Can God create a rock He cannot lift?

[Occulus]

Poll question: Can God create a rock He cannot lift?

Please explain your answer.

[Az]

1. No

God does not exist. :evilgrin:

[MercutioATC]

6. Agreed.

It's like asking if Santa Claus sometimes forgets to leave presents...

[qnr]

15. I agree too. However, it also depends upon who "he" is... maybe

the question is being asked by Billy, to Sue, with "he" being George from accounting.

Sorry, I tend to go off on tangents some times.

[Occulus]

24. There was no 'he' but there was a 'He'

That should have been a clue, you silly thing. ;)

[qnr]

40. True, I picked up on that afterwards, but I wasn't referring to this

particular instance of the question specifically :)

[More Than A Feeling]

2. I love this question. The answer is yes and here is how:

Suppose a man is walking along a road and comes to a fork. God wants him to go down the left fork, so he/she/it creates a rock so heavy that it blocks the right fork and forces the man to go left. God cannot lift this rock, or else the man would go right and god would not get his/her/its way. Voila! God has created a rock so heavy he/she/it can't lift it :evilgrin:

[Az]

4. Will vs Ability

I believe the nature of this question is primarily to determine if the omnipotent claim of god enables him to create a selfdefeating paradox.

[More Than A Feeling]

5. I like my answer better

;-)

[Occulus]

7. There's a problem, though

This is a trick question: no matter how one answers, yes or no, there is a thing God CANNOT do.

Yet God is omnipotent.

Paradox.

[Az]

8. Its a fun argument but

The theists have long since drilled an out for this little puzzle. They simply refute that God is subject to such paradoxes. Most skeptics just shake their head and go "Uhuh... yeah." But since the believer won't accept the terms of the argument its difficult to press it upon them.

[Occulus]

11. Is God, then, immune from logic? n/t

[Az]

13. The argument goes

That logic is within god. God is greater than logic. Logic answers to god and god answers to nothing.

[Occulus]

20. that's like looking into a microscope and seeing a thousand hamsters

Logic simply is, though. It's like saying you're better than sky, or brighter than light.

[ghostsofgiants]

36. Dude, I am MUCH better than sky

Fuck a sky.

[Az]

37. Better than sky?

By what criteria? This notion of better has always troubled me. Are you better at carrying electromagnetic currents than the sky? Perhaps you screen out radiation better than the sky.

The only thing you are better at than anything else in the world is being you.

[More Than A Feeling]

9. God could do it, God just chooses not to

so there! :P

[Az]

10. Yeah, there it is

Thats the drill they use :banghead:

[More Than A Feeling]

12. I was just being silly

There is no need for :banghead: :-)

[Az]

14. It's silly

I like it. Reason enough. :D

[dolo amber]

16. Az is my hero

:yourock:

[Occulus]

27. slick answer

And, ironically, true in its own way. Nicely stated.

Consider this, however:

There's a quote, I think it may be Biblical, that goes something like, "The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisest man, and the weakness of God greater than the strongest man" or something to that effect. Basically, it implies that God it both foolish and weak at times by His own standards for Himself, all of which are "better" even at their "worst" than the best Man has to offer.

The implication of both foolishness and weakness on the part of God signifies a lack of perfection on the part of God Himself, again, by His own standards. Am I getting this correct? Because it sure as hell makes me feel better about myself, and I don't like the hubris/arrogance/presumption in that at all...

[punpirate]

3. If god is busy pondering questions...

... like that, it explains why the world is in the fuckin' mess it's in. We need the god of Michelangelo's Creation, and we get Pee Wee Herman in a pot-induced endless loop.... :)

[ashling]

17. God told me that She is offended by your remark

She would have told you herself, but She is busy thinking of the best way to smite your ass. (if She could just lift that damned rock!)

[punpirate]

18. Well, it wouldn't be...

... the first time I'd been threatened with smiting by a female. :P

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. Can god make a square circle?

same basic question. Same basic paradox.

[Occulus]

22. not exactly

circles and squares are very precisely mathematically defined.

Measure to me the strength of God. :)

[A HERETIC I AM]

26. The measure is "Omnipotent"

All powerful. ok?

[Occulus]

28. Is one, two?

Is two, ten?

How many balls does God hold in His hand? One?

Can God say, "One is two"?

Better yet: Can God say, "YOU are Me?"

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. If god is indeed Omnipotent than the answer to all your questions is

obviously yes. INCLUDING your last question. See this post in another thread;

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=19089&mesg_id=19178

According to Genesis, mankind IS like god because we have the knowledge of good and evil.

But, alas, this will go in circles, i confess not to mention that God is a myth so the entire point is moot.

[Elidor]

21. The question neglects the reality that we are all parts of god

It is therefore moot.

[Occulus]

23. Not really

If we're all part of God, in sum, we are God. That doesn't answer the question of whether God can create a rock He (She, It, Bob) cannot lift.

[Elidor]

25. God can

Always

[Occulus]

29. Maybe Douglas Adams had it right:

"The argument goes something like this: `I refuse to prove that I exist,' says God, `for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing.'
"`But,' says Man, `The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore,
by your own arguments, you don't. QED.'
"`Oh dear,' says God, `I hadn't thought of that,' and promptly vanished in a puff of logic."

Who knew?

[MisterP]

31. don't confuse pantheism (everything is God) with panentheism (God is in &

beyond everything)

[Abelman]

32. Why would he?

To practice his clean and jerks?

How can any omnipotent being do something like that? This is a paradox inapplicable to the concept of an infinite being. It's like asking if infinity has an end.

Says me. But whatever.

[BringEmOn]

33. God's heaviest creation was a turd

Even an elephant can't hold it.

God's lightest creation was the penis.
Just a mere thought can raise it.

[6000eliot]

34. I think that god is OUR creation

of a rock we cannot lift.

[Robeson]

35. Nicely put.

[HEyHEY]

38. Dude, my head exploded

[Robeson]

39. At least somebody is playing hockey up there....

...:silly: