Can god create a staircase so long that not even god can climb it?

Question

I think this question points out the absurdity of the claim that god is all-powerful. If you answer, "Yes he would create it, but choose not to climb it" then you're obviously avoiding the question. All-powerful means that you can do anything, not that you can do anything you WANT to.

I mean if that latter statement is the case, then I can say that even I am all-powerful: I just choose not to show it.

Of those few that actually wrote down a thoughtful reply, thank you.

Julien: "God could create a staircase so long that he cannot climb it. Then he can create himself more powerful so he can climb it."

Me: "But how can you make yourself more powerful than ALL-powerful?"

Allen T: "The answer is no of course. If God needed an staircase that long He would probably just be there. But He could also incorporate an escalator easy enough."

Me: "Avoided the question just like I predicted. You know Allen I am all-powerful too, I just don't need to show it. The whole point of the question is to get the all-powerful agent to do something they don't need to or don't want to: that way we can really see if they can do everything they claim to."

Ben: "No. If God can climb any staircase, it is impossible for a staircase so long to exist at all... being all-powerful only implies power over things that exist or have the potential to exist."

Me: "Long staircases can exist."

Lykaion: "God is no circus side-show freak performing tricks to accomodate our curiosity."

Me: "Again I can say I'm all powerful too, and if you ask me to prove it I'll just say that I'm not a side-show freak performing tricks for your curiosity."

Matt D: "You made a categorical mistake that can be no more answered then "How high is the color purple?" "

Me: "Not accurate analogy: purple doesn't claim to be on an elevation. God claims to be all-powerful. Purple isn't said to have an altitude. God is said to have omnipotence. Therefore my question stands."

Conundrum: "Your Questions Have No Basis In Reality. You Seem To Create Your Own Reality."

Me: "You seem to have no imagination. Not to mention how you conveniently did not answer my question."

Others: "silly billy do you still see god as an old man with a white beard?... stfu gfod csan do anything... Why would your mother let you stay up so late?... makes no sense what so ever... talking to yourself?... a question so s

Me: "You did not answer the question. If the question is invalid, fine say so just back up your claim."

guraqt2me: "The word "powerful" - an adjective tends to connote unlimited power. In human terms, we apply it to the physical and God is much, much beyond that !!! Think of the universe - the staircase is so limiting even, in humanistic terms."

Me: "You only support my point. If God is BEYOND all-powerful able to not only have unlimited physical power but unlimited ALL kinds of power, then SURELY regular plain old physical omnipotence is a cake walk for him! How can a staircase be limiting for him? It's so simple a child could build it out of LEGOs. I understand to build the perfect joint replacement would be limiting because it has size restrictions, but the staircase I describe has no dimensional restrictions. Therefore, it is not limiting. Also, let me just set the record straight: I'm not the one using the term allpowerful - I heard it from a religious person, describing their god. If your god is NOT all powerful, then say so!"

I hate hillary clinton: "God is not a person He can't climb a staircase."

Me: "Another question that attempts to establish a staircase as limiting. People people I'm not asking God to make a space shuttle. It's a simple staircase. Do you honestly believe that god - who according to theists has made the Earth, skies, seas, creatures, etc. - does not even know how to CLIMB STAIRS? That's like saying Einstein couldn't draw a dot on a piece of paper. God is truly not all-powerful if he cannot walk up a flight of stairs."

Answer 1

Instead of asking many such question you can ask like this..
Can God become ungod??

Answer 2

It merely points out the absurdity of the darkened worldview of atheism and the flaws in your logic. You made a categorical mistake that can be no more answered then "How high is the color purple?"

Similiar arguments are made against theists for the creation of God and make the same mistake.

FROM THE WEBSITE CITED BELOW:
One question which inevitably comes up in a discussion of this nature is what the origin of God is? If God created matter/energy and designed the systems that have propelled matter into its present arrangement, who or what accomplished that for God? Why is it any more reasonable to believe that God has always been than it is to say that matter has always been? As Carl Sagan has said, “If we say that God has always been, why not save a step and conclude that the universe has always been?” (Cosmos, p. 257).

