1. My View On The Existence Of God
It was the night before the last day of our Faith & Reason class and I had previously been tasked
with finding a specific topic to argue for. I decided to cover the idea of my own faith and how it
copes with the multiple viewpoints varying from atheists, theists, and the Bible as well as the
opinions on reason and the very existence of God. Within this paper, I will explain why my faith is
eternal and no matter how much evidence there is against the existence of God, my conviction that
there is a supreme being who oversees all that goes on in this world, will continue to avail. The first
reading that really drew my attention was Flew's example of the gardener and the believer's stance
that the gardener existed. This triggered my thoughts to relate that case to my own faith and how I
am able to retain my belief that God exists, against the deposition that he does not. No matter how
many tests the Sceptic requested to prove that there was a gardener, the Believer maintained his faith
until his belief that there was a gardener was basically useless. Flew eventually got to the point
where he described the Sceptic asking, "Just how does what you call an invisible, intangible,
eternally elusive gardener differ from an imaginary gardener or even from no gardener at all?"
(Flew, 298) I relate Flew's example to my own case of how an atheist could possibly ask me how
God exists if he is not ever seen and there is no real proof that he exists. That idea would lead to my
faith
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2.
3.
4.
5. The Design Arguments For The Existence Of God
The design arguments for the existence of God center on the principle that an intelligent designer, in
this case God, has crafted our world so that each item has a purpose and significant meaning.
Additionally, the world is a complex and sometimes enigmatic system of elements which work
together to sustain life in a way that some argue is unlikely to have occurred by pure chance alone.
Therefore, some philosophers credit a divine being as the source of this order and purpose in the
universe. Furthermore, William Paley offers a version of the design argument in which he employs
simple analogy between a watchmaker and God to demonstrate God's presence. However, critics of
this approach to proving God's existence object to this simplistic analogy of the origin of natural
components in the world and instead argue that an evolutionary perspective better explains the
existence of such objects and therefore, for the sake of simplicity, a divine being does not need to
remain in the equation. As a result, both the objections of flaws in the format of Paley's argument
and the needless inclusion of God as a designer cannot successfully be refuted by supporters of
Paley.
Arguably the most famous design argument was proposed by philosopher William Paley who used
the analogy of a watch and a watchmaker to illustrate his point of view. He claimed that a watch was
created with many interconnected parts which moved together in very specific and precise motions
to allow for its intended
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6.
7.
8.
9. Essay about The Existence of God
The Existence of God
"No one can think the opposite of that which is self evident…But the opposite of the
proposition "God Exists" can be thought…therefore the proposition that God existence is self
evident."( Thomas Aquinas) Some people may say that God is an omnipotent, omniscient being that
the universe revolves around. In other words, God is all–powerful, all knowing, and runs the
universe, but the mere claim, to prove Gods existence, seems to invite ridicule. The people who
ridicule are not always right. They are the people who laugh first and think later. Before modern
technology and scientific innovations were discovered, world–renowned doctors and scientists in the
past laughed at every new ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He covers it up again, and is so happy that he goes and sells everything he has, and then goes back
and buys that field." The topic that concerns me in religious philosophy is, can the existence of God
be revealed or can He be proved by other people's arguments. The arguments for the existence of
God divide into two main groups, a priori and posteriori arguments. A priori argument depends on
no premises and a posteriori argument is based on premises that can know by experiences of life and
the universe. Philosophers for centuries have questioned and have tried to prove the existence of a
God. The two philosophers that come to my mind are Saint Thomas Aquinas and William Paley.
Both of these philosophers are alike in the fact that they both argued a posteriori arguments. Out of
both of their arguments, Thomas Aquinas's argument was categorized as cosmological. This type of
argument begins with a posteriori assumptions that a great, spirtitual being exists and something
other than the plain existence of the being is supposed to explain it. The second philosopher,
William Paley's argument was theological. A theological argument for the existence of God begins
with a premise that the world demonstrates intelligent purpose and goes forward to the conclusion
that there must be or there may be a supreme being with a divine intelligence. Even though, Thomas
Aquinas and William Paley both agree that God exists, and while their
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10.
11.
12.
13. The Existence Of God : God
The existence of God has been in question for as long as mankind has existed and thought logically.
