Can god will himself into non-existance?

Question

If god can do "anything" then can he will that he cease to exist? If not, then is it true that god cannot do "anything"?

Socko: I don't have to worry about that as I accept my own mortality.

Spiffs: Talk about word play! Isn't it nonsense when you be talking about 'god'?

Answer 1

I'll come at this at several angles, though its the same objectification.

Non-existence is the lack of anything... God can not be lacking, no, it is not possible.

God does not even lack the comprehension of non-existence, and therefore can manifest that attribute, that's not there, by its [even though there's no 'it' involved, its abstract] comparison. That's part of what's meant by "First and Last" Alpha and Omega" etc.

Becoming Non-existence would not be doing anything, it would be, being nothing. God can 'do' anything, as an adjustment to quantities of qualities; being nothing is the extreme of quality with no quantity, which only exists by comparing quality to non-quantity... Quantum mechanics is all about this. Particles arising in and out of existence, which is giving a preexisting quality a certain relative quantity in several different dimensions, one of which is motion, which is the progenitor of time.

Non-existence, and absolute existence, are opposites ends of a singular line, and never the twain shall meet, except they are both one all-encompassing truth. Anything not there is simply known by what is there to compare it to.

"It is the silence between the notes which make the music."

Thus we have shown that Quality must always be existing, even when the quantity is nothing in all respects, hence it is said of God...

"Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquility on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden!"

(Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 248)

For it is God which encompasses all the measures, and our own motion (comprehending measured difference) in them, causes us to "experience", and be able to create our own life within the realm of our own certain measure of individual distinction.

The more you know, and accept singularly one truth, the more you can do. This is true whether or not you call that truth God or science [knowledge]. God is all-accepting, and all-knowing of truth, i.e., God IS science, in every way, conceivable and inconceivable. To pursue truth is the same, just the areas of focus by limited minds differs.

Thus it is said: "The ink of the scholar is more valuable than the blood of the martyr."

God bless.

Answer 2

This question is essentially meaningless and is simply word play. God is the essence of existence itself and cannot "not" be.

C. S. Lewis answers best:

"His Omnipotence means power to do all that is intrinsically possible, not to do the intrinsically impossible. You may attribute miracles to Him, but not nonsense. This is no limit to His power. If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it,' you have not succeeded in saying anything about God: meaningless combinations of words do not suddenly acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words 'God can.'... It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of His creatures to carry out both of two mutually exclusive alternatives; not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God." - The Problem of Pain

Answer 3

First of all I will not pretend to know the answer to that question. Second, the notion that god is omnipotent is a human idea. How can any human now what god is or does? Maybe god is a virtue, or perhaps the Buddhists are right when they say that every human is god. It is a great question but in my opinion, impossible to answer.

Answer 4

>If god can do anything, can he will himself into non-existance? Yes. Even we humans are usually capable of killing ourselves if we really want to, so surely an omnipotent being could do the same.

Answer 5

Interesting question.

They used to teach us that God is constantly "thinking" about every single thing in existence and if God stopped thinking about even the smallest quark in nature, it would cease to exist. So then what would there be if God stopped thinking about Himself? Can you imagine the not-even-nothingness that would (wouldn't?) be there?

I think God could. But suicide is against His religion. :)

Answer 6

The answer is no, He can't.

If God willed Himself into non-existance, who it be consistent with His character and nature?

Such questions that contradict His nature are the following:

Can God sin? No, it is inconsistent, and contradicts His nature.

Can God create a rock so heavy, that even He cannot lift? No, it is inconsistent, because it contradicts the laws of His nature.

Can God create a two-sided triangle? No.........etc...


The reason He cannot will Himself into non-existance is because if He did, He would not be an infinite Being, it would contradict the fact that He has always existed, and will always exist.

Answer 7

It is not that God cannot but that He would not. Why? Since He gave His word He dares not take it back. That would be against His own word that he cannot take back what He has spoken. That would make Him a liar. That would make Him a killer.

His Word says "I am God...I am the Alpha and the Omega...Before me there is none and there is none after me...I am forever." He has spoken. He may not rebut that word. God and His word are one.

Answer 8

God can do anything as long as it is within his laws, and other laws that govern his ruling.

Answer 9

Huh. This is better than the rock question.

My brain just imploded.

Answer 10

£10 says someone will mention St Thomas Aquinas to answer this...