"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD…

Isaiah 1:18

This is a follow-up post to a poll quest I posted on this subject at: http://www.jcfaith.com/poll/result/3031/. The following is my response to this question and questions like these. Here are some other flavors of this question:

• Can god make a rock so big He can't lift it?
• Can god make a mountain he can't climb?
• Can god build a ladder he can’t climb?
• Can god make the longest pole of which he can’t see the end?
• Can god destroy himself?

Fortunately, for me the answer to all of these is the same and for the same reason. So, once you’ve asked the first question, it’s pointless to ask the rest of them because my response is the same to all of them: NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!, and by the way… NO! :O)

These types of inquiries are designed to attempt to call into question the “Omnipotence” of God. However, the questions themselves are really a contradiction and are illogical. What these questions ask isn’t possible. But why?

First, let’s look at an unbiased straight forward definition of “Omnipotent” just to make sure we are all grounded on the meaning of the term:

1. Almighty or infinite in power, as God.
2. Having very great or unlimited authority or power
3. An omnipotent being

Now to add my opinion around why I think this question is irrational and a contradiction in itself. I’ll attempt to do this by asking another question:

• How can something all powerful “not” be able to do anything?

If an all powerful being can’t do something then that being isn’t all powerful. My position here is that an all powerful being can do anything and is only constrained by “can’t”. Meaning, “can’t” is the only thing an all powerful being “can’t” do. WOW! I just realized that that is a double negative. Does that mean “Can’t” X “Can’t” = Can? LOL…I’m not sure math applies here… I’m just horsing around.

Seriously, interjecting “can’t” in the middle of all powerful creates a conflict and contradiction against the very nature of being all powerful. It just isn’t possible.

As Christians we shouldn’t be afraid of saying God can’t do things that contradict His very nature. There are a lot of things God can’t do:

• Sin
• Lie
• Deny Himself

Just to name a few. The following excerpt is from http://letusreason.com/, which has a list of 8 things God can’t do with some brief explanations around why. This excerpt here specifically covers the God/Rock question:

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2. Can God make a rock so big that even he can’t lift it?

If he can’t lift it then he is not all powerful. Then the rock has become more powerful than God and whatever is more powerful than God is God. God has infinite qualities not finite; God can only do things that are possible he can’t make square circles or a two sided triangle. It is asking God to bring about a logically contradictory state to his own nature.

This is what is called a category mistake to say he can make something he can’t lift. It’s like asking:

• A bachelor what his wife’s name is? [What??? A bachelor doesn’t have a wife!]
• What does the color yellow taste like? Color doesn’t taste.

 It’s not possible for God to make a rock so big that even he can’t lift it. If he can make it he can lift it. If he can create it, he can destroy it. It does not show that God has a limit to his power which means he does not possess infinite power. This means whatever he created is under his jurisdiction under his control, it can never have equality.

 "Whatever implies being and nonbeing simultaneously is incompatible with the absolute possibility which falls under divine omnipotence. Such a contradiction is not subject to it, not from any impotence in God, but because it simply does not have the nature of being feasible or possible. Whatever, then, does not involve a contradiction is in the realm of the possible with respect to which God is omnipotent. Whatever involves a contradiction is not within the scope of omnipotence because it cannot qualify for possibility. Better, however, to say that it cannot be done, rather than God cannot do it." (T. Aquinas Summa Theologica p. 163-164 , Volume I, ques. 15 ans. 3)

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It’s important to note, that the Bible supports this position clearly and plainly. Consider this scripture from the book of Timothy:

II Timothy 2:13

If we are faithless, He remains faithful;

He cannot deny Himself.

Don’t be afraid to use the word God and can’t together in a sentence. The fact that God is constrained by not being able to do “can’t” makes him all powerful and does not contradict His nature. Thanks for listening!

Faith :O)