Religious riddle

Acid_Violet

Here's an interesting one, don't know where I heard it though;

If God is all powerful and can do anything, can he create something that even he can't lift?

Think about it!

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

could he make a toilet big enough to fit a turd of infinite size?

philologos

Acid_Violet wrote: »

If God is all powerful and can do anything, can he create something that even he can't life?

I assume that the last word is supposed to be lift. And I've heard it too many times, from some of my friends who are atheists.

18AD

Can god lift himself?

I know I can't.

Peace.
AD.

monkeyfudge

Would god be able to outrun The Flash?

5uspect

Would God win in a fight with Chuck Norris?

I think this is one of the original versions of this:

Epicurus wrote:

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?

Fallen Seraph

Descartes came up with a solution to this paradox that I've always found most pleasing.

He simply assumes that god isn't bounded by consistency (I see no reason as to why he should be).

And so, what happens is this:

1) Atheist challenges god to create a rock so big that even he can't lift it.
2) God creates such a rock.
3) Atheist says "Aha! I thought you were omnipotent!"
4) God lifts the rock.

I gotta say, I get a great bang from that argument.

Also, I do consider it rigorous. See The first entry here.

But I probably see it as rigorous, simply because it find it so aesthetically pleasing

Dades

Acid_Violet wrote: »

Think about it!

Um, no.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

that's... not right though

all he did was create a rock he could lift, which wasn't the original request at all.

Zillah

At least when estebancambias makes an awful pointless thread you can be guaranteed some interesting, if insanely bizarre, conversation.

Acid_Violet

Jakkass wrote: »

I assume that the last word is supposed to be lift. And I've heard it too many times, from some of my friends who are atheists.

Did you ever answer it?

Fallen Seraph

Mordeth wrote: »

all he did was create a rock he could lift, which wasn't the original request at all.

But he couldn't lift it when he created it it

Scofflaw

Fallen Seraph wrote: »

But he couldn't lift it when he created it it

Hmm. In that case the riddle simply becomes "can God create a rock He can never lift?".

cordially,
Scofflaw

robindch

Scofflaw wrote:

In that case the riddle simply becomes "can God create a rock He can never lift?"

Or, "Can god create a rock that he can neither lift, nor not lift, nor neither nor both?", which, I think, covers all bases.

Of greater possible interest are questions like "Can god lie about his promises in the bible?", "Can god lose out to Satan?", "Can god self-destruct permanently?" and so on.

5uspect

Or can God make himself a mere mortal... no wait.

18AD

If there is just god and a massive rock there is no way to determine if he moves the rock or if he moves away from the rock. He must first create the eternal stationary rock-lifting arena.

Now that I would pay to see.

All the best.
AD.

Zillah

Acid_Violet wrote: »

Did you ever answer it?

Did you ever look the word "paradox" up in a dictionary?

aidan24326

Acid_Violet wrote: »

Here's an interesting one, don't know where I heard it though;

If God is all powerful and can do anything, can he create something that even he can't lift?

Think about it!

Why do you think this question is even vaguely interesting?

'All-powerful' implies that 'god' can do absolutely anything, without limit. The answer then to any question beginning with 'can god create...?' is necessarily yes, as otherwise he/it would not be all-powerful in the first place.

The Epicurus riddle posted by 5uspect sums up the contradictions of the bible god pretty well, but any christian presented with that paradox will usually switch to block my ears and shut my eyes mode immediately.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

could a heterosexual god make a man so sexy that he turns god gay?

MrB

Many more here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054989788

humanji

Mordeth wrote:

could a heterosexual god make a man so sexy that he turns god gay?

He already did

Nerin

could god make fred phelps kiss a guy?
hmmmmm
sexy
could he make vanilla ice number one in 2008?
hmmmmm
malevolent

Acid_Violet

Zillah wrote: »

Did you ever look the word "paradox" up in a dictionary?

Point?

Zillah

The point being that if you looked up the word paradox in a dictionary (and understood it), you'd realise that your riddle has no answer. So demanding an answer from Jakkass is somewhat irrational.

Acid_Violet

I thank my intellectual superior for bringing that to my attention.

'Asking' (not demanding an answer :rolleyes:) Jakkass this isn't irrational, it's rhetorical because this logic (as far as I am aware at least) proves the concept of an omnipotent God is a fallacy.

18AD

I don't really think it proves an omnipotent god doesn't exist. The question assumes that 'god' exists in a realm that is subject to the laws of physics and logic.
If anything it proves he can't perform miracles in this realm/dimension/existence etc...

Dades

To me the riddle is questioning the concept of omnipotence; not any specific deity. Of course if omnipotence is impossible that has repercussions for any self-respecting god.

RuailleBuaille

Acid_Violet wrote: »

Here's an interesting one, don't know where I heard it though;

If God is all powerful and can do anything, can he create something that even he can't lift?

Think about it!

He made Mary Harney didn't he?

LOL @ Mordeth

Orion

humanji wrote: »

He already did

You don't mean azezil do you? :eek:

Orion

Can God prove that Black is White and get killed at the next zebra crossing?

RIP Douglas Adams