ForumsThe TavernIf anythingspossible, would it be possible for something to be impossible?

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Evilfishy111
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Evilfishy111
1,386 posts
Shepherd

Hmm....I was just thinking this the other day, and I thought, wouldnt it be contradicting itself though? If anythings possible, than that must mean anything is impossible...strange.

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jets99
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jets99
599 posts
Nomad

I also thought about something like this... If god can do anything can he create a boulder so heavy he cant lift it?

Maverick4
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Maverick4
6,800 posts
Peasant

Of course, the OP assumes that everything is possible.

If god can do anything can he create a boulder so heavy he cant lift it?


But, being all powerful, God would procede to lift the unliftable rock.
EmperorPalpatine
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EmperorPalpatine
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Jester

In the hypothetical situation, it would be a contradiction. In this universe, our definition of possible would just change to include the thing that was considered impossible and we'd search for a better understanding of how stuff works.

If god can do anything can he create a boulder so heavy he cant lift it?

The usual argument against that is "He certainly could, but it's not his will to create such an object and would not do anything of value to lift it so it dosen't matter" or "He dosen't have a physical form so the question is invalid" or something.
jets99
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jets99
599 posts
Nomad

But, being all powerful, God would procede to lift the unliftable rock.


but than that would mean GOd could not create a boulder he could not lift
jets99
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jets99
599 posts
Nomad

He dosen't have a physical form so the question is invalid"


But GOD is 3 people in 1 (father son and holy spirit) and jesus was GOD made into man therefor he was in a physical form
MasterMor
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MasterMor
40 posts
Shepherd

nice you found a paradox...but i guess if it did happen the answer would be yes

Cenere
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Cenere
13,657 posts
Jester

If anything is possible, then nothing would be impossible. Being impossible isn't impossible in itself as it is merely an attribute towards the possibility of something, and as nothing would actually be impossible the attribute in itself would no longer exist.
There would be no decision in whether something is possible or impossible because this attribute would no longer be important.
Just like that without darkness, there will be no light, because there is nothing to oppose light to show it exists.

As for the God thing, it is such a tiresome discussion that should go shoot itself in the WEPR where it belongs, at least if you take it further than what EP said:

"He certainly could, but it's not his will to create such an object and would not do anything of value to lift it so it dosen't matter"

Basically? Yes, he could, but he doesn't want to, end of discussion.

These types of discussions tend to run into a nice little circle quite often, especially if no one wants to take a proper stance in either a paradigm or a an actual field of science or philosophy.
As mentioned already, for the titular question, you have to assume everything is possible, and for doing that, you need to take a stance into a world where everything indeed was possible, as such rendering the word and term useless and the question moot.
If you stand in this world, where things are indeed impossible, then it is quite possible for something to be impossible, but it is also impossible for, well, everything to be possible, once again screwing with your question.
In either case, the question does not matter.
blackfurydragon
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blackfurydragon
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Nomad

Hmm....I was just thinking this the other day, and I thought, wouldnt it be contradicting itself though? If anythings possible, than that must mean anything is impossible...strange.

Yup, that seems a contradiction to me... Anyways this post is starting to confuse me D:
xAyjAy
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xAyjAy
4,710 posts
Blacksmith

I also thought about something like this... If god can do anything can he create a boulder so heavy even he cant lift it?


fixed. that is the same as:

"i tell only lies."

if it is true, then you would lie (but then you would say the truth and that would make it a lie again and so on and so forth), and if it is a lie then it is true.

do you know M. C. Escher?
xAyjAy
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xAyjAy
4,710 posts
Blacksmith

sorry for the double post, i meant these pictures from escher:

http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/recogn-bmp/LW410.jpg

http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/recogn-bmp/LW435.jpg

http://www.mcescher.com/Gallery/recogn-bmp/LW439.jpg

nomoreheroes23
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nomoreheroes23
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Nomad

But GOD is 3 people in 1 (father son and holy spirit) and jesus was GOD made into man therefor he was in a physical form

That`s your argument based on only on e religion.
Orthodox,perhaps?
rivercrab01
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rivercrab01
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Nomad

If anything is possible, then nothing would be impossible. Being impossible isn't impossible in itself as it is merely an attribute towards the possibility of something, and as nothing would actually be impossible the attribute in itself would no longer exist.


If you stand in this world, where things are indeed impossible, then it is quite possible for something to be impossible, but it is also impossible for, well, everything to be possible, once again screwing with your question.


Just like how it is impossible for me to read those two quotes without parts of my frontal lobe melting into a jelly.

But yeah, the question that has been asked has been answered, so the 'can god create something he can't control' question would raise some interesting arguments in WEPR. Here it's gonna be an odd thread.
TheMostManlyMan
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TheMostManlyMan
5,865 posts
Chamberlain

well we do have a problem now don't we, well let me say something if that were the case then we would have limitless energy

SteveeXb
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SteveeXb
490 posts
Templar

this is really dumb. we now have a bunch of people trying to answer unanwerable questions like "if a tree falls in a forest and noone is around to hear it does it make a sound?"
or how about "What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
i just find this thead to be hilarious!

thepunisher93
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thepunisher93
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Nomad

Hmm....I was just thinking this the other day, and I thought, wouldnt it be contradicting itself though? If anythings possible, than that must mean anything is impossible...strange.

Get a life!
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