Recently a teacher asked me this question. Actually, he asked it on two different occasions in two different ways.
On the first occasion he asked the classic: "Can God create a rock so heavy he cannot lift it?"
On the second occasion he asked: "Can God give up his immutability or his eternality?"
The question fundamentally boils down to this: Can God redefine himself? Or Can God become what he is not? Or Can God cease to be what he is?
On the first occasion he asked the classic: "Can God create a rock so heavy he cannot lift it?"
On the second occasion he asked: "Can God give up his immutability or his eternality?"
The question fundamentally boils down to this: Can God redefine himself? Or Can God become what he is not? Or Can God cease to be what he is?
After thinking through the question this last week, I think there are at least two ways to go about answering it. (1) from the perspective of freedom and (2) from the perspective of being.
(1) From the perspective of freedom:
The question is fundamentally motivated by the idea of freedom. The question behind the question is: "Is God free?" The conundrum comes from the seeming contradiction inherent to the question. There are only two possible answers: Yes or No ("Maybe" is a non-answer). If one answers yes, then God is free to create the rock, but his freedom is limited immediately following its creation, since he can't lift the rock. But if one answers no, then God is not free to do something, namely, create the rock in question. Either way one is left limiting the freedom of God.
But behind the question is this fundamental assumption that freedom of choice is somehow regulated by the number of available options. For instance, what is supposed is that if one has an infinite number of options from which to choose, then he would be absolutely or ultimately free. Take away an option and freedom is limited. But is that true? Not at all.
Freedom of choice is not defined by the number of available options from which one might choose. That only speaks to possibility not ability. Freedom of choice is the ability to to choose what one wants (i.e. the will) from his available options however expansive or limited. Therefore, whether the option is available to God or not is of no concern. All that matters with regard to freedom of divine choice is that, given the available options, God can choose whatever he wants. God can do as he wills. Therefore, a better way to phrase the original question is: "Will God cease to be what he is?" Answer: "No." God is free to do what he wants, but according to the reasonable witness of Scripture, God never desires to be what he is not.
If pressed, however, with the first question from possibility, "Can God cease to be what he is?", according to the above reasoning, I would have to answer: "Yes. God can do whatever he wills. However, he never will will to be anything other than what he is."
(2) From the perspective of being:
A second answer might be formulated to answer the question: "Can God cease to be what he is?" from the perspective of divine being. The question might be rephrased as "Can God become?", since in order for God to cease to be what he is, he must become what he is not. And if we think of becoming as being defined by the passage of time (I can't imagine any other way to conceive it), and God is eternal, then we would have to say that God cannot become. He is pure being.
Therefore, if the question "Can God cease to be what he is?" is fundamentally understood as "Can God become?", then, according to the above reasoning, I would have to answer: "No. God cannot become. He is."
The question is fundamentally motivated by the idea of freedom. The question behind the question is: "Is God free?" The conundrum comes from the seeming contradiction inherent to the question. There are only two possible answers: Yes or No ("Maybe" is a non-answer). If one answers yes, then God is free to create the rock, but his freedom is limited immediately following its creation, since he can't lift the rock. But if one answers no, then God is not free to do something, namely, create the rock in question. Either way one is left limiting the freedom of God.
But behind the question is this fundamental assumption that freedom of choice is somehow regulated by the number of available options. For instance, what is supposed is that if one has an infinite number of options from which to choose, then he would be absolutely or ultimately free. Take away an option and freedom is limited. But is that true? Not at all.
Freedom of choice is not defined by the number of available options from which one might choose. That only speaks to possibility not ability. Freedom of choice is the ability to to choose what one wants (i.e. the will) from his available options however expansive or limited. Therefore, whether the option is available to God or not is of no concern. All that matters with regard to freedom of divine choice is that, given the available options, God can choose whatever he wants. God can do as he wills. Therefore, a better way to phrase the original question is: "Will God cease to be what he is?" Answer: "No." God is free to do what he wants, but according to the reasonable witness of Scripture, God never desires to be what he is not.
If pressed, however, with the first question from possibility, "Can God cease to be what he is?", according to the above reasoning, I would have to answer: "Yes. God can do whatever he wills. However, he never will will to be anything other than what he is."
(2) From the perspective of being:
A second answer might be formulated to answer the question: "Can God cease to be what he is?" from the perspective of divine being. The question might be rephrased as "Can God become?", since in order for God to cease to be what he is, he must become what he is not. And if we think of becoming as being defined by the passage of time (I can't imagine any other way to conceive it), and God is eternal, then we would have to say that God cannot become. He is pure being.
Therefore, if the question "Can God cease to be what he is?" is fundamentally understood as "Can God become?", then, according to the above reasoning, I would have to answer: "No. God cannot become. He is."
2 comments:
The best formulation of that question is from a Simpsons episode: "Can God make a burrito so hot, even He cannot eat it?"
You answer the question from God's Nature, according with my pal Thomas Aquinas. William of Ockham was all wet. I wish Luther didn't say kind things about him, now all Catholics think we are volunteerists.
Burrito! Ha!
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