If a god is omnipotent, that god should be capable of anything. If a god is omniscient, that god should know everything of the past, present and future. Take the Christian god, who is supposed to be both. Omniscience would say that this god would know exactly what he would do on, say, December 17th at 8pm. But omnipotence would say he should be capable of doing anything at that time. To me, this seems to present a contradiction, indicating that a being could not simultaneously be omnipotent and omniscient.
Does anyone see it differently?
2006-12-11 13:28:20 · 9 answers · asked by Phil 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I'd like to thank mixygirl for pointing out exactly what bothers me about certain theists.
2006-12-11 13:34:05 · update #1
As a chemist, I can tell you that chemistry example never seems to work in lab... -_-
2006-12-11 13:36:03 · update #2
About existence out of time, I don't think anything I said concerns that. Treat it like a function. Plug in the coordinates of location and time, and the returned value would be God's action, which he knows since he is omniscient. However as he is omnipotent, he should be able to change that value, but doing this would invalidate his omniscience.
It's a good point, but I think it's covered.
2006-12-11 13:43:07 · update #3
No, I agree with what you're saying. The concept doesn't make a lot of sense. But I just want to comment... the first person's answer to this question demonstrated the exact reason why I have such a problem with religion. "Stop thinking. Have faith." -- Stop THINKING? What kind of God would want us to do that? It's amazing how religion plants those kinds of ridiculous ideas into people's heads...
2006-12-11 13:34:56 · answer #1 · answered by . 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
God can do anything as long as it does not conflict with His Holy nature.
Omnipresence is the quality of being present in all places at all times (Jer. 23:23.4). He is not bound by time and space. This does not mean that nature is a part of God and is, therefore, to be worshiped. Creation is separate from God, but not independent of Him.
Omnipotence an attribute of God alone. It is the quality of having all power (Psalm 115:3). He can do all things that do not conflict with His holy nature. God has the power to do anything He wants to.
Omniscience is the quality of having all knowledge (Isaiah 40:14). Omnipotence, Omnipresence, and Omniscience represent the nature of God concerning His relation to the creation.
2006-12-11 13:38:49 · answer #2 · answered by Jo 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God does not exist within our temporal reality. He is not limited or defined by time. He doesn't do anything "on Thursday."
He sees our universe layed out like a map and timeline and can act on anything at any place on the map, or time on the timeline.
God is omniscient because he is all seeing.
God is omnipotent BECAUSE he is omniscient.
2006-12-11 13:36:36 · answer #3 · answered by Privratnik 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree that it fairly is a paradox, yet given which you employ the 1st definition of the be conscious: "a fact or proposition that looks self-contradictory or absurd yet certainly expresses a available actuality." coping with God's foreknowledge is extremely confusing for us because of the fact we've so little in our very own international that we are able to apply as a base of information. we have no skill to work out into the destiny, so we do not know the way God can and how that's in lots of cases refrained from violating some rule of excellent judgment. God has not shared the considerable factors of how this works, yet I even have some ideas on the challenge that I even have stepped forward from analyzing some thinkers touching directly to the challenge over the years. i think of which you're able to start up via information that God isn't in time--he's outdoors of time. What occurs interior the destiny to us isn't something it is fixed in any style of way in God's eyes. He has reported particular issues will take place interior the destiny (in accordance to the Bible), yet very few info have been uncovered. yet we would desire to consistently remember that God isn't residing in time like we are, so while God says issues will take place this is not because of the fact he's seeing into the destiny -- quite, he's seeing what's the present to him. like the author of a stable e book who's accustomed to how the story will end, he's able to place in writing the history because it is going forward. he's unfastened to alter his ideas in accordance with the requests and petitions made to him because of the fact he can substitute the ending on an identical time. In doing so , he does not by some ability violate his omniscience approximately destiny events because of the fact they have not yet been totally written because of the fact he has written it, is writing it and could write it. in this sense, God's omniscience ability that he's accustomed to not in undemanding terms the destiny, yet all available futures. he won't choose a destiny that could desire to ruin his ordinary printed plan, yet there is not any reason that he won't be able to choose any style of variations as he is going alongside. Does God finally know which destiny he will choose? on condition that he exists outdoors of time, definite. Does that recommend he has no skill to choose on? No, he already made the alternative and is persevering with to make the alternative. If it is paradoxical interior the 1st definitional experience, then so be it.
2016-12-11 07:21:32 · answer #4 · answered by kleckner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The trick to properly living with a religion is not to think too much. For example, try to imagine a god that punishes bad behaviour yet his 'word' contains something like this:
"You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" [Psalm 139:16]
How can he punish someone for doing something he explicitly planned for them to do?
2006-12-11 13:35:51 · answer #5 · answered by DoctorScurvy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Of course he can do anything, he just knows what He'll do..lol. It's like, if I know everything about how two chemicals react, and I mix them, I'm gonna know exactly how they will react..before it happens. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm controlling what the chemicals do, it is their properties that makes them do it. This is a bad example..work with me.
2006-12-11 13:33:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Share this with somebody who already has this understanding, as reinforcement. But more importantly, share this with those who do not have a clear understanding of what it means to be a Christian, so that the myth that Christians think they are "perfect" or "better than others"can be dispelled.
2006-12-11 13:34:03 · answer #7 · answered by Linda 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
God is all, if you have faith and know him then you would understand. If you do not then you will be left behind?
2006-12-11 13:36:07 · answer #8 · answered by ChristianNanny 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
he is both and that is the way he is stop trying to over think this have faith
2006-12-11 13:30:48 · answer #9 · answered by mixygirl05 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