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Riane
Member
Registered: 04-2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 87
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Re: An atheist's "best" friend...
I've been mulling over this question for a few days, and I'm going to give the best answer I can. Please note that I'm coming from a Christian perspective.
First off, I want to clarify the terms that are being used in the question. 'Omnipotence' is general defined as being 'all powerful'. In my understanding of the Biblical word, however, this doesn't mean that there aren't things that God can't do. God can't lie. God can't contradict his own nature. The reason God can't lie is because it contradicts his nature. God cannot sin. He cannot learn something new. These 'can'ts' relate to his character. I suppose in a sense you could say that God can only do things that are possible, but what is possible for God is entirely different to what is possible for man. God is all powerful because he can do things WE can't do, but the fact that he can't do things that HE can't do doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't all powerful - it means that he has no contradictions within himself.
Following on from that, when I look at the question as a whole, it seems a bit of a non sequitur. What I mean by that is that it is equivalent in my eyes to asking 'If God beat himself up, who would win?' This is in essence a question that supposes that there are two parts of God which are in opposition to each other, which is not true. Thus for me the question becomes moot. This is, of course, my understanding, from a Christian bias. I know there are people who won't agree with my 'logic', as they're not coming from my point of view, and that's fine. I don't want to force anyone else to think the same way as I do - this is in essence an exercise for me to test how I'm thinking.
This leads to another quick point I want to make - that because I come from a bias, that does not automatically mean that my thinking is flawed, nor does it mean that it's perfect either. And that stands for everyone, whether they believe in science or a particular religion, or both. Part of clear thinking is to recognise that its impossible to look at something without some kind of bias. A Christian viewpoint is a bias. An atheistic viewpoint is a bias. An agnostic view point is a bias.
I hope that came across clearly enough - if anyone else wants to challenge the points I've made, please do so. I don't mind honest intellectual debate - in fact, I think it's healthy. And Alpha, thanks for posting the question in the first place.
Last edited by: Riane, 31/May/04, 6:01
--- Reading: Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres
My writing blog
The Fantasy Writers' Library
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31/May/04, 6:00
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Riane
Member
Registered: 04-2003
Location: Australia
Posts: 87
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Re: An atheist's "best" friend...
Thanks for the vote of confidence guys!!
--- Reading: Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres
My writing blog
The Fantasy Writers' Library
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31/May/04, 14:42
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Ahlyssah
Senior Member
Registered: 07-2004
Location: Lost in a dream of mirrors
Posts: 830
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Re: An atheist's "best" friend...
Riane, all I can say is, well . . .
You're a very, very intelligent person. Biased, yet conscious of this. You don't see that very often
Now about this rock . . .
It's seems quite a paradox, does it not? The all-powerful being has to show a weakness in either one or the other. If he is strong enough to lift the rock, then he has shown his inability to create. If the rock IS too big, then he is revealed as being in over his head. Hmmmm . . . sounds an awful lot like humanity, eh?
--- There are things which Man can not understand. For everything else, there's a lie.
Let's see if we can't get to the truth of the matter, hmm?
'Lyssa was here . . . and she'll be back
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22/Jul/04, 18:21
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Ahlyssah
Senior Member
Registered: 07-2004
Location: Lost in a dream of mirrors
Posts: 830
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Re: An atheist's "best" friend...
Thanks, Alpha!
I think Sonire's right. There is quite likely some kind of life-giving force that exists within all things. Humans give this force shape and charateristic based on what they themselves believe. So, in this sense, there IS a God . . . and a Goddess, Shiva, White Monkey, and what have you. They all exist because we want them to, nay, NEED them to. Some people may think it blasphemous to picture Jesus Christ playing poker with Cernunos and Anubis, but as long as somebody believes in these beings, they will always exist.
--- There are things which Man can not understand. For everything else, there's a lie.
Let's see if we can't get to the truth of the matter, hmm?
'Lyssa was here . . . and she'll be back
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23/Jul/04, 3:47
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kungfudesi429
Member
Registered: 03-2004
Posts: 28
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Re: An atheist's "best" friend...
i dont know if im an atheist or a hindu . . .
we hindus have good principles and such, its just that i cant believe everything . . .
hinduism gets confusing after a while
some friends of mine want me to convert to Christianity, but i cant believe their religion either
it bugs me when they pester me so much on how great God is and everything, and im like, prove it . . . where is this god of yours (but then i could say the saame thing to myself)
yes humans just made it all up . . .
but then i think, what made this universe and other universes, this world, and everything
what made life?
can science explain what made the Big Bang, that made the universe?
can anyone be so sure what made all this . . . . there has to be some greater power out there, do you guys get what i mean?
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23/Jul/04, 4:26
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