatetic - ...he can not know that you'll do anything other that what you had planned/choose to do.

Notice that you used the past and present tense with planned/choose. But remember god knows everything BEFORE you even exist (at least according to the theists we hear this from). You haven't planned anything, you didn't choose anything, as you did not exist. Once you do exist, it is too late, your future is already written in stone so to say (according to the omnipotence people anyway).

Pages

Donating = Loving

Heart Icon

Bringing you atheist articles and building active godless communities takes hundreds of hours and resources each month. If you find any joy or stimulation at Atheist Republic, please consider becoming a Supporting Member with a recurring monthly donation of your choosing, between a cup of tea and a good dinner.

Or make a one-time donation in any amount.