Can God divide by zero?

Question

So like, I heard that God can do anything. Can he perform mathematically impossible equations?

Since when did asking a question relating to the logical boundries of omnipotence make someone an "enemy of Christianity"?

PI is just a variable for 3.14159265359 it is easily expressed in any format that allows decimal places...

Dividing by zero created Satan (read up on facts before you call him Lucifer) and his minions? I suppose performing sums that return a value of 666 cause demonic posession where you come from as well? Jeeez...

Answer 1

Your observations ignore the proper, formal understanding of the concept of omnipotence.

The philosophical rationale is that a supreme being, God, cannot act in an illogical manner with respect to that being's divine and perfect attributes. Hence, God cannot make a rock so big that He could not move it, nor could God do anything that would be a logical contradiction to His divine nature.

Omnipotence means God can do everything **that is possible** within the boundaries of a supreme being. Omnipotence doesn’t mean that God can do anything. The concept of omnipotence has to do with power, not ability per se. In fact, there are many things God can’t do, for example,

- God can’t make square circles.

- God cannot lie.

- What God has created in His image, God cannot annihilate (to erase from existence, to destroy completely).

- God cannot create a morally free creature that couldn’t choose evil or the creature would not be morally free to choose.

None of these, though, have to do with power. Instead, they are logically contradictory, and therefore contrary to God’s rational nature.

See also:
"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)

One needs to have a formal knowledge of philosophy and logic to understand the nature of omnipotence. Just claiming Go is all powerful so he can do anything is nonsensical to the trained person. Here are some references for your further study:

Omnipotence:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/omnipotence/

Omnipresence:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/omnipresence/

The Problem of Evil:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evil/

Epistemology of Religion:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/religion-epistemology/

Pascal’s Wager:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pascal-wager/

Ontology:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/logic-ontology/

Cosmology:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cosmological-argument/

KCA:
http://www.leaderu.com/truth/3truth11.html

Answer 2

It's possible. There might be a way yet unknown by us on how to divide by 0. Just as the discovery of 0 or the acceptance of nothing being something. I guess you can have a small comparison with color, you can't see all the colors in the world (florescent, UVs, etc.), but they are there, or possibility that it's there. Which in turn might be a possibility that God may divide by 0. Though I guess it also would depend on your religion, I don't think all Gods can. Maybe you should ask them, that would be a good question... Though I don't think Gods on Yahoo! Answers.

Answer 3

Deirde H has it exactly right. Division by 0 is not mathematically impossible. It is merely undefined by our current number system.

Many things have been "undefined" in previous number system. The ancient Greek were unable to define zero or negative numbers in the system they used. The ancient Romans, with their lack of "place value" were unable to define decimals. They had to approximate the vaule with fractions.

Prior to the time of Isaac Newton, all of the functions of calculus were "undefined" in mathematics.

Today, we have real world examples of numbers that are impossible to accurately express in your number system, such as "pi" and "e". But that did not prevent God from basing creation on them.

Given time, mathematicians and scientist may figure how what God already knows how to do. That is to define what x/0 means.

Answer 4

Yes, SERIOUSLY, I have once tought that problem: First, what would we define God if we used only numbers, I thought it´d be correct to associate God with the concept of infinity, therefore with all numbers in existance added up, ok, but then if we add up all the numbers, if we consider a line and put to the right of zero all the positive numbers in progression, and to the left all the negative ones, also in progression, we result at the end that infinity is the sum of the "Negative Infinity" with the "Positive Infinity", and since zero is right between them it´d be correct to state that (+In+(-In))/2 = 0 and that the total Infinity (+In+(-In)) or God would also be correctly represented by 2 times 0 which is our symbol for infinity. Crazy but true.

Answer 5

Being able to do anything simply means being able to do anything which does not contradict itself. Illogical things, such as making something by taking it apart, having a cake and eating it too, are illogical and contradictory, hence, using these as arguments against god are mere examples of a person's inability to understand the rules of logic.

Division by zero is not impossible, but merely undefined. It results, if graphed, as an undefined point, or asymptote on a graph. When graphing the function x/0, for the range of -1 to 1, one finds that there is an asymptote at x=0, approached from the negative for x <= 1, and the positive from x >=1. Division by zero is that singular point that could be either positive or negative infinity. I suppose that god is more capable of understanding that concept than an undereducated opponent of Christianity.

Answer 6

dividing by zero is not impossible, simply undefined. In other words, our mathematical models do not and cannot account for this. not a problem for God

Answer 7

God divided ZERO and GOT lucifer and his followers~ such as the antagonists that just want to battle at Yahoo,
Also :
racists,thiefs
AND nose pickers,
ABORTIONS, dummies
AND puppy kickers.
litter bugs and
LOVERS of HATE~
those who CHEAT
on their mate...
self centered folks
LIKE meanies,brats
end of poem cause
THAT is "thats"
deb~3/26/07

Answer 8

The trinity is a one set of 0 or greater issues, like a collective noun (i.e. people, congregation, club, etc.) the only distinction is that the religious connotation tries to meld them. they are the two separate yet as one variety of factor. you spot this frequently in all variety of religions and mythologies.

Answer 9

Your question has less to do with theology than it has with faulty logic. It's along the lines of the "rock so heavy he can't lift it" variety of mutually exclusive premises.

Answer 10

The late Billy Preston said it best "Nuthin' from nuthin' leaves nuthin' "......
One cannot do math where there is no equations.I suppose God could make a liar out of me though.