Under many philosophical definitions of the term "deity", senses 2, 3 and 4 can be shown to be equivalent. However, on all [[understandings]] of omnipotence, it is generally held that a deity is able to intervene in the world by superseding the [[laws]] of [[physics]], since they are not part of its nature, but the principles on which it has created the physical world. However many modern scholars (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Polkinghorne John Polkinghorne]) hold that it is part of a [[deity]]'s [[nature]] to be consistent and that it would be inconsistent for a deity to go against its own laws unless there were an overwhelming [[reason]] to do so.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence] | Under many philosophical definitions of the term "deity", senses 2, 3 and 4 can be shown to be equivalent. However, on all [[understandings]] of omnipotence, it is generally held that a deity is able to intervene in the world by superseding the [[laws]] of [[physics]], since they are not part of its nature, but the principles on which it has created the physical world. However many modern scholars (such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Polkinghorne John Polkinghorne]) hold that it is part of a [[deity]]'s [[nature]] to be consistent and that it would be inconsistent for a deity to go against its own laws unless there were an overwhelming [[reason]] to do so.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnipotence] |