...Arguments About God The question of God’s existence has plagued people across the planet as long as we have existed. It has shaped our lives and civilizations as a whole. Cosmological arguments for the existence of god are some the oldest. They have been supported by theorists such as Aristotle and Plato and philosophers throughout history. “They all begin with the empirical fact that the universe exists—and end with the conclusion that only God could be responsible for this fact” (63). While they take different forms, they all have this basic structure. Several of their forms were developed by St. Thomas Aquinas, one was his famous was the first-cause argument. It explains that everything that happens has a cause. So something must have been the first cause, which causes the second, and so on. God must be the first cause. Arguments against Aquinas’ question the idea that an infinite regress could not exist. Philosophers, like David Hume, state the universe needs no beginning, it could just be eternal. “The universe may have simply always been” (67). While cosmological appeals stand on the evidence mainly of experience, ontological arguments stand solely on logic. St. Anselm, originator of this theory, described god as “that which no greater can be conceived” (Oppy). He reasoned that nothing can be greater than a being that which no greater can be conceived therefore that being (God) exists. There are many objections to ontological arguments. One general criticism is that...
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...presenting an argument against the existence of Christian God. I will show how the Problem of Evil is a big factor when concerning Gods existence. I will explore the ideas of how God’s benevolence is contradictory to how the world is. I will also be presenting arguments for the existence of a God but countering them with my points along with philosopher’s theories. J.L Mackie said “if a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil, but because there is much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional and powerful God could not exist.”[1]. When we talk about a benevolent God the problem arises of Evil in the world. It’s a problem because God is attributed as being Omnipotent, Omniscient...
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...The argument that I feel best explains the existence of God most clearly and simply is Argument number 2 which is the argument of efficient cause. This argument states that nothing exists prior to itself, meaning that everything that is in existence has been caused by something else. So all things that exist are the part of a series of efficient causes that happen back to back which would mean that there must be some first efficient cause that would start off this chain of causes which led us to the world we live in and the lives we are participating in. I wouldn’t be able to say that this argument suggests in what form God may come in, but it does logically prove the existence of one. I find this to be the best argument out of the set because...
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...God - A Myth or Reality? C.S. Lewis once aforementioned that God is not the sort of subject one can be somewhat interested in. Yet, if God does not exist, then there is no cause to be concerned of Him. However, if He does exist, then this is of preeminent discussion, and “our ultimate concern ought to be how to be properly related to this being -- God -- upon whom we depend on moment by moment for our very existence” (Craig, 2014, p. 1). Another quote of C.S. Lewis’s says, “Atheist rage against God; however, they claim that His presence does not exist.” The debate of God’s existence continues to grow each day; in the 2007., the percentage of Americans that claimed to be an atheist was 1.6%. However, in 2014, the numbers grew to 3.1%. That is 1.5% more than in 2007 (Lipka, 2015) . The problem, however, is that at one time many of the percentages believed in God. “Atheism” has turned into a rage against God, but wait, I thought that in their view God did not exist, that He was just a myth. Moreover, a few of the ongoing disputes between Atheist and Christians are the Cosmological Argument, the Teleological Argument, the Ontological Argument, and the Moral Law Argument; these...
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...The teleological argument Teleological arguments are often divided into types by philosophers; 1. Arguments based on purpose 2. Arguments based on regularity Thomas Aquinas 1. When you look at the natural world, you can see that everything in it follows natural laws, even if the things are not conscious, thinking being. 2. If things follow natural laws they tend to do well and have some goal or purpose. 3. However, if a thing cannot think for itself it does not have any goal or purpose unless it is directed by something that thinks: take an arrow as an example. It can only be directed to its goal and used for its purpose by someone, such as an archer. 4. Conclusion: everything in the natural world that does not think for itself heads towards its goal or purpose because it is directed by something which does think. That something we call ‘God’. William Paley Part 1. 1. Paley suggests that if you went for a walk and found a rock, you could conclude that it had been there forever and not think any more about it. Whereas if you found a watch (an old fashioned watch with cogs and springs) you could examine it and find that it had moving parts which demonstrate that: (a) The watch was for a purpose: telling the time (b) The parts work together or are fit for a purpose (c) The parts were ordered and put together in a certain way to make the watch function (d) If the parts are arranged in a different way the watch does not work, i.e. it does not fulfil...
