Classic Solutions

If God is all-powerful, is it such that He could create a stone so heavy even He could not lift it?


Oh, the fun question, a classic atheist fight against God. It's so simple, so easy to understand...and immediately presents a problem for those who believe in the classical conception of God. There are two answers possible (yes and no). Both create a problem: if it is that God cannot create such a stone, He wouldn't be all powerful, and if it is that He can create it and then not be able to lift it, He's also not all powerful. Therefore, God isn't all powerful. Right?

Nope.

Both answers are in fact correct and do NOT in any manner reduce the power of God.

1. Yes. God can both create a stone so heavy He cannot lift it and then He would lift it. He's God and can do all things. He could make circles square and 1+1=7. He's God, He makes the rules: deal with it. (Oh, Descartes, I love you. Stubborn, pigheaded and obnoxious all before your time.)

2. No. Creating a stone that's too heavy for God to lift is a paradox, an impossibility: like a round square or a dark light--things that contradict by matters of words cannot exist in our universe. Therefore, a stone too heavy for the all powerful God to lift is a contradiction of terms rather than a contradiction of God. Rather than disproving God, the questioner is proving himself stupid by suggesting such a thing. (A Thomas Aquinas proof, more subtle, more compelling...though severely less satisfying than Descartes.)

Some Weight Issues

I'm up...oh, 8ish pounds, I'd say from the lowest weight I hit back around January. At my lowest, I had lost almost 70 pounds, all done in about a year. In the last three months, I've gained back like 8.

Now, I know it's because I've gotten complacent about my food. I am still working out (except when I'm sick) like four or five times a week. It's food. I eat too much. Usually of good things, but not always. I went through a couple of week phase where I felt entitled to cookies and sweets and other things I had cut out of my diet, after all, 70 pounds is a lot of weight lost and I felt like it was time to just let loose a bit.

Bad idea.

I still fit into my new clothes, bought at my lowest weight, but they're not as comfy as they were when I bought them. So today, back on the diet. Tomorrow, providing I can breathe despite this little cold I've got, it's back into the gym with the mindset of still having weight to lose. The total goal is 90 pounds. I have just over 30 left to go. I will do it.

(picture upper left is July 09, down about 20 pounds. picture lower right is March 10, down about 65)

I went to college, studied philosophy, and came out a Christian?

Probably precisely the exact opposite effect that college has on most 18 or 19 years old, I managed to become a Christian. Again and again, I hear the story of somebody's kid who went off to college and got estranged from the faith they were raised with.

Atypical. That's me. Eh, I'm not impressed by myself, I'm impressed by God.

A self proclaimed atheist by the age of eight or so, I wanted to study law and thought philosophy was a great lead in to it. (I also studied economics, mostly for a more practical base.) My philosophy degree was concentrated in religious studies. I always liked religion, I wanted to believe something...but it all just seemed so...well, unbelievable. So, I wanted to study it, tear it down, learn the ins and outs--all the better to confirm the atheism I adhered so strongly to.

There's more to the story, but to get to the point, I met a friend on a change encounter on an airplane. He was a church kid (to which I immediately rolled my eyes a bit, thinking "oh great, a bible thumper. Ugh!") but I needed the friendship, so I figured I would just keep my mouth shut and not offend him.

It was not any words he said that talked me into Christianity. It was his heart. (Ohhh, the church buzz words, sorry, but it's the truth.) Tom was kind to me. He didn't have to be, especially after I pretty much offered to give him an alphabetized list of specific contradictions in his precious bible. (So much for not offending him. Oops.)

Tom took me to church, watched a few basketball games with me. He spoke softly and kindly with me when I attacked his faith. He prayed for me.

And in no disrespect to Tom, it was more kindness than a human was really capable of. It was God grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking, getting my attention in the only way I would respond to: He loved me through Tom.

Somehow along the way, philosophy turned into a case for God rather than against him. Descartes proved his own existence, but I was more impressed by the argument for God. Basically, he said that in his mind he could conceive of the idea of a perfect God and therefore one must exist, because one of the necessary qualities of such a God is such that he must exist. (Because, you know, if he didn't exist, He wouldn't be perfect.) It sounds like a dumb argument, but it's rather brilliant.

Kierkegaard claims logic has no place in faith and believed God's existence couldn't be proven by pure reason because reason is created by the finite understanding of man. We're not capable of understanding on a level that could comprehend God, therefore we cannot reason our way to Him.

Thomas Aquinas calls God "The First Cause." Something had to have started everything into motion, no?

David Hume takes the "design" approach. Basically the world turned out exactly such that life was sustainable here on Earth (who knows about anywhere else?) and that any tiny difference from the moment of the 'big bang' forward could have left Earth a desolate, lifeless planet. Because the conditions are ideal, Hume said it was likely that there must be some guiding force that brought it to such a condition.

I could go on and on, and there will likely be a part II and III and so on until I exhaust my philosophical back knowledge. Point is, God can use our ridiculous little minds and our cruel little hearts to reach other people. Sometimes logic can guide, but I sincerely believe that a kind heart is what draws people to God rather than any reasoning or arguing.

Double Mmm...

I promise, this isn't going to be a "look what food I just made!" kind of blog.

But this weeks triumph: baklava. Drool inducing.

Mmm...

I need to create a list of things I want to learn to make in the kitchen.

Yesterday, I made my very first peach cobbler. It was delicious.