Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 63 (9162 total)
1 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 916,387 Year: 3,644/9,624 Month: 515/974 Week: 128/276 Day: 2/23 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   The impossibility of infinite ability..aka "god"
TheNaturalist
Member (Idle past 5704 days)
Posts: 86
Joined: 01-18-2008


Message 1 of 3 (449856)
01-19-2008 1:24 PM


God cannot be infinitely powerful. To be so, it would have to be able to move at an infinite rate.
But this is impossible, because consider: distance = rate * time, correct?
And, rate = distance/time, correct?
But if god were to move at an infinite rate, then either the distance moved in a time frame would be infinite, or the time for movement would be zero, or one last option: the rate is in fact ever-accelerating, rather than being infinite in one slice of time.
Option 1: distance moved in a time frame is infinite. But such is impossible because, say it takes time X to move an infinite distance. Since distance/rate = time, then if the distance and rate were infinite, the time taken would always be "1". It would take time to move at an infinite distance, but since the time would never change, neither could the distance, giving distance, and therefore rate, a finite value. God would be contradicting itself by saying that it could move at an infinite rate but not in any time frame go an infinite distance.
Option 2: time for movement is zero. But since distance = rate * time, no matter what the rate, the distance would be zero, since rate * zero = zero. and, since rate = distance/time, such an "infinite" rate would equal zero distance/zero time, = zero, not infinity. God would be contradicting itself by saying that it could move somewhere in zero time but not go anywhere.
Option 3: the rate is ever-accelerating, not infinite at one time. But since for, say, a random point in time the distance is X, for that period of time taken, the rate would only be distance/time, a finite value. So, god would'nt be able to go anywhere in an instant, but only go there at a rate. God would be contradicting itself by saying it could go an infinite rate but never actually be going at an infinite rate, just ever more quickly as time passes on.
Therefore, god is not omnipresent, since he can't be everywhere at the same time, and not omnipotent, since his ability to move, the fundamental type of action would be limited, so his abilities of action would be limited. He could'nt be omnipotent.

Replies to this message:
 Message 2 by TheNaturalist, posted 01-19-2008 8:21 PM TheNaturalist has not replied

TheNaturalist
Member (Idle past 5704 days)
Posts: 86
Joined: 01-18-2008


Message 2 of 3 (449922)
01-19-2008 8:21 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by TheNaturalist
01-19-2008 1:24 PM


is anyone EVER gonna reply or do anything with this?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by TheNaturalist, posted 01-19-2008 1:24 PM TheNaturalist has not replied

AdminNWR
Inactive Member


Message 3 of 3 (449925)
01-19-2008 8:25 PM


Thread copied to the The impossibility of infinite ability..aka "god" thread in the Coffee House forum, this copy of the thread has been closed.

Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024