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...actually share common beliefs and some oppose the fact of whom or what the number one God is or does. For example, the Buddhist has a belief in Siddhartha Gautama. They believe the teaching of this name and to them this may be their God. Siddhartha Gautama teaches them to realize that there is no rebirth after we die and everything should be a self mind controlled focus on your life. As for Christianity we argue these beliefs because the evidence we articulate overwhelms our faith and strengthen our minds to a logical understanding of ontology through what we experience and who we know as God. There are a few things that most of the general population share. It is the fact that we are all human beings who have a belief in some one or something, and when we find our worldview we tend to see life from a new aspect. Christians may tend to live whole-heartedly for Jesus Christ and share to others of the amazing joy and love that changed their hearts and lives because of their faith of what he does to change lives in general. Others may develop a world view that can separate their hart from the truth of God for they are revealed to their own religion alone by God. The existence of God is presented in four different philosophical arguments that support a certain conception of God. One is the ontological argument. It dates back to St Anslem an eleventh century philosopher/theologian. The ontological argument is studied to prove God’s being from the laws of logic alone. This...
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...Ferrante Philosophy-Imparato December 11, 2013 Writing Assignment Argument Against God For the concept I chose Nagel’s argument against god. Nagel claims that because evil exists it indicates that God must not exist. Premise one states that God is all knowing, all-powerful, and all good. This portrays God as a being that could see, oppose, and destroy Evil with ease, but that isn’t the case, Evil is still in existence. Premise two expands off the claim that God is all-powerful, meaning that God could eliminate all Evil, but he hasn’t. Premise three demonstrates the claim that God is all knowing; therefore he is aware of all Evil. Premise four explains how God is all good meaning that He opposes all things Evil. Premise five claims that Evil is still found throughout God’s world. Thus supporting the conclusion that God cannot exist if Evil is still in existence, which it is. In my opinion, I find Nagel’s argument to be extremely compelling and one hundred percent possible. The idea that God is a being whole is all knowing, all-powerful, and all good suggests that he would create the best possible world. There are various examples that I found to be effective but the idea of a hole in a t-shirt, I found to be simplest and most understandable that demonstrates the inability for God to exist. Although this might be true and God may not exist I have a different outlook. If Evil did not exist what purpose would God serve? He is the protector of Evil and justifies all that is good...
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...C. S. Lewis once said, “God is not the sort of thing that one can be moderately interested in.” This implies that if God exists humanity ought to find the best way to relate with Him and if God does not exist then there is no need to be interested in God at all. Most theist and atheist philosopher like Camus and Sartre agree that the answer to the question of whether God exists makes a huge difference for man. For example, if there is no God then life ends in death, and therefore our existence is inconsequential. On the other hand, if there is a God, then there a chance/possibility of knowing and relating with Him as part of His creation. This paper therefore seeks to provide reasons that assert the claim that God exists in addition to responding to the popular atheistic theory of theodicy which claims that the problem of evil proves that God does not exist and if He does then He is not good and omnipotent. One of the arguments that theists use to prove the existence of God is the one of the origin of the universe. It relies on the widely popular assertion that the there was a time when the earth was not there. For centuries, human beings have seen themselves faced with the question of why we have everything instead of nothing. Atheists claim that the universe we live in is eternal with no beginning or end and that is all. Surely, that claim is not reasonable. If there is beginning point for the universe then the actual number of events that occurred in the past is infinite...
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...The existence of God has been a controversial topic discussed by philosophers over many centuries. One of the arguments for God’s existence comes from the belief that the type of God that would exist is an all just and all-knowing supernatural being that has laid down objective moral laws for humans to follow. This is called the moral argument. In this paper I argue that the moral arguments does not stand against objections when trying to prove God’s existence. This paper has five parts beginning with a thorough outline and explanation of the moral argument (1). Next I will present four objections and the theists reply to them. First is that morality doesn’t depend on God’s existence only the belief in God (2). Second, that one cannot be truly...
