Omnipotence

## meanning and trivia

Etymologically, omnipotence comes from the Latin words "omni" meaning "all" and "potens" meaning "powerful", so it literally means "all-powerful". In monotheistic religions like Christianity, Judaism and Islam, omnipotence is often listed as one of the main attributes of God, along with omniscience, omnipresence and omnibenevolence. Scholastic philosophers like Thomas Aquinas discussed different understandings of what omnipotence entails, such as the ability to do anything logically possible vs. being able to do logically impossible or contradictory things. Process theologians reject the idea of absolute or unlimited omnipotence, arguing it would make God less than perfect. They believe God's power is limited by creatures having their own agency and power of resistance. Some reject or limit omnipotence, believing God chooses not to override free will or that miracles are rare acts of persuasion, not coercion. Omnipotence is debated philosophically in terms of paradoxes like the problem of evil and whether an omnipotent God can limit its own power. In Hinduism, the nature of Brahman is said to be unknowable and beyond human concepts like existence, causation or limits. The article discusses debates around what omnipotence logically permits or prohibits God from doing, like creating square circles, as well as its Scriptural basis or lack thereof.

Aquinas acknowledges it is difficult to comprehend God's power precisely. He defines omnipotence as the ability to do anything that is logically possible. God cannot perform logical contradictions like making a square circle. But God can do anything not inherently impossible according to the laws of logic and nature. In scholasticism, Aquinas believes omnipotence is compatible with certain limitations or restrictions imposed by logic. A proposition is necessarily true if its negation is self-contradictory.Aquinas says omnipotence does not mean God can bring all potentials into actual existence at once. God's power is eternal and simple, without stages like in creatures where potential transforms to actual. When we say God can or could do something, it does not mean potentiality like in creation, but referring to God's unlimited will and capacity as the eternal cause. For Aquinas, power, knowledge and will in God are not really distinct but differ logically. Power implies executing will and knowledge. So knowledge/will as cause precedes consideration of power as effect. Aquinas responds that God cannot do things implying a contradiction like making square circles. These are not possible things in terms of God's omnipotence, as they involve impossibilities of logic. He follows Aquinas' view that God's omnipotence means power over all possibilities, not over nonsense or impossibilities which remain so even when attributed to God.

## paradox of stone

The most famous version of the paradox of omnipotence is the so-called “paradox of the stone”: “Can God create a stone that he himself cannot lift?”

###### This paradox states the problem as follows:

* God is omnipotent, meaning he can do anything.
* If God creates a stone that he himself cannot lift, then this means that his omnipotence is limited - he will not be able to lift this stone.
* But if God cannot create such a stone, then this also means that his omnipotence is limited - he cannot do what he cannot lift.
* This means that the assumption of the existence of an omnipotent God leads to a logical contradiction.
* Critics object to this paradox by pointing out that:
* The concept of "omnipotent" does not imply the ability to do logically contradictory things such as "square a circle."
* Creating a stone that cannot be lifted is also logically inconsistent, since it is impossible to create something that does not have the properties implied by its creation.
* God can be omnipotent within the framework of logic and the laws of nature, but not beyond them. The paradox presupposes omnipotence in a more radical, logically untenable sense.

## types Omnipotence

The article mentions various types or definitions of omnipotence that can be used in analyzing the omnipotence paradox:

1. Absolute omnipotence. According to this definition, an omnipotent being is not limited by the laws of logic and can do any thing, even internally contradictory ones. This definition has been criticized because it can create theological problems.
2. Omnipotence as the ability to do any logically consistent thing. This definition was defended by Thomas Aquinas. It solves some paradoxes, but not all. Omnipotence as the ability to do any logically consistent things specifically for the omnipotent being itself. Eliminates actions that are contrary to the very nature of this creature.
3. Omnipotence as the ability to carry out any logically possible action. Avoids problems with changing the past.
4. Omnipotence, meaning superiority over all other beings in strength, but not necessarily omnipotence itself. Also mentioned are the concepts of “extraordinary” and “accidental” omnipotence in relation to the nature of this ability in a particular being.

## In Popular Culture

Esoteric, new age The paradox of omnipotence and its various interpretations are actively discussed in esoteric and New Age circles. In particular, supporters of pantheism often argue that any omnipotent being cannot limit itself to a certain scope of possibilities. According to them, the paradox of omnipotence arises only due to a misunderstanding of the nature of God in monotheistic religions. Some pseudo-scientific concepts, such as the hololographic Universe, suggest that paradoxes are inherent in the world of our perception and are a reflection of deeper patterns of objective reality. Thus, the paradox of omnipotence can be removed if we consider the very nature of being differently. Also popular in esoteric circles is the idea that God or the absolute are transcendental concepts that cannot be described by human language and categories of thinking. In this regard, the paradox of omnipotence is considered a misunderstanding arising from an attempt to attribute human qualities to a being of such a high order. In general, in esoteric and New Age concepts, the paradox of omnipotence is either removed by alternative ontological models, or is denied as an erroneous premise based on an underestimation of the transcendental nature of the absolute. That is, in popular culture, the paradox of omnipotence is actively discussed in esoteric and New Age circles. Supporters of pantheism believe that the paradox arises from a misunderstanding of the nature of God in monotheism. Some pseudo-scientific concepts, such as the holographic Universe, believe that paradoxes can be explained by deeper patterns. The idea of the transcendental nature of God, which defies human description, is also popular in esotericism, so the paradox is considered a misunderstanding.

## List of Omnipotent known users

* Eru Ilúvatar (The Lord of the Rings)
* Kami Tenchi (Tenchi Muyo)
* Emperor-Beyond-The-Sea (The Chronicles of Narnia)
* God (*Abrahamic Religions)*
* God ( I/O Revision II)
* Azathoth (cthulhu Mythos)