There is not just one solution, but many. There is no single correct solution. One solution might be that our ideas of true and false do not apply to God. God can make something be both true and false at the same time. So there is no problem. Another solution might be, that God can do anything He wants to. So if He wants to give away His powers and create a mountain He actually cannot lift, then He can do so. When He does that, He chooses to limit Himself in that way. He can still do anything He wants. Creating that mountain shows that He does not want to move it. At least one more solution exists. There is a section of philosophy called analytical philosophy which is very popular in philosophy nowadays. In analytic philosophy, you start by breaking the problem into smaller pieces and try to solve each little piece. We first take the original problem and try to break it to smaller statements. Can X create Y? Y is a mountain... ...so large, even she who can lift anything cannot lift it And here we may see, that the last sentence is nonsense. If someone can lift anything how couldn't they lift the mountain? In analytical philosophy, statements are either true, false or meaningless. This is an example of a meaningless sentence. So this solution says that there is not an answer, because the question is meaningless. There is a third option, however, that God could have limited power, but then who has limited his power? Then there must be some force more powerful than God, and then who made that force then? This makes this hard to understand.

I think if you think about it too much your head will implode. And I don't think Deity would like that! BTW I love Antigone Rising (the band that is ;)

A lot of people have thought they were really clever by putting the words "Can God" before an impossible statement. Instead, they should put the words "Has God" before impossible statements, and when the answer comes up "No," ask "Why hasn't God..." They will usually realize that they don't want to live in a universe full of cold fire, solid air, or other irrationals, but if they do, there's a drug dealer who'll supply the need and an asylum that'll keep you comfortable in a city near you.

*This is a question I wanted to ask.* It is a confusing question to be sure! Um... I'll try to explain the thoughts going around in my head. If you say that God is all powerful, then to say that He can create something so big that He can not lift it is limiting His power. So which do you belive - that He is all-powerful, or that He has limited power? The whole question screams "oxymoron" to me. I believe that, in the end, this is one of the rare unanswerable questions that can be raised! Hope this helps, and if it does, that you give it a good rating! Thanks!

To be capable of doing anything doesn't include the capability to do the impossible. Even God can't make a square circle.

according to the bible, he can't move an iron chariot. I think there are already boulders heavier than that. So I'd say that yes, that would fit into the myth just fine.

Possibly, but then thats why he created Chuck Norris to do it for him...

God created the mountains and the billions of galaxies. The scripture says (paraphrasing) God is so powerful that mountains crumble to ash at the sound of His voice! So in answer to your question: No! There is nothing to heavy that God can't lift. Even the weight of wounded hearts!

not god

If he is all-powerful, he could make something that he could not lift if it was his will, but could if it was his will, regardless of any "physical" attempt to do so. (hypothetically only, this is only an opinion, if you believe in God.)

That's sort of like that, "if you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?" thing.

I think it's been proven that he can't lift the magnitude of evilness and inhumanity borne of the human race.

I think He could make something heavier than He could lift much more readily than a woodchuck who could chuck wood would chuck wood.

Possible that God could if he wanted to.

ask george carlin.

Yes he can create a rock too heavy for himself to lift with his hands. But maybe his hands wouldn't be much of help, but he'll find a way to sneak in a bulldozer to carry that thing up. After all he's god and their no such thing as challenge to him or his son.

I would be surprised if God made a stone bigger than Himself, because then God Himself is that much bigger. This is the "Immensity" of God.

This question is part of an old George Carlin comedy routine from the early 1970's, about how Catholic school kids used to try to stump their priests in religion classes. For more on George Carlin and his extremely strong views on religion, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin Religious questions like this are part of what is called the "omnipotence paradox." For more information on this question, and others like it, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox

Im confused you would ask a question about god after you last posting to my question. anyway.. to answer your question you would have to believe in god, so i cannot.

This question is a duplicate.

