Does God Exist
“You can’t prove God exists and you can’t prove God doesn’t exist”. This is the response one often hears when the question of God’s existence is raised. If God is not material, but spiritual, then science can’t prove that he exists, because he can’t be measured. Also, science can’t disprove, because it can’t give a definite answer. In this paper, I will present both sides of the argument and conclude that God must exist. First, I will begin by examining Augustine’s evidence supporting God’s existence. Then, I will lay out the opposing viewpoints. While I present Augustine’s evidence, I will give special attention to his primary argument which is based on the fact that if there is something superior to reason, then it must be God. We are not asked to believe in God on the basis of faith alone, without any evidence, but we can indeed prove the existence of God to a reasonable degree of certainty. Even though we can prove that God exists with a reasonable amount of certainty, I ponder whether or not there is a sound argument for the nonexistence of God.
I order to prove anything; we must first start with a foundation that must be accepted as truth. Augustine begins with the platform that we exist. Augustine makes this clear to Evodius by saying “It is obvious that you exist, and this could not be obvious unless you were alive, therefore it is also obvious that you are alive” (33). The mere fact that we can argue is a proof of our existence. Next he asks whether or not we are alive. We must also agree to this because in order to agree or not to agree we must be alive. Now he ask whether or not we understand there two steps to be true. “Do you understand that these two things are absolutely true?” (33). If we do, then he has proven his next step, we have reason. For without reason, we not understand these two basic concepts.
Then, he puts all of existence in a hierarchy. The lowest form of existence is illustrated by a rock. It exists, and this is all it does. It has no concept of life, or even of its own existence. The next step up on Augustine’s hierarchy is a tree. It is both alive, and it exists. However, it does not have understanding. An animal is next on his list. An animal exists, lives, and is sensate. It can feel, taste, smell, hear, and touch. It has an understand of life, and of survival. It has what he calls an inner animal sense. It can chose whether or not to eat a certain item, it can move freely, and respond freely, where as nothing below an animal in the hierarchy can do any of that. Still higher than an animal is a human being. We exist, have life, are sensate, and have one thing that all the others lack, we have reason. We are capable of understanding, and choosing. This alone gives human beings more power than any other being on this earth.
Now, Augustine makes a huge jump. Evodius must now accept that if he can prove there is something greater than human reason, that it must be God. If he accepts this, then Augustine will prove his point. Evodius states, “If we find that to which nothing is superior, I will certainly confess that it is God” (44). Augustine replies, “Good. Then it will be enough for me to show that something of this sort exists, which you can admit to be God; or if something yet higher exists, you will concede that it is God” (41). Augustine makes his point clear that there is something higher than human reason when he asks Evodius, “Can you think of anything that is common to all who think?” (44). Evodius replies, “The order and truth of number is present to all who think.” (44). This is where Augustine elaborates further on this subject by stating that seven plus three equals ten. He argues that this is true, whether or not we exist. It is not ten because we want it to be, because it should it is, because it’s supposed to be, because it could be, because it might be, it is because it is. And that fact alone demonstrates that there is something out there, some truth, which is greater than human reason. It is true, not because we, as humans, say it is, but because it is a truth is greater than human reason, and does not depend on human reason, the greatest being in the hierarchy must be God.
Arguments against the existence of God are few and far between. The first argument is if God can prevent evil, but doesn’t then He isn’t all-loving. The second argument is if God intends to prevent evil but cannot, the He isn’t omnipotent. Therefore, if God both intends to prevent evil and is capable of doing so, then how can evil exists? I argue that God is all-loving no matter what, because He did no evil. Secondly, He can prevent evil, because he is omnipotent. The only reason why evil exists is because God gave us free will, which gives us the ability to sin. In book one Augustine says that God is the cause of suffering evil, but never did evil.
Given all of Augustine’s philosophical evidence, I would say that there is a reasonable argument for the existence of God. Even though we can come close to knowing the existence of God through reason, we cannot know about God without faith in what God has revealed to us. Through faith we know of a place called heaven, where we will exist, and be alive, and understand God for all eternity.

Work cited
Augustine, and Thomas Williams. On Free Choice of the Will. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 1993. Print.
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"Proofs for God's Existence." Proofs for God's Existence. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Hallman, Max O. Traversing Philosophical Boundaries: From Local to Global Perspectives. Belmont, MA: Wadsworth, 2007. Print.
Holley, D. M. (2011). HOW CAN A BELIEVER DOUBT THAT GOD EXIST?. Philosophical Quarterly, 61(245), 746-761