How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

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Apologies if there is already a thread here somewhere by this title. I did a search with the exact question, but nothing came up.

Anyway, I’d really like to see what the consensus is. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, anyway?
 
Well, what kind of dance?

Ballet, hip hop, waltz, polka, tango, break, slow, liturgical, grinding:eek:?

Some dances require more space, so therefore logically, fewer could dance.🙂

The other variable we must consider is the pin. 😉

Is it a large safety pin, a smaller pin, a cotter pin, a clothes pin?

The third variable is the size of the angel. Clearly angels of big bone structure will require more space than those more petite in nature. 😃

So we have at least 3 variables in play here that we must** pin **down first. 🤷

:rotfl:
 
Since angels are spiritual creatures and don’t have bodies, the number is infinite.
 
Angel_Bradford said:
Since angels are spiritual creatures and don’t have bodies, the number is infinite.
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That would probably be my first answer, Angel (how appropriate thy name is!). However, I’ve heard compelling arguments for other numbers as well…
 
Catholic90 said:
Well, what kind of dance?

Ballet, hip hop, waltz, polka, tango, break, slow, liturgical, grinding:eek:?

Some dances require more space, so therefore logically, fewer could dance.🙂

The other variable we must consider is the pin. 😉

Is it a large safety pin, a smaller pin, a cotter pin, a clothes pin?

The third variable is the size of the angel. Clearly angels of big bone structure will require more space than those more petite in nature. 😃

So we have at least 3 variables in play here that we must** pin **down first. 🤷

:rotfl:
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Lol well we got the first pin pun, which was rightfully punishing!
I’ve always assumed that the pin involved was a regular old pin, with a flat or slightly convex head, the kind that you find in sewing kits.
And do angels come in all different shapes and sizes, like humans? I mean, I don’t recall reading anything in Aquinas about it, other than that angels don’t have flesh and blood bodies, normally. But they can assume human form, which does lead to the question of whether or not they have to be in human form, to dance.
And I’m glad you stopped the list of dance styles where you did, and didn’t go into some of the…forms which tend to get teens banned from school dances, or the school dances themselves banned for a period of time, as happened recently in Orange County.
 
What is the point in asking such a question?Do they want to know the size of an angel?Since angels are spirits and we live in a material world its a pointless question.Like asking how big is God.
 
Actually of course this was a non question that was made up…not a real question under consideration anyhow…
 
Catholic90 said:
Well, what kind of dance?

Ballet, hip hop, waltz, polka, tango, break, slow, liturgical, grinding:eek:?

Some dances require more space, so therefore logically, fewer could dance.🙂

The other variable we must consider is the pin. 😉

Is it a large safety pin, a smaller pin, a cotter pin, a clothes pin?

The third variable is the size of the angel. Clearly angels of big bone structure will require more space than those more petite in nature. 😃

So we have at least 3 variables in play here that we must** pin **down first. 🤷

:rotfl:
Click to expand...
It’s obviously… a: a liturgical dance (to the tune of Lonely Goatherd), b: a rolling pin (so it can be used to bake a pie when the dancing is over), c: whispy, anorexic, “dancing” angels.

🤷

I’m a computer programmer, so I’m going to ask the Vatican if I can use their Big Computer to compute the answer.
 
The actual answer to how many angels can be present on the head of a pin would seem to be, in theory, an infinite number, or in practice however many angels actually exist. A pure spirit can be spoken of as present in the physical world only in the sense that it is in some way active upon that part of the physical world. There would be no physical constraints on how many angels would “fit”, as long as each of them had something to do.

On second thought, I suppose it’s possible that there is a limited number of things an angel could do with the head of a pin. In that case you would have to look at whether it is metaphysically possible for two or more angels to do exactly the same thing in the same way at the same time to the head of a pin. I don’t see why they could not, but I’m not certain.

All this only regards how many can be present “on” (“to” might be a more accurate word) the head of a pin, though. The word “dance” presents its own difficulties. In a literal, physical sense of the word “dance”, that would seem to require a body, which angels don’t have. If one insists on such a physical meaning of the word, then I suppose the answer to the question is “zero.” If you give the word some kind of metaphorical meaning though, then you may open up the possibility for an unlimited number of angels, depending on the exact meaning you intend.
 
