Question

Another question from the confluence of ethics and religion: How might autonomous ethical theories lead to a "paradox of omnipotence" and describe that paradox ?

Answer 1

God is omnipotent, which infers God has the power to do anything that’s logically possible. For example, God can create a stone that’s too heavy to lift. This is logically possible and God, the omnipotent and almighty, can make it so. Similarly, God can’t create a creature greater than Himself (God) since he is, as defined, the greatest ‘being’ possible. So, we can say that God is also limited and bounded in his actions to the nature. This concludes: if a being is omnipotent by chance, it resolves this paradox by making a stone no one can lift, thereby becoming non-omnipotent.

The paradox says, God is either omnipotent or He is not. Let’s say He is not. In the universe God can do everything and He has all the powers to do whatever He likes. In such a universe, the stones that are immovable by God Himself do not exist. Hence, the stipulation of this creation itself is faulty because then it would turn out to be a contradiction.