For the believers in God.

I, personally am agnostic. I guess I'm an atheist but don't really want to "let go" of that comfort of thinking that everything will be cooshty when I die. meh.

Anyway, I thought I'd just make a quick thread for those who believe in God, not to try & influence anyone, I'm genuinely interested as to people's opinions on this.

According to the God of classical theism, he is all knowing & all powerful (omniscient & omnipotent).

So, he knows everything & can do anything. Supposedly.

If he knows everything, then he will know how to make a rock so heavy he can't physically lift it, & if he can do anything he's capable of making said rock. BUT, if he has made a rock which he cannot lift, then he can't do ANYTHING can he? Because he can't lift this rock.

So for the strong believers, I'm interested to know how you'd get around this, & still believe in this God & think he's great & stuff.

(Woop for A Level Religion/Philosophy)

Hi mate.

And welcome on.

As an atheist, I will bodyswerve this question, as I suppose it is redundant to me.

Btw, feel free to invite any others over, we are just trying to build this place up.

Steve

Matty wrote:I, personally am agnostic. I guess I'm an atheist but don't really want to "let go" of that comfort of thinking that everything will be cooshty when I die. meh.

Anyway, I thought I'd just make a quick thread for those who believe in God, not to try & influence anyone, I'm genuinely interested as to people's opinions on this.

According to the God of classical theism, he is all knowing & all powerful (omniscient & omnipotent).

So, he knows everything & can do anything. Supposedly.

If he knows everything, then he will know how to make a rock so heavy he can't physically lift it, & if he can do anything he's capable of making said rock. BUT, if he has made a rock which he cannot lift, then he can't do ANYTHING can he? Because he can't lift this rock.

So for the strong believers, I'm interested to know how you'd get around this, & still believe in this God & think he's great & stuff.

(Woop for A Level Religion/Philosophy)

Show me your support in the scriptures that God can do anything?

The standard response is either that God can not do what is logically impossible. By definition, an immovable object and an irresistable force cannot both exist, so either God is restricted to things that can actually exist, or the question is meaningless.

This question has been debated by heaps of theologians (sp?) and there have been lots of explanations given, many that are much more interesting than the one I gave above.

Perhaps I am not understanding the question as posted. That being said if God created the universe. What would be stopping him from lifting a heavy rock (no matter how heavy). I have friends who believe in creationism. I ask them things like.... well explain the Grand Canyon. They say It is one of Gods creations he can do anything. Needless to say I don't agree with that. Though they are friends of mine so I am very nice in my response to them. Though I could not disagree more with the belief in creationism. I guess you could look at it as a way of simplifying everything. People ask how did this happen. Answer because of God. Though if that is there belief, than OK. I just don't want those kinds of beliefs to have an influence on policy.

Any discussion involving the inclusion of the word god cannot, by definition, be spoken of in a normally accepted manner, because the claims are just too out there!

In order to explain away the claims, and lend some sort of credence to them, a believer must invent an equally 'good' reason as to why they blindly and without evidence dedicate their heart and soul to a book full of stories that, with the greatest respect, would not look out of place were they written by JK Rowling!

I do not think anyone needs to invent a theory as to why, But rather those that do believe do so becausae they want to. Because it is just a matter of faith. Faith in the teachings, faith in the teacher and faith in themselves. JMO

Old Timer wrote:I do not think anyone needs to invent a theory as to why, But rather those that do believe do so becausae they want to. Because it is just a matter of faith. Faith in the teachings, faith in the teacher and faith in themselves. JMO

Lets think about "faith" for a second. What is faith? Faith is a belief in something that has no facts what so ever to back that belief up. For example. One might say I have faith that the Cardinals will win the Super Bowl. Does this prove anything, and is it backed by truth? No it is simply you have faith in that belief.

Or how about I have faith that today will be a really good day. What does faith have to do with the decisions you make. The choices a person makes decides the outcome of each day, not "faith". I have faith I will win the lottery. I could go on and on and on.

Though you see where I am going with this.

No hard feeling OT just been a while since I mixed it up a little with you.

Matty wrote:I, personally am agnostic. I guess I'm an atheist but don't really want to "let go" of that comfort of thinking that everything will be cooshty when I die. meh.

Anyway, I thought I'd just make a quick thread for those who believe in God, not to try & influence anyone, I'm genuinely interested as to people's opinions on this.

According to the God of classical theism, he is all knowing & all powerful (omniscient & omnipotent).