This question is technically unanswerable, but for fun you can throw some answers out there.

Angelic Properties:
  1. An angel may occupy only one place.
  • This is because an angel may not coexist inside another angel. Angels are individual.
  1. An angel may not exist permanently in time, as angels are spiritual beings and have no definite form.
  • Lack of form restricts angels to an indefinite residence.
  1. Angels naturally reside in Heaven, but not Earth, since they are formless.
  • Upon command, they may take specific form, as to take place on Earth.
  1. Angels with specific form are not restricted to indefinite residence; There is still a boundary of non-coexistence.
  2. The head of a pin is a specific form.
  • Any given number of angels may exist on the head of a pin, when taking residence on Earth, with or without matter as form. A formless existence, yet in time, is how the angels and communion of saints can all fit into any number of sanctuaries above any altar at any given time during the Holy Mass.
  1. If an angel was not present on Earth, no angels may be present on the head of a pin; the pin has definite form, yet the angel does not. An entity without definite form may not exist in a definite location.
Just my own :twocents:
I could be terribly wrong

A1: If the angels are existing in time through eternity, any amount of angels could fit on the head of a pin.
A2: If the angels are not existing in time through eternity, no amount of angels may exist on the head of a pin.
 
Faithdancer said:
Apologies if there is already a thread here somewhere by this title. I did a search with the exact question, but nothing came up.

Anyway, I’d really like to see what the consensus is. How many angels can dance on the head of a pin, anyway?
Click to expand...
Let’s ask Mr. Owl…1, 2, 3…the answer is 3.
 
Anthony_V said:
This question is technically unanswerable, but for fun you can throw some answers out there.

Angelic Properties:
  1. An angel may occupy only one place.
  • This is because an angel may not coexist inside another angel. Angels are individual.
  1. An angel may not exist permanently in time, as angels are spiritual beings and have no definite form.
  • Lack of form restricts angels to an indefinite residence.
  1. Angels naturally reside in Heaven, but not Earth, since they are formless.
  • Upon command, they may take specific form, as to take place on Earth.
  1. Angels with specific form are not restricted to indefinite residence; There is still a boundary of non-coexistence.
  2. The head of a pin is a specific form.
  • Any given number of angels may exist on the head of a pin, when taking residence on Earth, with or without matter as form. A formless existence, yet in time, is how the angels and communion of saints can all fit into any number of sanctuaries above any altar at any given time during the Holy Mass.
  1. If an angel was not present on Earth, no angels may be present on the head of a pin; the pin has definite form, yet the angel does not. An entity without definite form may not exist in a definite location.
Just my own :twocents:
I could be terribly wrong

A1: If the angels are existing in time through eternity, any amount of angels could fit on the head of a pin.
A2: If the angels are not existing in time through eternity, no amount of angels may exist on the head of a pin.
Click to expand...
Actually, spiritual beings not only have forms, they in some sense are forms. What they do not have is physical matter (as opposed to “spiritual matter”). But not having physical matter does not mean they cannot act in/upon physical creation. Neither does being outside of time.
 
Wouldn’t the size of the angelic band of musicians, which could be from a quartet or big band or up to an orchestra, on the head of the pin effect the number of angels which could dance there? :rolleyes:
 
donsnow said:
Wouldn’t the size of the angelic band of musicians, which could be from a quartet or big band or up to an orchestra, on the head of the pin effect the number of angels which could dance there? :rolleyes:
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Well, that is a good point. As a choreographer, I must say that the effective amount of available space can affect the choice of which dance to perform- solo, duet, trio, etc.
 
Aelred_Minor said:
I was going to go for 1.19 x 10^26, actually.
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:eek:That’s a big number! A couple of years ago I tried to get my 8th grade science students to comprehend such numbers, and the value of scientific notation. Most of them just rolled their eyes, and asked what time class was over, or what was for lunch!🤷
 
:rotfl::rotfl:

Brings back happy memories of university days when some of us lived in the real world instead of the ivory tower.😃
 
The question is theoretical of course. We know that angels don’t dance on pins. They dance and sing in 9 choirs in Heaven. They also pray unceasingly, and you might say, their prayers on the symbolic head of a pin are unlimited, and filling all of space, including black holes. Remember, we each have an angel. Ask your angel about dancing on pins.
 
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