Actually God is spirit & wouldnt need to move objects... Besides that your question should be asked of thier God Elohim.. :-)

G'day thechosenone540, Thank you for your question. I don't believe in God. However, if you did, he couldn't create it without manipulating it in some way. It is just as well God doesn't enter weightlifting events as he would win the gold medal every time. :>) Regards

This question points out a big problem with popular definitions of "God". On the one hand, we define God as being unlimited in various ways. On the other hand, by defining God at all, we have applied limits! So the paradox here is actually inherent in the act of defining God in the first place. In a sense, it's actually idolatrous (or blasphemous) to make this mistake, because you end up worshipping some man-made concept rather than the deity itself. Don't define (or describe) God, for any definition is guaranteed to fall short, since it is limited by our man-made concepts. Instead, just appreciate the reality you live in.

My intricate philosophical and metaphysical thoughts. That's heavy, man.

Hi, I have heard that question brought up in a discussion on tape between a Christian Missionary who witnessed to mormons in Utah a lot before he was martyed. Its something like Can God create a Rock he cant move. The response I heard was why would he.i.e. answer a question with another question. Thanks for the interesting question it makes you think.

Genesis 1:1 [ The Beginning ]" In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."...he must have been holding the raw materials before he made it... Jeremiah 10:12 But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding."...he was holding the earth and the heavens in his hand before he stretched it out. Job 12:15 "If he holds back the waters, there is drought"...so no trouble with water. 1 Samuel 2:8 "For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's; upon them he has set the world." He was able to set the world on its foundations... Daniel 5:23 Revelation 2:1 [ To the church in Ephesus ] "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand"...the stars represent the congregations to whom the letter is written- so he can hold lots of people "But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways." ...so no trouble with holding life and death Colossians 1:17, "He (Jesus) is before all things, and in Him all things hold together," so no trouble holding things together I think that there is nothing too heavy for God to hold.

Probably, but I bet that if he could get Jesus involved, and convince the Holy Spirit to stop haunting houses in the U.K., all three of them could together lift a rock that God by himself can't lift. I guess if you don't believe in the Trinity then your God really can make a rock he can't lift.

God can do anything.

1) YES. God created the universe. But it IS expanding. Either one is almighty or one is not. 2) Some people would answer: Can God create something so heavy that God can't even lift it? YES Can God lift something so heavy that God can't even lift it? YES 3) Can God create God? 4) Time to loose weight... 4) You can find a very interesting discussion of this issue here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_Paradox

Something very heavy that maybe God can't lift could be the Ego of some TV Evangelists. That's Big and Heavy!

If He could, then He could just make it to where He can lift it again because He is all-powerful and Almighty. I hope that this is helpful. -In the service of King Jesus. Thank you and God bless you!

If He wants to.

Yes, but he'd just get Bob Blaylock to come by with the Mother of All Forklifts to move it...;-D.... http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/67004

Perhaps, but then He could just make it to where He could lift it again because of He's all-powerful. -In the service of the Master. Thank you and God bless you!

Not if he is God and so if he could he would not be God. But then again if he were not god he would not be able to create anyway. Oh dear what a problem the simple answer is no to your hypothetical question!

God can do anything. God is God. So No he could not. but if he were not god, he could create one.

Not if he had faith the size of a mustard seed If his “faith were the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it would move; nothing would be impossible for you.” —Matthew 17:20, The Jerusalem Bible.

My uncles an atheist & he asked me something similiar & my answer was R, I love you but we'll never agree. I'll never try & make you a believer & I'll never stop believing. So shut up please, LOL

I know this was not your intention since you are a believer, but that question demonstrates why an infinite "omni" god concept cannot possibly exist with personified attributes. It's a self-contradictory definition; or rather, two separate definitions of God that cannot blend, like Zeus (personified but not infinite) and Tao (infinite but not personified). For example, to "carry" something, one has to be "under" it (or at least put one's "fingers" under it) and "lift" it. To do that, one must have a localized position. That means it can't be omnipresent. An omnipresent god would be under the rock, above the rock, before the rock, after the rock, and inside the rock. Thus, an omnipresent god can't "carry" anything. Do you "carry" your own kidneys, or are they simply a part of you? The problem is most Christians believe in a self-contradictory God concept- they want to embrace the concept of an infinite God, but they can't let go of the personified attributes that limit it.

