"Can God create a rock so heavy that he can't lift it himself?"
To me this question seems a bit wierd. It has no answer. So can someone explain this ques. What will be the ans? Do support your ans if its yes or no.
2006-11-10 07:30:19 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't say that anymore.
It was a cute challenge to theists when I was younger. Indeed, anyone with a weak grasp of his religion could be shaken by the paradoxical question.
In actuality, it's not a great question. We're talking about the assumption of a supernatural being. Such a creature is able to perform the impossible.
When you deal with that assumption, you have to acknowledge that a powerful creature can do something that is impossible. The concept of god surpasses most logical assumptions, so it is a fallacy to apply logic to God.
It would be like someone 8000 years ago asking, "How can someone heavier than a bird go higher into the air?" For that person, it is an impossible concept. Thanks to technological advances, we can give many answers to that question. The mook 8000 years ago could not grasp the assumption that lift can negate the limitation of mass. We mooks cannot grasp the assumption that a supernatural being could do something impossible.
I'll still argue against God (at least the Christian god), but I don't see that question as being that useful. I may throw it out to see if I'm dealing with someone who does not grasp the theistic notion.
2006-11-10 07:31:23 · answer #1 · answered by Rev Kev 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
The question is called a paradox. It is designed to show that the definition of God is illogical. If God is all powerful he can create anything. But could he create a rock that is so heavy he can't lift it? If the answer is yes, then he must not be all powerful because he can't lift the rock. If the answer is no, than he isn't all powerful because he can't create whatever he wants.
By the way, most intelligent atheists do not use this as a proof that god doesn't exist. We have other ways to show this...
2006-11-10 16:13:16 · answer #2 · answered by Existence 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a circular question. If there is a being so powerful that he can do anything, then yes he could make a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it, but by doing so, he actually creating a circumstance where he can not do anything. It's like that old question about logic on star trek they used to get the computer to blow up because the computer could not answer the question. Don't you find it ironic that human beings are able to come up with a question that can not be answered? Sort of like God making a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it.
2006-11-10 15:40:24 · answer #3 · answered by RoboTron5.0 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've never asked that question, for the very reasons you state (it's obnoxious anyway).
It's supposed to show the logical problem of the concept of an omnipotent being. Omnipotent means he can do anything, but the question is set so that either he can't create a rock that big or he can't lift it, either way nullifying the concept of omnipotence.
There's no answer. It's a hypothetical paradox.
2006-11-10 15:37:17 · answer #4 · answered by KC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is addressed to people who claim that a god exists that is omnipotent. The definition of omnipotent is the ability to do anything at all. If you assume that then the question poses a problem.
If he can create a rock so large that he can't lift it, then the fact that he can't lift it contradicts his omnipotence.
If he can't do it, he's not omnipotent.
It's a shorthand way of demonstrating why such attributes as omniscience and omnipotence are fairly meaningless.
2006-11-10 15:32:06 · answer #5 · answered by nondescript 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
People see an image of an Old Man when the name GOD is mentioned.
GOD is beyond form or condition. We humans cannot comprehend this because our mind works on the basis of forms and conditions.
Therefore, any question to interpret GOD through our mind is foolishness. GOD can only be felt through peace, love and joy.
True peace, love and joy come from a state of no-mind where thoughts are absent and only the feeling of the presence of the ONE Life exists.
This ONE we humans refer to as GOD.
2006-11-10 15:40:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
its just a question as to if god has any limits. but the answer is an automatic "yes". if god can create something bigger than himself that he cant lift.. then god is not powerful enough, but if he can't create it... then he is limited in that fashion.
its more of a way to point out that nothing can be an all powerful being.
2006-11-10 15:34:39 · answer #7 · answered by nfreebairn 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm a non-believer, but I don't know what that has to do with a rock. Also, why did you ask non-believers to answer ? What do non-believers know about rocks that believers don't ?
A few years ago, I did a lot of masonary , but I took a big fifteen pounder to the ones I couldn't lift.
If your question seems weird to you, why did you ask it ?
2006-11-10 15:48:22 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that if god can to anything, he should be able to make a rock so heavy that he won't be able to lift it, which shows that god CAN"T do anything.
2006-11-10 15:48:09 · answer #9 · answered by iknowtruthismine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer would be yes, but then God could make himself stronger and therefore able to pick up said rock, right?
2006-11-10 15:33:02 · answer #10 · answered by Esma 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