Isn't the concept of omnipotence a total paradox?

Isn’t the concept of omnipotence a total paradox?

  • Every day, at least a couple times, somebody posts something to the tune of "Could God create a boulder so big that he couldn't lift it?", or some other variation of that formula. Most are just shrugged off as someone trying to be funny or clever, but no matter how stupid the intention is, aren't those statements totally accurate with regard to omnipotence? How can omnipotence exist? How can something so paradoxical even be possible? If someone is omnipotent, he COULD create a giant boulder too big to lift (forgive the stupid example, it's just easy to picture). If he created one so big that he HIMSELF couldn't lift it, he must not be omnipotent. Conversely, if he COULD lift it, then he clearly wasn't able to create a boulder so large that it couldn't be lifted. Either way, he's not omnipotent! Isn't omnipotence, by definition, impossible???

  • Answer:

    Human logic will never be able to grasp the omnipotence of God and exactly what that means.

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Human logic will never be able to grasp the omnipotence of God and exactly what that means.

cheir

Infinite concepts only have meaning in mathematics. When you apply them to the real universe then they become meaningless. An omnipotent deity can both lift any object and create an unmovable object at the same time. This is the nature of the infinite. And you are right, in the real universe it is meaningless.

Simon T

Infinite concepts only have meaning in mathematics. When you apply them to the real universe then they become meaningless. An omnipotent deity can both lift any object and create an unmovable object at the same time. This is the nature of the infinite. And you are right, in the real universe it is meaningless.

Simon T

I don't believe omnipotence is possible, but that particular question always seems to me to be trite and inane. My question is if good is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnibenevolent (all good) how can he allow the existence of evil? If he can't stop evil, he is not omnipotent. If he doesn't know that it exists or how to destroy it, he is not omniscient. If he just chooses to allow evil to exist, then he is not, omnibenevolant.

xscout9094

if god can lie he is not perfect, if he cant lie he is not omnipotent, if he can leave a place he is not omnipresent, if he cant leave he is not omnipotent. ... the so called properties of god are full of problems and paradoxes.

Blue

Who needs rocks? Their deity isn't even able to provide a shred of evidence for his own existence.

Marcus Aurelius II

I don't believe omnipotence is possible, but that particular question always seems to me to be trite and inane. My question is if good is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnibenevolent (all good) how can he allow the existence of evil? If he can't stop evil, he is not omnipotent. If he doesn't know that it exists or how to destroy it, he is not omniscient. If he just chooses to allow evil to exist, then he is not, omnibenevolant.

xscout9094

if god can lie he is not perfect, if he cant lie he is not omnipotent, if he can leave a place he is not omnipresent, if he cant leave he is not omnipotent. ... the so called properties of god are full of problems and paradoxes.

Blue

Who needs rocks? Their deity isn't even able to provide a shred of evidence for his own existence.

Marcus Aurelius II

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