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From: williams@kirk.DEC (John Williams 223-3402)
Newsgroups: net.philosophy
Subject: Historical Relativity
Message-ID: <3576@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Sep-84 12:56:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3576
Posted: Mon Sep 10 12:56:36 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Sep-84 20:44:00 EDT
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> 	OK.  'Lifting a rock' is a (consistent) task description.
> Hence, from 'God is omnipotent' it follows that God can lift a
> rock.  You pick the rock.  In fact, 'lifting every rock' is a
> consistent task description. Thus, from 'God is omnipotent' it
> follows that God can lift every rock. It therefore follows that
> 'a rock to heavy for God to lift' is NOT logically consistent but
> self-contradictory.  Hence, in turn, 'creating a rock too heavy
> for God to lift' is NOT a consistent task-description.  So the
> phrase fails to impose a limitation on God's omnipotence by
> specifying a *task* which an omnipotent being could not perform. 

> Yours for clearer concepts,       --Jay Rosenberg

	Omni( fill-in-the-blank ) specifies something that is 
external to that system. A paradox posed as a violation of 
reality implies that the laws governing that system cannot be 
changed. An omnipotent being could change the laws governing that 
rock prior to the attempt at lifting it. This would give 
omnipotence two distinct meanings. For a closed system, it would 
signify an independence from influence from that system, with 
that system coming under complete control, including the laws 
which establish that system. For an open system, it is a measure 
of how much you are able to control the environment, although 
there is no way of changing the laws of physics and evolution.

	It is true that the paradox occurs when one considers a 
*GOD* to reside within the universe of which he has gained 
omnipotence. If this *GOD* resides outside this universe, then he 
would be able to exert control, as opposed to influence. He would 
be able to make changes, as opposed to modulations, to the 
environment.

	This can be thought of as a way of clarifying the fact 
that we exist within the universe and hence are unable to change 
the laws of physics, we are only able to modulate the 
environment. This paradox is comparable to the problem of 
splitting a black hole. There is evidence that this has occurred,
namely, the *BIG BANG*, which is strong indication that something 
exists outside this known universe. It implies that the laws of 
physics are enforced by something external to this universe.

		----{ john williams }----

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