If God Is All Powerful, Can He Make A Rock So Big, That Even He Cannot

[Mr.Cat]

Most theistic apologists make the answer that, god can do all things that are possible and that he wants to do. It eliminates the questions such as "[i]can god make a square circle?[/i]" and others. However, I suspect that such questions are to reveal the inconsistencies in proposing an all-powerful god.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Mr.CatholicCat

[xSilverPhinx]

[quote name='Mr.CatholicCat' timestamp='1307505613' post='2251129']
Most theistic apologists make the answer that, god can do all things that are possible and that he wants to do. It eliminates the questions such as "[i]can god make a square circle?[/i]" and others. However, I suspect that such questions are to reveal the inconsistencies in proposing an all-powerful god.
[/quote]

Me too. I think that if you're going to use the words 'all powerful' then it would have to be for something that is [i]all[/i] powerful.

[Mr.Cat]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307507524' post='2251136']Me too. I think that if you're going to use the words 'all powerful' then it would have to be for something that is [i]all[/i] powerful.[/quote]Once you put an definition to something it becomes testable. If we follow ockham's razor, a scientific principle, the simpler and more common explanation tends to prevail. While there are attempts to reconcile and explain these possible contradictions, the simpler explanation is that it's false. But curiously religiosity discourages people to test or change their beliefs, contrary to science that encourages us to test and change our understanding as the evidence presents itself.

In this sense science is self-correcting while religion is not.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Mr.CatholicCat

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307507524' post='2251136']
Me too. I think that if you're going to use the words 'all powerful' then it would have to be for something that is [i]all[/i] powerful.
[/quote]

Lying is not powerful it is a weakness. To state that something is that is not is a lie, or to make something into what it is not is a lie. The moment God lies He ceases to be all powerful.

Edited June 8, 2011 by KnightofChrist

[dUSt]

I think God would simply make the person asking the question forget they asked the question,
so there would be no need for Him to make nor lift any rocks at all.

I don't know, seems like that would be the most logical all-powerful thing to do in that situation.

[Mr.Cat]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1307508881' post='2251151']I think God would simply make the person asking the question forget they asked the question,
so there would be no need for Him to make nor lift any rocks at all.

I don't know, seems like that would be the most logical all-powerful thing to do in that situation.[/quote]
Is God a jedi?

[KnightofChrist]

Lying is evil. Evil is in actuality the absence of good, like coldness is the absence of warmth. This is why it would be contradictory for a all powerful, all knowing, and Eternal being who is goodness itself to lie.

[dUSt]

[quote name='dairygirl4u2c' timestamp='1307327886' post='2250306']
If God is all powerful, can He make a rock so big, that even He cannot lift it?[/quote]
He already did. I'm sure there were plenty of rocks Jesus could not lift.

[quote]If you say he can make the rock... then are you saying that God cannot lift it?[/quote]
Yes. Jesus could not lift rocks, probably over 250-300lbs, somewhere around there.

[quote]If you say that he can lift the rock... then are you saying that he can't make the rock so big enough?[/quote]
No, I just said he could not lift really big rocks.

Any more questions?

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' timestamp='1307508972' post='2251153']
Lying is evil. Evil is in actuality the absence of good, like coldness is the absence of warmth. This is why it would be contradictory for a all powerful, all knowing, and Eternal being who is goodness itself to lie.
[/quote]

And this is also why it is actually contradictory for someone to suggest that a all powerful being can lie or not be all powerful. For God to lie would me He was not actually all powerful and was not actually all goodness. The contradiction is in the person making the claim that God is not all powerful if He cannot lie. Not in the one that says He cannot.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='dUSt' timestamp='1307509336' post='2251155']
He already did. I'm sure there were plenty of rocks Jesus could not lift.


Yes. Jesus could not lift rocks, probably over 250-300lbs, somewhere around there.


No, I just said he could not lift really big rocks.

Any more questions?
[/quote]

Yeah it's a silly question, Christ could will a mountain to move and it would move, or the biggest rock whatever, He would not need lift it at all.

[BigJon16]

This is the kind of question that a 3rd grader would ask someone just to be annoying.

[Papist]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307502903' post='2251114']
He cannot or will not?
[/quote]
No difference

[Papist]

[quote name='xSilverPhinx' timestamp='1307507524' post='2251136']
Me too. I think that if you're going to use the words 'all powerful' then it would have to be for something that is [i]all[/i] powerful.
[/quote]
The OP question is a straw man fallacy. It can only be answered outside the capable understanding of an non-believer. Therefore, the non-believer concludes God is not all powerful. This question has been done to death for centuries and atheists have stop posing it long ago.

[4588686]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1307329183' post='2250318']
Ugh. This question was done to death... hundreds of years ago.
[/quote]




The question has been asked in varying forms for hundreds and hundres of years. Whether it has actually been resolved continues to be debated.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1308102903' post='2253844']
The question has been asked in varying forms for hundreds and hundres of years. Whether it has actually been resolved continues to be debated.
[/quote]
What I mean is that there really isn't anything original to add. I think all the arguments have been made. It's not like we can make startling new metaphysical discoveries.