I seen this in a post concerning Haiti

[demosincebirth]

"Logical contradictions are the inherent result of Omnipotence. An Omnipotent Being should be able to create a situation it is unable to prevent. If not, it wouldn't be Omnipotent."

Am I right, that this is a good definition for a Supreme Being?

[hedgehog]

1. In other words, could God make a rock so heavy he couldn't lift it?

Or, since God knows everything, doesn't that mean he knows who is going to Heaven and who is going to Hell, and then isn't free will just a trick? IIRC, Calvin got all wound up over that one!I think it was Andrew Greeley or possibly Thomas Cahill who said something to the effect that we should never let Greek word games (all-knowing, all-powerful, omnipotent etc.) blind us to the love of God.

[demosincebirth]

2. To answer your question, I don't know ...just trying to make some sense

out of the statement, that was quit interesting, that I posted from another DU Group.

I was taught that God can do anything, maybe,even, something he couldn't control. I don't know, just asking.

[hedgehog]

3. I think it's important to remember that words are just symbols.

In describing Creator, words are limited. Can you use words to explain "blue" to a person who has been blind from birth, who doesn't even understand seeing? Or maybe a better metaphor is trying to explain a symphony to someone who is and always has been profoundly deaf. Such a person would be able to feel vibrations and would have some notion of what sound is, but they would not have the same appreciation of a trained musician with good hearing.

My point is that you shouldn't get hung up on seemingly paradoxical descriptions of Creator. (and I use "Creator" rather than "god" because we use the word "God" so often it becomes familiar and we forget what we don't know.)

Jesus didn't use words like all knowing or all powerful. He described Creator in terms of a father giving his child something to eat or a nursing mother. Use those words as your starting point and you'll be headed in the right direction.

shalom.