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...Moral Arguments for the Existence of God Name Institution Date Introduction Moral arguments around the existence of God constitute a diverse group of arguments that reason from a certain angle of moral life or morality to God’s existence, with the general understanding of God as a morally good creator. It is important to note that moral arguments are interesting considering the fact that one has to give attention to all the philosophical issues that are handled under Metaethics in order to effectively evaluate the soundness of such arguments. On the other hand, they are important considering their dominance in famous apologetic arguments in support of religious belief. The connection that apparently exists between religion and morality tends to uphold the claim that there is need for a religious foundation that can define moral truths, or that such truths can be best elaborated by the existence of God, or some actions or qualities of God. This essay focuses on the various types of moral arguments, with the intention of drawing on the distinction between practical and theoretical or pragmatic moral arguments. As such, this paper asserts that from the moral perspective, mortal obligations constitute of rules that are imposed by a supreme being that can only be explained by a Godly figure. Moral Arguments for the Existence of God There are various moral arguments that have been established in support of the existence of God, some of which will be discussed in this section...
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...it into a power wielding sword against opinions and beliefs. However, there is one thing modern science and technology has not been able to prove; whether or not God exists. Peter Kreeft bestows upon the reader 20 valid arguments that help confirm God’s existence. To the modern mind, ‘The Argument from Aesthetic Experience’ and ‘ The Argument from the Origin of the Idea of God’ are the best suited...
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...The inquiry of the existence of God is a central question in the philosophy of religion. The notion of an omnipotent, all powerful creator is perhaps the most perplexing metaphysical notion. Philosophers have approached addressing God via a priori methods, or by modes independent of experience, or conversely, by a posteriori, or by appealing to experience. This essay will interpret and unpack the central arguments brought forth by Bertrand Russell and Frederick Copleston. “A Debate on the Argument from Contingency” is an a posteriori argument, Copleston’s bases his argument on the assumption that the universe is the sum of contingent objects, and as such, there must be a necessary being which explains its existence. The notion of contingency is essentially contested by Russell, this contention monopolizes the nature of the debate. Russell assumes the position that the notion of contingency is a useless metaphysical notion, and even if it were real, there are restrictions in the realm within which contingency operates. In “A Debate on the Argument from Religious Experience”...
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...Based on professor Glynn’s lectures the arguments for the existence of God includes the cosmological, Design, and Ignorance and the argument against the existence of God includes the Empirical, Rational, etc. The Cosmological argument shows that you got to keep going backk.It is constantly looking for a source/explaination for everything. Scientist have came to the conclusion of the Big Bang Theory, but where/ who created the Big band? where did th invisible force come from? Is it from the all powerful but invinsible God? Or did it just come out of thin air? This then carries into the next argument where people may just call it pure ignorance. That is when people try to explain an already difficult concept with a more abstract concept with...
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...St. Anselm was an archbishop of Canterbury who lived from 1033-1109. He is the originator of the ontological argument, which he discusses further into the Proslogion. The first version of the argument, which is the original version, states various facts and statements about the greatest possible being, which is God. The fact is it is a conceptual truth, meaning true and respective to the definition, that God is a being than which non greater can be imagined, being that God is the greatest possible being that can be imagined. God not only exists as a conscious thought but also as an idea in the mind. Leading to the point that a being that exists as an idea in the mind and in reality is, with respect to other things being equal, greater than a being that exists only as an idea in the mind. Thus, if God exists only as an idea in the mind, then we can imagine something that is greater than God that is if a greatest possible being does exist. But we cannot imagine something that is greater than God because it is a contradiction to suppose that we can imagine a being greater than the greatest possible being that can be imagined. Therefore, God does exist....
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...Let’s face it, our opinions are going to be biased. Some believe in God, some believe in a higher power, some do not believe at all. So the way that we interpret these articles are all going to be different. I for one do not believe in God, mostly because why would ‘the greatest being’ in all the world decide that war, famine, disease and death are good things to have for his creations. The Ontological argument was the lease convincing argument. God is not perfect, God makes mistakes. The Cosmological Argument was easy to read and did not make me laugh as I tried to pick through them. Paley’s Teleological argument was also believable, but it and the Cosmological argument are both similar. The first ontological (a word that relates to the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence), argument for the existence of God was established by the Benedictine monk known as Anselm. Anselm defines God by saying God is that “which nothing greater can be conceived.” God is perfection and the greatest possible being. But it has a number of consequences. One of them is that it becomes impossible to demonstrate that God is not possible. How are you supposed to debunk him if he is perfect? God is said to have omnipotence, but can God create a round square? Can he defy logic?...
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