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Is God omnipotent?

 
 
Extropy
 
Reply Tue 27 Mar, 2007 01:58 pm
What the word "omnipotent" means, of course, is that it can do anything. Typically, when we think that that means that it can create universes and manipulate all objects within it and all properties about it. However, we should realize that "can do anything" means more than just that--it could mean the ability to self-destruct, for example. If an entity can do anything, then does he not surely have the power to self destruct in some way, like kill himself, or take away his own omnipotence and make himself into a mere human?

Perhaps, then we can allow an exception. Even though this is somewhat arbitrary, we can allow it to mean that it is able to do anything except self-destruct, or manipulate his own self. We can allow the exception of free will--that he cannot control humans' souls.

Even so, it allows many other things. He can, of course, make 1+1=3. He can make many other universes. He can make other people omnipotent. (If he makes other people omnipotent, can he make them mere humans again?) He can turn humans into animals. He can take away people's intelligence. He can make others omniscient. He is surely omniscient--if he can do anything, then that includes the ability to say something true about a given thing, or the ability to predict the future. He, of course, is able to know what he himself will do in the future, but does he have the ability NOT to follow that course of action, thereby making his previous prediction false? He is, of course, able to go back in time, and interfere with his previous self, and he is of course, able to duplicate himself--essentially meaning that he is able to clone himself using his powers as God. He is able to make a previous statement he made wrong. God of course, has no power to make things in some way permanently--otherwise, he would have no power to make those things in some other way. He has no power to make the Earth round forever because that would make him unable to make the Earth cube-shaped. He could also call anything into existence-but could he call into existence anything outside of a universe? Does god have the power to make himself forget something? Does god have the power to clone people? Does god have the power relocate the souls into some cosmic pinball machine and replace the souls with zombie-like brains?

One would infer that because God created freewill, God can create many other things he cannot control himself. Could he create a table that will forever have four legs instead of three, so that he can never change it thereafter?

There is also that he can make what is wrong right and what is right wrong--in other words, he can change morality. But that means that God does not need to follow morality himself--he can change it whenever he wants to. Also, surely God is able to be immoral if he is omnipotent. He also has the power to reward the good and punish the bad, but does he also have the power to reward the bad and punish the good?

God can also suddenly create universes, and transfer things into and out of them. Can he create a universe which he cannot access? Can he create a universe with a property similiar to "free will": that he could not in any way influence the universe?

These are just some thoughts--in case you have not thought of them before. God has the power to make life nothing more than a series of asking questions and then moments of random color and sound. The ultimate question is this: Why doesn't he, since he surely can make life like that, and surely can change morality as he wants?
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Setanta
 
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Reply Tue 27 Mar, 2007 02:11 pm
If Neo sees this, he'll give you a good spanking.

Is God omnipotent? Sure, if she wants. Your imaginary friends can probably do anything you claim they can do.
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