From a purely scientific standpoint, it is easy to demonstrate that matter cannot be eternal in nature. The universe is expanding from what appears to be a beginning point in space/time, which appears to be a one time event. Hydrogen is the basic fuel of the cosmos, powering all stars and other energy sources in space. If the fuel of the universe has been used eternally, that fuel will eventually be depleted; but the evidence is that the cosmological gas gauge, while moving toward “empty,” is yet a long way from being there—a condition incompatible with an eternal universe. The second law of thermodynamics insists that the cosmos is moving toward a condition of disorder, sometimes referred to as “heat death.” Even in an oscillating universe, things ultimately run out of energy and “die.” All of these evidences, and several others we have not made reference to, show that matter cannot be eternal, as Dr. Sagan and his associates would like to believe. However, this does not mean that we automatically accept the hypothesis that God is the Creator. Why is it not equally invalid to suggest that God has always been?

The problem here is that many people have a mistaken concept of God. If we conceive of God as physical, anthropomorphic (like man) being, the question of God’s origin is valid. However, such a concept of God is alien to the Bible and to common sense. Consider the following descriptions of God from the Bible:

Answer 3

No.

If God can climb any staircase, it is impossible for a staircase so long to exist at all.

There's not really a paradox here because the impossibility of the existence of such a staircase is entirely unrelated to God's power, as being all-powerful only implies power over things that exist or have the potential to exist.

Edit:
Long staircases can exist, but we're not talking about simply a long staircase. The two ideas in your question are mutually exclusive. Only one of them can exist.

It might help to think about the irresistible force/immovable object paradox. If a given force is truly irresistible, then no object is truly immovable and vice versa. The same thing applies with this question. If God is all-powerful, no staircase is truly unclimbable, and therefore the unclimbable staircase does not exist nor does it have the potential to do so.

Answer 4

God cannot sin - this is impossible for Him to do !!! Remember; limitations are for physical humans - God is a Spirit and therefore, is not limited like us humans are. The word "powerful" - an adjective tends to connote unlimited power. In human terms, we apply it to the physical and God is much, much beyond that !!! Think of the universe - the staircase is so limiting even, in humanistic terms.

Answer 5

Can God warmble in the hybverly? Such questions about could God do something impossible are absurd. Could we recognize if God did something logically impossible? Would we recognize a square circle, a stone so big God can't move it, or any other such nonsense? God is no circus side-show freak performing tricks to accomodate our curiosity. He reveals Himself in nature, His mighty deeds and His word (the Bible), then He asks us to trust Him enough to change our lives based on what He reveals of Himself.

Apsalus, you avoid the premise to my statement that you quoted. Its a nonsensical question. What if I asked you to prove your all-powerfulness by not being Apsalus--would I recognize you if you were no longer Apsalus. Can God warmble in the hybverly? What does that mean? Its meaningless.

Answer 6

There is neither paradox or contradiction.

IF 'god' is omnipotent, he can create an infinite staircase.
IF 'god' is omnipotent, he can climb infinitely.

I think you would have to concede that no staircase is longer than infinite, and that infinite climbing is within the bounds of omnipotence. It may take all of eternity, but he can climb it.

This demonstrates that 'god' CANNOT create a staircase so long that he cannot climb it, therefore 'god' is NOT omnipotent.

Answer 7

God is not a person He can't climb a staircase

there is another question can god create a mountain so big even He cant move it the answer is no because God can't move a mountain what He can do is recreate the mountain somewhere else but he can't move it just like he can't climb a staircase

Answer 8

The answer is no of course. If God needed an staircase that long He would probably just be there. But He could also incorporate an escalator easy enough.

Answer 9

God has created the Universe, God is running the Universe. God will destroy the Universe. God is the Origin of Universe. God is the Destination of Universe. Spirit can neither be created nor be destroyed. It moves from one body to another. Your body dies, not spirit. Your spirit gets new body after death, based upon your actions in this life. Your target is to make your spirit pure, so that it can merge in Super Spirit (God). Remember wherever there is Happiness in Life, there will be Sorrow. To get Happiness, you must master Sorrow.

Answer 10

Your Questions Have No Basis In Reality. You Seem To Create Your Own Reality.

Answer 11

did god create a brain in your head wait i can answer that NO u losers need a life we aint some freaking angels that kniow 100 bout god so stfu gfod csan do anything but u cnat do 2+2= ill asnswer that for u 2+2= sushi