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finite

2022-05-05 View on smbc-comics.com → 1 revision
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finite
Votey panel for finite
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Explanation

This comic is a theological/philosophical joke about the problem of evil, free will, and God's omnipotence.

A man prays to God, saying he should not "sit around all day" and should "go out tonight and do butt stuff with two dudes." God responds angrily: "You'll go to hell! I never provided butt stuff for finite action. It's a corruption!"

The man counters that "butt stuff is possible in the history of the universe," and God concedes: "Oh yeah? Well I'm God and I can erase it from existence." But the man points out a logical trap: "Sure, but then you've erased my free will on an act and I go straight to heaven."

The final panel presents the theological checkmate: "Either you admit that sins are infinitely enumerable and therefore inextricable from the actions you designated as good, or you admit that the universe can be made free of sin while still preserving enjoyable finite space." God replies: "Checkmate, God. Check and mate."

The concluding panel shows God in heaven saying "And THAT'S when I gave him rock-hard abs" -- implying God rewarded the man for out-arguing him rather than punishing him.

The comic engages with real theological arguments about the compatibility of divine omnipotence, free will, and the existence of sin. Weinersmith frames this deep philosophical debate in deliberately crude terms (butt stuff) to create comic contrast between the lowbrow subject matter and the highbrow logical argument. The punchline suggests God respects a good argument more than obedience.

View History (1) Original Comic