Re[2]: Banter[2]: Omnipotence

["Chuck Graves" <chuck_graves@mail.hq.faa.gov>]

Poster: "Chuck Graves" <chuck_graves@mail.hq.faa.gov>

>> Leifr again,
>>
>> It's certainly off topic, but I remember from Piers Anthony's "Source of 
>> Magic" the Demon XANth stated that he was "Omnipotent but not
>> Omniscient".  I wondered then how you can claim to be able to do 
>> everything if you can not claim to know everything.
     
>It's not that the Demon XANth could not claim to know everything,
>it's that he _could_, and did, claim not to know everything.  Since he 
>could do everything, claiming not to know everything was clearly
>one of the things he could do.  Furthermore, actually refraining 
>from knowing everything (that is, making his claim true) was 
>another thing he could do.

Why, thank you, Alfredo. You just provided substantive argument 
for why I was "parenthetically" correct. I appreciate the help.
     
>Also, the Demon was playing a game with other Demons.  When I'm 
>playing, say, a chess game, I am _able_ to pick up one of my pawns 
>and move it clear across the board, but my opponent almost always 
>expresses annoyance when I do, so I generally choose not to.
     
You are also constrained by the rules of the game. You may be _able_ to make 
the noted move; however, you can't keep it...annoyance or not. 

Regards,
Tadhg

ps. of course, that style of play was used by Napolean to prove a mechanical 
chess player of his era was in fact operated by a man...

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