Whoever said he couldn't lift it?

No, because he is all powerful. and plus God doesn't move the rocks he gets other people to move the rocks.

If God can black then white? Tacking "Can God" on the front of a nonsense question does not make it any less nonsense.

i love these trick questions but the thing is God does what is God like - and forgive me for not being able to clarify what that is, but i'm not God. why would God lift a rock? it is His creation so the question doesn't really apply in my opinion. however if you find an answer to it, please let me know

In the scope of life, does it matter? It's not necessary to ponder what God can/can't do. If YOU need something, he CAN do it. And will do it if you ask him (if you know him).

yes, he could. but then Jesus and the Holy Spirit will help him lift it and drop it on your head.

This a definitely a conundrum concerning the theory of God...

Yes, the sum is greater than the totality of parts.

If God's power is all(infinite), then we have to assume that he can lift an infinite amount of weight. I guess in order for your question to make sense God would have to either create a rock beyond infinite weight or limit his own power to less than infinite. Creating a rock of more than infinite weight makes no logical sense. That would nullify that concept of infinity. If God were to limit his power to less than all(infinity) he would no longer be God.

It's been observed by people wiser than myself that it's impossible for omnipotence and omniscience to co-exist in the same being -- if he already knows what he's going to do in the future, than he'd be powerless to intervene and thus change his future mind...

Well I'm an atheist so keep that in mind... I figure a being with complete omnipotence would be able to break the rules and allow anything to be possible, including what would be paradoxes and impossibilities to us

Obviously not!

And if he's also all-knowing and already knows what he's going to do, does he have the power to change his future mind?

  You limit God by perceiving of God as a Being rather than as a Force. "Lifting" and "powerful" are terms that apply to the physical dimension. God is not of the physical dimension but is beyond it.  

Here's my answer. Take it how you like. I'm rather convinced it must be correct. When we conceive of an all-powerful being, in order to be self-consistent, we must understand all-powerful to mean having all powers, not as being able to do anything. That is, God can only have a power which it is possible to have, a power that actually exists. God has, in fact, all powers that actually exist. Hence, God can do anything which it is possible to do, but not anything whatsoever. He cannot make a rock so large he cannot lift it and still be considered capable of doing "anything". (He cannot be incapable of it either under that consideration.) That is a contradiction, and hence, patently impossible. Hence God cannot be capable of doing "anything whatsoever". Why is it impossible, you might ask. We know it must be, because it is a plain logical contradiction, but what prevents it? Well, I can think of only three possibilities. First, that there is a limit to the force God can apply. Second that there is a limit to what he can create. Third, that there is no limit to either and that he can therefore move whatever amount is created. I personally think the actual answer betakes a bit of both the third and second possibilities, but really with only this much information, your choice of answer may be more of a personality test than anything else.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/89839

i would say no, weight is not a concern to god, im sure he would use some kind of telepathic energy rather than physical energy

That's the omnipotence paradox. It is easily explained by just saying that God is so powerful that he can bend human logic.

He did that already. He allowed part of Himself to separate, assume a physical form, and FORGET who He really was. He was then called AntigoneRising.

