I’ve got a pesky question for believers in Christian doctrine: Why can’t God make ununoctium?
The discovery of ununoctium was announced two days ago. It’s a newly created element, with an atomic number of 118 – meaning that 118 protons are in its nucleus. Mind that the scientists could only make ununoctium exist for only .9 milliseconds. Still, that’s better than what God has been able to do – if you believe that God is the omnipotent creator of the universe. Ununoctium does not exist in nature.
God is supposed to be omnipotent. So, why can’t God make ununoctium? Why were the scientists the first to do it?
It’s not a pesky question; it’s a flawed question.
There is no ranch house on the lot next to mine. From this, can we deduce that God cannot build a ranch house next door to me?
A local builder is putting up a home on that lot. When he finishes the task, can we say, “God couldn’t build a ranch house next door to John, but Foster Builders did it with ease”?
Ah, John, so you’re saying that God could make ununoctium, but he just doesn’t want to.
That kinds of reminds me of the kid in elementary school who said he could beat me up, but just didn’t want to.
What are the theological implications. Why would God want to make all these other elements, but not ununoctium?
Well, F.G., it’s a double negative element, isn’t it? Un-un-octium. Perhaps God, in His infinite knowledge, foresaw that the name Un-un-octium being used in English, knew that it was a double negative, and took pity upon schoolteachers everywhere by eliminating un-un-octium everywhere in the universe, and thereby eliminating the need for those schoolteachers to explain why, in this case, a double negative was actually OK.
Right. See, God is Awesome!
If god DID make un-un-octium, say in the core of the sun or something, how would we know? The thing is unstable and has only existed in the lab for 0.9 milliseconds. What if God has made this thing time and time again and our scientific instruments just weren’t pointed in that direction at the moment?
Egads! I haven’t taught my students about double negatives yet. Do you suppose they will want me to explain THAT?
F.G.:
Your statement, “you’re saying that God could make ununoctium, but he just doesn’t want to” does not parallel my analogy. I posited that the fact that God _has not_ built a house next door does not prove that God _cannot_ build a house next door.
I have made no claim to know what God does or does not want to do. I simply pointed out what cannot be known in the circumstance you provided.