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How can God be both consistent and omnipotent?
I have been told by Christians as an answer to various questions that God is consistent and unchanging. However, in doctrine it is supposed that God is omnipotent. How can God be both? Logically God's potency would be limited or constrained by God's consistency.
Eg, If I can sin but God cannot due to his consistent nature, then my potency in this field is greater than God's which negates his omnipotence.
@Adam, lets go with lying then. Can God lie? I've been told by Christians that he can't (Despite biblical testament to the contrary). If I Can lie and God can't then my potency is greater in this field.
Actually Scrap lying, It's clear from the bible that the character YHVH lies, lets go with masturbation.
If I can masturbate but god is constrained from doing so, then my potency is greater in this area and God is not omnipotent.
@Adam again, What you've said is that God's omnipotence is not omnipotence at all. You argue similarly to Aquinas. You agree that actual omnipotence is logically impossible but then proclaim that God is omnipotent but that it doesn't mean he's omnipotent.
Omnipotent means exactly what you say it doesn't. You can't just redefine terms when your argument fails.
@Matthew T There's no need to go to the square circle or bottomless box. I'm not asking if God can do things that no one can do but something that You or I could actually do.
I can Lie, Masturbate, Die, Murder, Torture, Change my mind. If God cannot do any one of these things then God is less potent than me.
If you are claiming that Omnipotence only means that you are capable of doing the the things that you are capable of (God can only do what god can do) then I too am omnipotent by the same measure, I can only do what I can do too.
9 Answers
- ?Lv 68 years agoFavorite Answer
Can God perform the logically possible task of learning? No. Because he is omniscient. Can humans learn? Of course. There is one task that humans can perform that God cannot.
God can't be omnipotent, as his omniscience negates his omnipotence. Keep in mind that God also cannot wonder, speculate, guess or perform any other action that precludes or presupposes some level of ignorance on his part.
- Matthew TLv 78 years ago
To say that God can sin is not a logical statement. It is meaningless and therefore is not a contradiction of His omnipotence.
When we say God can do anything, we don't mean contradictions. God cannot make a box that has a top but no bottom because it is not a thing. It is simply a string of words that has no meaning.
- 8 years ago
When God is consistent,it means that he is unchanging, he is always powerful and his powers are never questioned.Consistency does not mean to be limited.And god being omnipotent means he is all-powerful and there is nothing in the creation which he cant do.God made laws and god can also break them.So when God sins,it is not counted as a sin because he made the law and he is not subordinate to these laws.
- 8 years ago
God is Omnipotent but can choose his Omnipotence. God can sin. He has the ability to sin. but why would he? why would the Lord being just declare something evil then do it himself? if you love your mom for instance. and told your son not to kill his grandma, why would you go kill your mother? you wouldn't. it doesn't make any since. God is unchanging but that doesn't mean his decisions arnt. he still makes decisions, they all conform to himself, but are different decisions than the last. just as your decision to ask this question is different than your decision to get on the internet two weeks ago.
- 8 years ago
people don't really know God, they just guess based on their findings. Where as Marxist bury all such findings in the name of scientific honesty and open mindedness. God makes you sin, Jesus makes you quit sinning. Neither God nor Jesus has to keep their word or be good. stop putting down God with stupid logic, because He doesn't have to be logical, and people lie about Him a lot.
- sturgillLv 45 years ago
If God didn't exist, why does it not say something within the Bible? The one time recorded and felt in the historical past of the world when God real became his back on men and women used to be when Jesus died. But that does not mean he failed to exist at the time.
- ?Lv 78 years ago
Not when he's speaking through Gigi, apparently.
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EDIT: And when you come right down to it, God isn't even consistent in the Bible in which Christians claim to believe, so I might be tempted to point that out to anyone who says otherwise.
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- Anonymous8 years ago
Umm... he doesn't exist. So.. yeah.