This is an oldie, but a goodie. Obviously, the answer "yes" means he wouldn't be able to do something (lift that rock) and "no" also means he wouldn't be able to do something (create that rock). This would suggest a limit to God's power - that, at the very least, God's "omnipotence" must be qualified as being limited to things that do not create self-contradictions, such as creating rocks that he can't lift, and then lifting them, or, for that matter, creating a rock that an omnipotent being can't lift - also a logical impossibility. Of course, that's only if one adheres to the principles of logic, in this case, that there can be no self-contradictions. I would argue, as a radical skeptic, that, at the very heart of the matter, that this principle doesn't have any certain justification that I know of. It is taken as an "axiom", a first principle - it's a presumption. It might be true, but certainty requires certain justification, not presumption because we can. I am also unaware of any certain justifications on whether or not one or more gods exist, or whether any omnipotent being exists. The lack of certain justifications, or, at least my ignorance of those justifications, in both cases, requires me, in order to be intellectually honest, to suspend my judgement about both propositions "self-contradictions cannot occur" and "God exists", so as to not say "I know" when I don't. I neither accept nor reject either proposition, nor do I claim that knowing the truth about either is not possible, but I personally do not know of any certain justifications for either. If there are any, I would enjoy knowing them. That said, I do think that the methodology that self-contradictions are not allowed seems to be a very useful practical tool, moreso than the idea of God. However, whether a principle seems to be practically useful is no guarantee of truth value - it's not even suggestive of it. One, both, or neither of the above propositions may be true. But I can neither believe nor disbelieve in either, nor can I know for certain if they are forever unknowable. So, I'm really not an atheist (in the sense of actively disbelieving in a god) or an agnostic (in the sense of believing we can never know if there's a god), and my sentiments are the same for the logical law of non-contradictions.

I've always wanted a shot at answering this question. If we think in terms of God taking the time to play this game... think in these terms. God is himself infinite power.. so in order for this to happen.. he must first "limit" his power to lift the rock. The next use of power would be to increase the weight of the rock so that he cannot lift it. The next display of power would then be to increase his self imposed limit to lift and then lift the previously too heavy rock. This cycle would be infinite as God is himself infinite. (I'm not talking to people who don't believe in God.. so stay over there and be quite. lol... just kidding... really. Don't get mad... God gave me 8 bux to buy some donuts and coffee and milk.. it's all on the table over there --> :P

This question is often used as evidence against the existence of God. The argument goes like this: If God can create a rock too heavy to lift, then he is not omnipotent because he cannot lift a certain rock. If God cannot create a rock too heavy to lift, then he is not omnipotent because he is unable to create a certain rock. Either way, he is not omnipotent, and therefore cannot exist, or at least can no longer be called God. Superficially, this seems like a pretty damning argument against the existence of God, who is invariably described as omnipotent - nothing is beyond his power. It says superficially. Can anybody go deeper into this question? This is taken from the website http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/rock.html

You theory is based on the assumption that god is called god when he is omnipotent. but you have missed one point: what if he creates a rock and nobody can lift it, but as god is not nobody as he is omnipresent, eh still can lift it.

Hmmm... First thing I thought of was that you're a George Carlin fan! ;-)

There are a lot of things God cannot do, but it does take away from His Godhood. God cannot sin. He can't believe in evolution. He can't lie........

As a matter of fact, there are many things that God cannot do, or rather will not do because it would be out of character for Him. One prime example of this is that God cannot sin. He cannot sin because he is at the completely polar opposite end of sin. Now, about the rock. He would not create a rock he could not lift because there would be no need to create it. What, is He going to create it to appease you and your fleshly desires to try and trump Him by trying to prove He does not exist...NO. He is perfect and therefore everything he created is perfect.

I see it more from a point view as god does not do anything at all. He is beyond DOING anything. God is beyond what we can comprehend as actions. He is beyond existence. Not everything that exists or happens can be interpreted as an action.

