God's "powas."

[Dientamin]

Here's an interesting question:

Could God create a boulder so large that not even he could lift it?  If so, that would mean that he has limited strength.  If not, that means his powers of creation are limited.  

Any thoughts?  

[Corpus]

Dientamin,

There is no answer because the question itself is flawed.

The question simply demonstrates that it is possible to take any language, jumble words together and come out with a structurally sound sentence. The problem is that it still doesn't guarantee a logical question.

An analogous question would be:

"How heavy is the color yellow?"

[Tibby]

Well said, Corpus

[Firefox1337]

I don't understand why the question is illegitimate.  Asking about the weight of a color is an illegitmate question because color is in no way related to weight.  However, asking a question about God's power to create objects makes perfect sense because God does have the power to create.  Weight is not a property of color, but creating is an ability of God.  It may be a paradoxical question, but your analogy is flawed, not the question.

Here's a well-recognized example of a paradoxical question that is nonetheless a legitimate question - which came first, the chicken or the egg?  This question has no definite answer - the chicken couldn't come first because it had to have hatched from an egg, and the egg couldn't have come first because something had to lay it.  However, that's not to say that there is no answer; it's just that we can't come up with a plausible answer.

The question Dientamin asked poses a similar paradox - God couldn't create a boulder so heavy that he couldn't lift it because his powers are unlimited and he can lift anything.  But then, if he couldn't create a boulder so heavy that he couldn't lift it, that would mean his powers of creation were limited.  So if God's powers truly are unlimited, this question is apprently paradoxical.  That doesn't mean that there is no answer and it isn't a legitimate question, though.

[2nd Timothy]

Yes but thats what a chicken does      God is greater than His creation.   He cannot outcreate Himself, because He is perfect.   Does that make Him limited, or does that make Him greater?    Whether or not one could answer the question makes little difference, sorta like the chicken and the egg....its a useless excercise.

There are things that God cannot do.  Surprising?  

1. God cannot allow sin to go unjudged.
2. God cannot force you to accept Him.
3. God can never leave a believer once he accepts Christ.
4. God cannot remember your sin once you ask for forgivness.

Now that we have those out of the way, heres a question for you!

Do you know God and where you will spend eternity?   Would you like to know?

These I have answers for, and both are much more important that Gods rock building abilities.

Grace and Peace!

[Bronzesnake]

I don't understand why the question is illegitimate.  Asking about the weight of a color is an illegitmate question because color is in no way related to weight.  However, asking a question about God's power to create objects makes perfect sense because God does have the power to create.  Weight is not a property of color, but creating is an ability of God.  It may be a paradoxical question, but your analogy is flawed, not the question.

Here's a well-recognized example of a paradoxical question that is nonetheless a legitimate question - which came first, the chicken or the egg?  This question has no definite answer - the chicken couldn't come first because it had to have hatched from an egg, and the egg couldn't have come first because something had to lay it.  However, that's not to say that there is no answer; it's just that we can't come up with a plausible answer.

The question Dientamin asked poses a similar paradox - God couldn't create a boulder so heavy that he couldn't lift it because his powers are unlimited and he can lift anything.  But then, if he couldn't create a boulder so heavy that he couldn't lift it, that would mean his powers of creation were limited.  So if God's powers truly are unlimited, this question is apprently paradoxical.  That doesn't mean that there is no answer and it isn't a legitimate question, though.

It's funny...your I.P. is almost identical to Dientamin's.

Moderator

[JudgeNot]

The question Dientamin asked poses a similar paradox

There is no such animal as a divine "paradox."  To even claim such would entail having total and complete understanding of God’s nature – something no man has.  A ‘paradox’ is a man-made puzzle which is a result of ignorance.  Keeping this in mind, your questions are not, in fact, 'legitimate'.  I would define them as 'troll' questions.

[Corpus]

Asking about the weight of a color is an illegitmate question because color is in no way related to weight.  However, asking a question about God's power to create objects makes perfect sense because God does have the power to create.

Firefox,

It is illegitimate because built into the question is the premise that God has limitations.

One of the most elementary Christian teachings about God is that He has no limitations. Just as assuming a correlation about color and weight makes no sense in a question about the weight of a color, so too assuming a correlation between God and limitations makes no sense in asking the limitations of God.

If the question was re-worded to ask, "Does God have limitations?" then it would at least fulfill the requirement of being both structurally sound as well as logical, and most importantly, enable people to answer it.

[Bronzesnake]

 There be Trolls in them thar hills!

Bronzesnake

[Shammu]

There be Trolls in them thar hills!

Bronzesnake

 how many times are they going to . I mean,  should be on a .

[Firefox1337]

It's funny...your I.P. is almost identical to Dientamin's.

That's because we go to the same school.  I'm not the same person as Dientamin, if that's what you're implying.  He doesn't even know I registered here.  And I'm not trying to troll; Corpus's analogy just didn't make sense to me, and I was trying to clarify it.

A ‘paradox’ is a man-made puzzle which is a result of ignorance.

The actual definition of "paradox" is: An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.  This applies to both the chicken/egg question and the boulder question.

One of the most elementary Christian teachings about God is that He has no limitations.

What about those limitations that 2nd Timothy posted above?

With those limitations taken into consideration, what if God wanted to make a boulder so heavy that He could not lift it?  Since He has no limitations, He could create such a boulder.  But in doing so, He would create a limitation in that He would not be able to lift the boulder.  So if God's powers truly are limitless, he would also have the power to limit his own power, no?

Just as assuming a correlation about color and weight makes no sense in a question about the weight of a color, so too assuming a correlation between God and limitations makes no sense in asking the limitations of God.

The question isn't necessarily asking if God has limitations, it's asking if he can create limitations.  I can understand why you compare it to the color/weight question, but it's not exactly the same correlation.  This question is a paradox; the color/weight question just doesn't make any sense to begin with.

There be Trolls in them thar hills!

Like I said before, I'm not trying to troll.  I can't speak for Dientamin, but I think this question is worth asking and would like to hear what you guys have to say about it.

[Bronzesnake]

Firefox quote...

That's because we go to the same school.  I'm not the same person as Dientamin, if that's what you're implying.  He doesn't even know I registered here

 So you know Dientamin? Did he tell you his username?
He goes to your school and he doesn't know you registered here huh?

 Is it an amazing coincidence that you both happened to register on the same day only hours apart, and he apparantly doesn't know you registered here?

Sounds fishy my friend. I'll give you the benefit of doubt (and there is serious doubt) for now.

Moderator

[Firefox1337]

Yes, I know him.  He told me he registered here, so later on I looked at the thread he made.  Then I registered and posted here; I never told him I was registering.  He won't realize I registered until he reads this.

[Bronzesnake]

Yes, I know him.  He told me he registered here, so later on I looked at the thread he made.  Then I registered and posted here; I never told him I was registering.  He won't realize I registered until he reads this.

OK my friend. Like I said, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

I hope you enjoy your experience here. Please realize that we have to be vigilant here, we do get targeted frequently, so we're careful.

Moderator

[Dientamin]

Posting from my home PC so as to eliminate suspicions (check my IP, mods).