rf's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=rf2001-06-06T17:11:58ZGödel's theorem applied to God (idea)http://m.everything2.com/user/rf/writeups/G%25C3%25B6del%2527s+theorem+applied+to+Godrfhttp://m.everything2.com/user/rf2001-06-06T17:11:58Z2001-06-06T17:11:58Z<blockquote>"Omnipotent" means the power to do anything <i>possible</i>.</blockquote>
<p>I'll try to present the counter-argument in a coherent fashion:</p>
<p>An <a href="/title/omnipotent">omnipotent</a> <a href="/title/God">God</a> is touted as being able to do anything, even bend the rules as he sees fit. After all, he can do everything. If there is something God cannot do, even one concrete example, the <a href="/title/logical+quantifier">universal statement</a> "God can do everything" is disproven.</p>
<p>In light of this, the phrase "... the power to do anything <i>possible</i>" seems a cop-out. To the <a href="/title/skeptic">skeptic</a>, instead of conceding that omnipotent is a word riddled with holes, omnipotent is suddenly redefined as "omnipotent minus the holes". I have never found the Bible to say "God is almighty, except he can't perform contradictions." God is, in all cases, honored as having everything within his capabilities. What's more, it is stressed that this superiority is to be accepted at face value, never to be<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…