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Anyone interested in starting/having a science/philosophy of science group?
Self | 2011-06-03 | Phil Stone

Posted on 06/03/2011 5:36:31 PM PDT by PhilosopherStone1000

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To: PhilosopherStone1000
My question wasn’t really about omnipotence (infinite power) but omniscience (infinite wisdom).

You spoke about the mind-blowing aspect of infinity?

Infinite wisdom cannot but include infinite knowledge upon which that wisdom is based.

Infinite wisdom and infinite knowledge cannot but result in infinite power, because they contain the understanding of how to do anything that can be done - by definition.

In other words, infinite wisdom = infinite power.

Therefore, you can't pose a question about an infinitely wise God, without also positing an infinitely knowledgeable God, and an infinitely powerful God.

Thus, any question about such a God which invokes one of these aspects, of necessity invokes a God possessing all of these aspects.

QED

41 posted on 06/03/2011 8:43:07 PM PDT by Talisker (When you find a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be damn sure it didn't get there on its own.)
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To: Talisker
For all it's difficulty, I found [common] calculus to be fairly straightforward except for the very first step (supposedly the easiest), that of the definition of a limit in the form of: "as n approaches infinity." I think I'm still brain-stuck on that issue.

In e.g. Thomas, Elements of Calculus and Analytic Geometry, Addison Wesley 1959, pains are taken to explain this phrase in terms of assertions involving only finite numbers. For example, "As n approaches infinity, 1/n approaches 0" means that, "For any epsilon there exists an N, such that n > N implies 1/n < epsilon". I learned this well. Indeed I have always felt that math is sort of a religion, and the "delta epsilon proof" is one of its incantations, to be sure.

42 posted on 06/03/2011 10:04:04 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: Talisker

Yes, omniscience and omnipotence do seem to be related.

But it is possible to know what is going to happen at time t+delta t without being able to do anything about it.

I have seen several accidents in progress where I KNEW that car A was going to hit car B but was nevertheless powerless to stop the accident. Knowing what is going to happen in the future is not the same as being able to alter what happens in the future.


43 posted on 06/04/2011 4:40:05 PM PDT by PhilosopherStone1000
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To: PhilosopherStone1000

I’m in. For what it’s worth, I was an atheist for most of my life as well. Now my faith waxes and wanes so I don’t know what the hell I really am. I like to think of science and rationality as the one thing I can truly count on when nothing else makes sense.


44 posted on 06/04/2011 5:53:32 PM PDT by Melas (Sent via Galaxy Tab)
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To: PhilosopherStone1000

If you put together a ping list put me on it , please.


45 posted on 06/04/2011 9:30:38 PM PDT by TASMANIANRED (We kneel to no prince but the Prince of Peace)
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