"The omnipotence paradox is a family of related paradoxes, having to do with the question of what an omnipotent being can do. These paradoxes pose the question whether it makes sense to attribute omnipotence to anything, usually a being of some sort, or whether such an attribution is meaningless. The argument states that if the being can perform such actions, then it can limit its own ability to perform actions and hence it cannot perform all actions, yet, on the other hand, if it cannot limit its own actions, then that is -- straight off -- something it cannot do. This paradox is often formulated in terms of the God of the Abrahamic religions, though this is not a requirement. One version of the omnipotence paradox is the so-called paradox of the stone: "Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy that even that being could not lift it?" If so, then it seems that the being could cease to be omnipotent; if not, it seems that the being was not omnipotent to begin with. A version of the paradox can also be seen in non-theological contexts. A similar problem occurs when accessing legislative or parliamentary sovereignty, which holds a specific legal institution to be omnipotent in legal power, and in particular such an institution's ability to regulate itself. Some philosophers, such as J. L Cowan, see this paradox as a reason to reject the possibility of any absolutely omnipotent entity. Others, such as Thomas Aquinas, assert that the paradox arises from a misunderstanding of the concept of omnipotence. The paradox can indeed be viewed as a straightforward logical impossibility, in that it frames an inability (cannot lift it) as an attribute of total ability (omnipotence), rather than its absence or negation. Still others, such as René Descartes, argue that God is absolutely omnipotent, despite the apparent problem. In addition, some philosophers have considered the assumption that a being is either omnipotent or non-omnipotent to be a false dilemma, as it neglects the possibility of varying degrees of omnipotence. Some modern approaches to the problem have involved semantic debates over whether language — and therefore philosophy — can meaningfully address the concept of omnipotence itself. Some, however, argue that omnipotence grants the ability to bend logic, therefore rendering the paradox useless. It is thought by some that to analyze the omnipotence paradox rigorously, a precise definition of omnipotence must be established, though others see this as a futile attempt to avoid the paradox. At any rate, for those who think there is enlightenment at the end of this tunnel the common definition, "all powerful", is not specific enough to deal with the issues raised by the paradox. Several other versions of the paradox, incidentally, have been advanced besides the "heavy stone", and these relate to problems in modern physics." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence_paradox This article gives an in-depth discussion of the paradox. Further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence

I don’t claim to know every person’s beliefs about Deity, but from my point of view—as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—the answer is an unmitigated maybe. We believe that the most basic—and, arguably, important—thing we can know is the true character of God: who He is, what He does, why He does it, etc.. Thus the Savior stated, in John 17:3, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God…” (http://scriptures.lds.org/john/17/3). So we have several points to consider: 1) God is bound by the laws of nature. Whether He created these laws or they are co-eternal with Him is irrelevant; God cannot sin, and thus He must abide by the natural laws He has sworn to uphold. 2) The laws of nature are not constrained to that which man knows. Man can only guess how, for example, God parted the Red Sea; however, the fact remains that from what we know of God, there must have been a natural law involved. 3) The Priesthood—that is, the power and authority by which God acts and by which men are authorized to act in his name—cannot be used for unrighteous purposes, including using it for one’s own benefit. So in order to answer this question, we need to know why God wants to create such a heavy object and why He would want to lift it. If He has a valid reason to create it but has no valid reason to lift it, then the answer is yes, He can do that. Conversely, if He has a valid reason to create it and a valid reason to lift it, the answer is obviously no. And the third possibility—that He has a reason to lift it but no valid reason to create it—is obviously impossible (since even God can’t lift something that isn’t there to be lifted). None of this becomes a paradox unless one ascribes to God the ability to sin, but that’s a question for another day. ;-)

Yes he could. But he could also lift it.

Yes of course! Even though the concept is very much beyond our human ability to understand and would seem to be oxy-moronic. Since God is all powerfull and nothing is impossible then why can't he also create something that's impossible for himself? Ha! You see, it's like our concept of time. We can only manage to think linear with such ideas of beginnings and endings therefore, any terminology we create such as God, all powerful and to heavy all come from our in-ability to comprehend real truth, time and space which is always a partial truth, always happening at once and an endless nowhere......

(http://www.carm.org/questions/rock.htm) That question has been debated for years...

Ever hear of a mountain?

Do I know you? :P

God can do things that we don't understand all the time, but I'm sure he can lift a rock that he created heavy

Yeah if he wanted to

why would he want to do that and if he did create a rock like that i would not be big enought to fit here

God can move mountains if He wanted too.

No, I can't

No, God cannot use his power to do something illogical. For with you great strength abides always; who can resist the might of your arm? Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. (Wisdom 11:21-23) Most Monotheists including Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful). God's almighty power is in no way arbitrary: "In God, power, essence, will, intellect, wisdom, and justice are all identical. Nothing therefore can be in God's power which could not be in his just will or his wise intellect." (St. Thomas Aquinas, STh I, 25, 5, ad 1) In other words, God can do anything that is logically possible and is consistent with his other attributes. For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 268 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt1art1p3.shtml#110 With love in Christ.

