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Onmipotence Paradox
- Thread starter Neale
- Start date
It is God's nature that he reveals himself in paradox.
Examples:
2 Cor. 12:9
He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.
However in the case of God, the paradox is only a paradox to the observer, not the observed.
As to your questions, the various responses are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox
Examples:
2 Cor. 12:9
He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, I will bring the discernment of the discerning to nothing."
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the lawyer of this world? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.
However in the case of God, the paradox is only a paradox to the observer, not the observed.
As to your questions, the various responses are here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox
adilrockstar
Active Member
Neale said:
The answer is no.
This question is an example of humans trying to uderstand God. We cannot, we are limited to our understanding of reality. God warns against this type of reasoning.
Neale
Debonaire Rationale
If it is indeed God's will or "plan" that we have free will, and since he is omnipotent, he would know all future thoughts and actions; therefore human logic and philosophy isn't invalid or foolish by any means vis a vis God's "will/plan," it just doesn't jive with humanity's faith-based arguments. Q.E.D.
adilrockstar
Active Member
Neale said:
You asked for our opinions. I provided mine.
God Bless
Adil
Neale
Debonaire Rationale
adilrockstar said:
If the answer is no, then God is not omnipotent.
There is very little actual human logic involved, when it was wrote that God was all-powerful, how can that be misconstrued? God warns against using logic to better understand religion? I suppose you can't herd sheep with reason - you have to allow for a small margin of error if you're going to rely on people's faith to form arguments.
It's like Penn and Teller said, "If you argue 'faith,' we can't touch you."
I'm not intending to be malicious, but I am glad this sparked some debate!
adilrockstar
Active Member
Neale said:
Guess you have it all figured out then.
God Bless
Adil
Halcyon
Lord of the Badgers
Sure he can.Neale said:
He makes a rock that weighs 500 grams, then he incarnates as an ant and cannot lift it. After the ant has finished preaching to his brethren and is crucified, He reincarnates as a dog which can easily lift the rock in its mouth.
Done and done.
Fluffy
A fool
Can God create a rock that he could never lift?
If God is omnipotent and we are using "omnipotent" in the unrelaxed sense then God is able to do the impossible. That would include being able to do things that he is unable to do such as lifting objects that he can't lift.
If God is omnipotent in the relaxed sense then God can simply do everything that is possible. God can create a rock that he can never lift. This does not restrict his omnipotence.