So, he knows everything & can do anything. Supposedly.

If he knows everything, then he will know how to make a rock so heavy he can't physically lift it, & if he can do anything he's capable of making said rock. BUT, if he has made a rock which he cannot lift, then he can't do ANYTHING can he? Because he can't lift this rock.

So for the strong believers, I'm interested to know how you'd get around this, & still believe in this God & think he's great & stuff.

(Woop for A Level Religion/Philosophy)

You forgot omnipresent!

God IS the rock!

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote: Any discussion involving the inclusion of the word god cannot, by definition, be spoken of in a normally accepted manner, because the claims are just too out there!

Much like that yahweh dude you mentioned on another thread. What a looney tune he is! Space ships? Intergalactic alliances? Impending invasions by aliens?

I see what you mean!

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote:In order to explain away the claims, and lend some sort of credence to them, a believer must invent an equally 'good' reason as to why they blindly and without evidence dedicate their heart and soul to a book full of stories that, with the greatest respect, would not look out of place were they written by JK Rowling!

Hey, isn't yahweh in the Bible?

howdy wrote:

Old Timer wrote:I do not think anyone needs to invent a theory as to why, But rather those that do believe do so becausae they want to. Because it is just a matter of faith. Faith in the teachings, faith in the teacher and faith in themselves. JMO

Lets think about "faith" for a second. What is faith? Faith is a belief in something that has no facts what so ever to back that belief up. For example. One might say I have faith that the Cardinals will win the Super Bowl. Does this prove anything, and is it backed by truth? No it is simply you have faith in that belief.

Or how about I have faith that today will be a really good day. What does faith have to do with the decisions you make. The choices a person makes decides the outcome of each day, not "faith". I have faith I will win the lottery. I could go on and on and on.

Though you see where I am going with this.

No hard feeling OT just been a while since I mixed it up a little with you.

Well not to worry my friend, for you see I have " Faith " in you. I can imagine that there have been times that you have been chomping on the bit to get it on.

Without faith there is no hope and without hope you have no faith. If you are going to suceed in whatever it is that you do then you must have faith in yourself must you not? Do you have enough faith and belief in yourself when you get behind the wheel of that rig and take to the road, that you will finish your run and come back home to pick on a poor old and helpless and defenseless old person like me. I have faith in you to do just that. and I believe ( hope ) I will get a juicy reply to this. hehehe

Faith in yourself cannot be compared faith in a god though, can it?

I don't think so. I am talking about faith in general. All religions have their own code of ethics for you to believe in and to try live by. This I think is supposed to give you the faith ( belief ) in yourself and your own ability to do whatever it is you need to do in order to survive and live a good live. So this may well apply. If I think I can do something and I have the faith in my ability to do so then I will probably be able to do it.

Probably you would. Unless you were deluded, and attempting or suggesting something which was so beyond you, you could not possibly hope to achieve it. Ambition is good, yet it has to be tempered in reality, right?

We will never know what is beyond our reach unless we try. Having faith in ourselves by whatever method is what makes us suceed does it not?

Old Timer wrote:We will never know what is beyond our reach unless we try. Having faith in ourselves by whatever method is what makes us suceed does it not?

Having a plan, and being focused is what helps.

absoultly, It is all part of the path to sucess

Old Timer wrote:Do you have enough faith and belief in yourself when you get behind the wheel of that rig and take to the road, that you will finish your run and come back home

Well I am not sure if faith applies here. Making sure you always have enough of a gap between you and the car/truck in front of you, faith does not apply there. In a bad situation when driving it comes down to skill, and not getting panicked. For example when I hit a patch of ice on the road with the wind blowing. I have to countersteer, and throttle steer the truck to not wreck. All the faith in the world is not going to work if you don't have the skill. That being said driving a truck is a dangerous job. I will be glad at some point to not have to do it for a living. I don't do it because I like it. I do it because I am good at it, and it is the one skill I have that makes me a living.

But it seems that you have enough faith in your skills that you will go back out there and keep on driving

Old Timer wrote:But it seems that you have enough faith in your skills that you will go back out there and keep on driving

hehe

Just keep on trucking and posting my friend.

Old Timer wrote:Just keep on trucking and posting my friend.

That a big 10-4 there rubber-ducky.

howdy wrote:

Old Timer wrote:Just keep on trucking and posting my friend.

That a big 10-4 there rubber-ducky.

Will do. See ya in th funny papers.