Heavy-light,starting-ending,big-small are all human perceptions.There is no measure to GOD's abilities.

He is the rock :-)

Yes, because Gods omnipotence is based on the fact that his/her existence is beyond our limited dimensions, however, a rock exists within the limits of our reality. Once created by said diety, in order for him/her to interact with it in a manner asscociated with our reality(lifting), that diety would have to come "down" to our level of existence and thus be bound by our laws of physics. And since the laws of human physics limit our capacity to lift object he/she would no longer be capable of lifting it. At least thats what I think.

if god can make it then surely he can lift it... he has no physicality also... so anything he chose to 'lift' as such would be weightless

As God he can create whatever he likes including something like your heavy rock or something like this world which he does not really manage to handle. Same like a computer game which the creator cannot win. How ever he can cancel or switch off his creations.

He did create a heavy rock. It is called your heart. He cant lift it. You have to.

I read the link...how silly. If god cannot lie because it is against his nature and god could not make a rock so big he couldn't lift it and if god could not cease being god then he is not omnipotent. In fact 99% of religion is circular logic if you ask me. We as humans defy our nature all the time, we find ways to do things we were not meant to do..a man cannot outrun a lion, but he can build a car to outrun one...that is defying our nature. If a god canot do any one thing he is essentially not all powerful, hands down. Of course there is no god so this point is moot

Hes Omnipotent. Which means that nothing can surpass Him. If he did so that would prove that He's not all powerful. But Hes Omnipotent. =]

Yes!

Archemedes: "Give me a big enough lever and I can move the world." ;-)

About 12 years ago, this question was posed to a Christian friend of mine. He fasted and prayed and God gave him the answer. There is one God, He exists in three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father can create a rock so heavy that God the Son cannot lift it. However it is written that we should not tempt God and yes there are certain things God cannot do. God cannot tell a lie, God does not know a sinner that he doesn't love,...etc. Many people speak out of ignorance. It takes more than just reading the Holy Bible, it takes personal relationship with God. God's word does not tell us everything there is to know, it does tell us what we need to know. Now people can stop foolishly pondering this silly question.

The question ignores the primacy and perfection of God's Will, and the definition of omnipotence. To be all-powerful is to be able to do whatever you will to do. As God's Will is perfect and as He is ominiscient as well as omnipotent, He will not change His mind. Therefore, the statment really is: "If God wills to create a weight that He will not lift, then He will not lift it." And in that, there is no contradiction or paradox.

No.

Most original, question, ever.

Only if there is an irresistible force holding it in place

The answer seems somewhat logic to me here: Yes he can create such a stone thus answering the question that he is omnipotent. Because he would be omnipotent until he created that stone, so in creating it, after doing so he no longer is omnipotent. But he did manage to create it and thus was truly omnipotent. But only after creating it, is he no longer omnipotent. The question does not ask: can an omnipotent being STILL lift an object so heavy that it cannot lift it?

Well, the simple answer is no. But before some attempts to refute this, let me explain why this is true. God is omnipotent - he has all power over his creation HOWEVER God is NOT ALL POWERFUL He cannot sin He cannot lie He cannot die There are things God cannot do, and God cannot create something he cannot move as that would disprove his omnipotence.

The answer is easy. Yes it can create an object so heavy that by will cannot lift it as well as uncreate that object. This is merely a game of semantics. It's got nothing to do with paradoxes.

its a tough question. but heres something. if he is omnipotent then he (supposedly) can create a rock he can not lift. but the only reason he can not lift it is because he does not wish for himself to be able to. but if he wishes it he can then lift it. omnipotent (meaning nothing is beyond him)means there is an infinite number of things he can do. it is being able to do all things humanity and other beings can think of while being able to do an infinite number of things we can not think of.