The Paradox
-
I think the classical question is whether God could build a fence that he could not climb over
The problem is the formulation of the question is flawed. It's a kind of complex question - on the one hand it is assuming omnipotence in being able to create a stone that is very heavy; and on the other there is a denial of omnipotence in that the premise is contradictory to the original assumption. It boils down to the two premises equalling, can do vs cannot do, when God is able to do all things.
Moreover no single stone can be the heaviest stone because there's always able to be one larger. So the question is about setting a threshold.
The question is more correctly asked - "Is there a stone God could not lift?" - No.
"Is there a stone of whatever size that God could not create?" - Well the answer to that is more involved. A stone can exist in our universe and could be made of whatever size but it could never be infinitely big - and I think many people confuse what infinity means. There can be no actual realised infinity in our universe. Nothing can be infinite within the universe. But in a more truer sense God is that infinity outside of our universe and direct experience to which nothing can compare, not even the largest stone, or the one bigger than it, or the one bigger than that one. I hope you understand.
Notice that when we are philosophizing like thise that we are using relative terms; something is larger or heavier apply in the universo-centric view. God is not relative to anything; God is absolute and above all comparison.
The second part of the premise of climbing/lifting etc. are again limited to our experiential understandings and are very anthropocentric. God is above and beyond all physical things and encompasses all.
The ultimate version of the question is one I formulated thinking on this
"Can God create a universe that he cannot control?"
or a variation
"Can God create a universe bigger than himself?"
Again the same initial problem exists as above - but the truth is that God is incomparable - the whole issue of "cannot" or "bigger" which those questions rely upon are flawed. I hope I have been clear enough.
My best regards.
-
Peace All,
Just an old exercise to strengthen the philosophical muscles
Can God create a stone that even God cannot lift?
Peace Tay
the answer is Yes. God can create a stone that even God cannot lift. However, he would still be able to lift it. wink
salaams
asdfjk
-
Peace Truth,
You've been clear, concise, and logically sound. Everything I didn't want to hear! cry
Where's the fun in that?
Joking aside, you've very cleverly answered the seeming paradox by disintegrating the foundation it stands on. This is probably the best answer I've ever heard to this question.
In the same regard, let me pose you with a riddle
John, Joe, and Jack rented a room. The room cost $30.00. They chipped in $10.00 each. The clerk realized that he had overcharged them. He asked the bellboy to return $5.00 to the men. The bellboy decided to keep $2.00, and return $1.00 to each of the men. 2+1+1+1=5
In the end, the men end up spending $9.00 each (10-1=9), and the bellboy kept $2.00.
Joe- $9.00
John- $9.00
Jack- $9.00
Bellboy- $2.009*3=27
27+2=29Where's the missing dollar?
-
Peace Someone,
Let me break it down for you
Hotel fee $30.00
Split between 3 people $10.00 each
Rebate $5.00
Bellboy keeps $2.00 and returns the remaining $3.00 to the 3 people.
New split between 3 people $9.00 each (10 original, -1 from the bellboy)
Bellboy kept $2.00
3*9+2=29
there's one dollar missing
enjoy wink
-
John, Joe, and Jack rented a room. The room cost $30.00. They chipped in $10.00 each. The clerk realized that he had overcharged them. He asked the bellboy to return $5.00 to the men. The bellboy decided to keep $2.00, and return $1.00 to each of the men. 2+1+1+1=5
In the end, the men end up spending $9.00 each (10-1=9), and the bellboy kept $2.00.
Joe- $9.00
John- $9.00
Jack- $9.00
Bellboy- $2.009*3=27
27+2=29Where's the missing dollar?
Well there is no missing dollar. It's true that each of them paid $9 in the end - therefore a total of $27 is paid to the hotel.
The hotel keeper has $25 and the bell boy has stolen $2 = $27
Again it's the way the final question is asked that confuses the issue )
-
Peace Truth,
Again it's the way the final question is asked that confuses the issue )
This is true. But with math being concrete, the problem should not arise, right? I mean when we say the clerk has 25, and the bellboy has 2, and the 3 guests have 3, then it's easy to see 25+2+3=30. But when worded differently and approached with a different formula, we lose a dollar.
Would you say that the formula I chose is wrong for this problem?
Peace,
Tay -
It's the introduction of the bellboy's money where the problem occurs.
See the 3 men are the payers of the money whereas the bellboy is not a payer but in effect a payee - he receives, as does the clerk.
Therefore the payers have paid (10-1) + (10-1) + (10-1) = 27
and the recipients have received 25 + 2 = 27.
So the way it is summed in the end of the anecdote is incorrect.
-
Peace Tay, all,
Yes, the forumula you presented was wrong, which is why it gave a wrong answer.
The men ended up spending $27 ($9 each) = $25 + $2 once the refund was given.
There were two incorrect steps in the formula. The first was to assume that what they had spent was $30, even though they had only spent $27. The second was to add $2 to what they had spent in total ($27), to try and get a number ($30) which they hadn't spent.I'm not sure if that was clear?
Here's an example that may make things clearer.
4 men pay $40. turns out they should have only paid $30. bellboy keeps $6 and returns $4. Therefore each man only paid $9.
$9 x 4 = $36
bellboy has $6.total must be 36 + 6 = $42??
How did $2 appear magically out of thin air?
.....Now here is a real good one...
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood? lol
peace
-
Peace Truth, David
I was trying to be difficult twisted
Truth stated
say " Irish wristwatch " 3 times as fast as you can.
Irish wristwatch
Irish wisswash
Iris rich rachThat was easy!
David stated
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
4?
Peace,
Tay -
Hello All,
I was asked this riddle when I was a child. I believe I have now have the anwer!
The Dollar simply leaked out of this Universe into 11 dimensational space-time continuum -)
But here is one I would like to put to everyone What is the speed of Dark?
Regards,