Me thinks it is somewhat more complex than that, Chaz. You would, in essence, be like a God. That being so, you have apparently bestowed upon us the ability for independent thought and action, but also reserve some right to impose your own will upon us.

 

I make no such reservations, Brunt. Clearly, if I had, you'd have bought an S2000 rather than a Miata! (j/k, I the Miata)

So, can an omnipotent being bestow its creations with the ability to have independent free will? This is a thorny question. I think quantum mechanics indicates that a god can't control the universe at the subatomic level. Does that mean that a god cannot be omnipotent?

FYI, I'm an atheist... I hope that doesn't offend you guys! I just love to talk about this stuff.

 

Chazmo - to answer your question, it is an equation of 2 halves, the equilibrium of the universe and gods impact thereon is unevenly balanced in a meteoric halucination. Sometimes the monkeys come and visit, and sometimes they just sit and eat bananas, unfortunately this is beyond the essence of sensibility so it becomes the mantra.

Hope that clears things up in your head

 

?

 

I think any being with the power to create reserves that right. It's sort of like a programmer always leaving a back door into the software they write in case something needs to be fixed.

As for the S2000/Miata issue, I don't think there's a doubt in my mind that I'd love to be rollin' around in an S, but I also don't feel short changed by having Guinness instead. She's amazing and I love her to death!

Yes, I think an omnipotent being can bestow free will. After all, assuming omnipotence, it is conceivable that such a being deliberately made the validation of their omnipotence difficult to verify as a test of belief...

Athiesm doesn't bother me in the slightest...I figure everyone needs to sort out their own path through this existence...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by AquilaEagle
[B]Chazmo - to answer your question, it is an equation of 2 halves, the equilibrium of the universe and gods impact thereon is unevenly balanced in a meteoric halucination.

 

Thanks for clearin' that small metaphysical issue up for me there, guys!!! I often feel the need for meteoric hallucinations!

So, Brant, god can make a stone he can't lift, but he can turn it into a little softball any time he feels like it! :chuckles philosophically:

 

Sort of. What I said was a little more along the lines of god creating a stone he did not APPEAR to be able to lift, but actually could.

Though, I suppose that if they could lift a stone they appear to not be able to lift then then they could probably turn it into a softball as well. Such is the power of being a creator, I guess...

Not that I can validate any of this...it's just a hypothetical derived from some time drinking with God at Taco Tuesday's...

 

I'd really like to have a taco with God! If God drives a car, but I'm not there to hear him start it up, is it really running? :more philosophical chuckle(head)ing:

 

God actually drives a Spa Yellow S2000...