Many questions have plagued the human mind in regards to God, and there have been many
arguments drawn with the hopes of proving the existence of a supreme being whom we know as
God. The "God" question has been presented to every individual at some point in their lives. It is a
topic that will bring forth never–ending questions and an equal amount of attempted answers. Many
philosophers have formulated different rationales when examining the topic of God, some of which
include how the word itself should be defined, what his role is in human existence, whether or not
he loves us, and ultimately, if he even exists at all. Mankind cannot ... Show more content on
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Anselm in this case defines God as "a being than which nothing greater can be conceived" (Anselm
30). Ontological arguments tend to be a priori, which is an argument that utilizes thoughts as
opposed to empirical evidence to prove validity. Anselm addresses the Atheist fool in an attempt to
disprove him "since the fool has said in his heart, There is no God?"(Anselm, 30). Anselm stressed
that it is obligatory to recognize God as a perfect being that cannot be improved upon, and if
someone understands the concept of God, then God exists in that person's understanding. It is
greater to exist in reality than just simply the understanding. The fool understands the concept of
God. Therefore the fool has God in his understanding. Suppose God exists only in the understanding
of the fool and not in reality. We could then think of something exactly as it existed in the fools
understanding but it can also exist in reality, and the being we conceived of would be greater than
the being that exists in the fools understanding. Therefore God exists not only in the understanding
of the fool but also in reality. By showing that God exists in reality as well as in the understanding,
we see that it is imperative that we should believe in God and that it is indeed reasonable.
A cosmological argument focuses on the notion of causation and that everything in the universe
including us must have an initial cause, for nothing comes from nothing. Thomas
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14.
15.
16.
17. The Arguments For The Existence Of God
Amie Kamara
Professor Davidson
Theology
16 November 2015
Rough Draft for The arguments for the Existence of God. The question "Does God Exist?" is a well–
known asked question in the world. Most people believe they know the answer to it. The religious
people would say, well of course he does, while the non–religious people or atheist would say no He
does not exist. Because evil exist and chaos exists, God cannot be all–powerful. In the modern
world, there are many different opinions as to whether a God exists or not. This has been an issue of
great dispute because many people reverence different gods or no god at all. For years, many
philosophers have come up with theories, proofs, and hypotheses to prove the existence of God, and
a canon of arguments has been developed. The Arguments for the Existence of God sets out to
explain the everyday philosophical arguments for theism, and so to explore the case for the
existence of God. The arguments themselves are arranged under the following headings: The
Ontological Argument, The Cosmological Argument, The Teleological Argument, and The Moral
Argument will determine if there really is a God.
The ontological argument
An argument that attempts to prove the existence of God through abstract reasoning alone is known
as the Ontological argument. The argument begins with a clear explanation of the concept of God.
When people talk or think about "God" they usually think or say that he 's a "perfect being" meaning
He is flawless, ideal
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18.
19.
20.
21. The Existence of God Essay
The Existence of God
What we call religious experience can differ greatly. Some reports exist of supernatural happenings
that it would be difficult to explain from a rational, scientific point of view. On the other hand, there
also exist the sorts of testimonies that simply seem to convey a feeling or a peace of oneness–
something which most of us, religious or not, may possibly relate to.
Firstly, I will consider the nature of an experience. Experience involves encounters which are
empirical (testable via senses). We draw non– empirical conclusions about many things and people–
that they have orange hair and are 5 feet tall, that they are lonely and confused. These conclusions
are mainly ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is known through testimonies of the recipients of these experiences.
In categorising religious experiences is helpful to look at them as explicable through one of two
theories: the objectivist thesis or the subjectivist thesis.
The objectivist view supposes that there is some object or actual entity– such as god– which exists
independently of the experience, interaction which causes the experience itself. God is described as
numinous. This is a term often used to describe the experience in which God's separateness is
highlighted. This was put forward by Rudolf Otto in his book The Idea of the Holy. Otto religion
sprang from experience of the holly. Because the word numinous has many associations he used
numen, something which is wholly other than the natural world
An objectivist would argue that the religious experience is a proof of God's existence. However,
others have criticised the reliability of religious experiences. The English philosopher Thomas
Hobbes asked how it was possible to tell the differences between talking to God in a dream, and
dreaming about talking to God. The objectivist thesis is ultimately the most traditional viewpoint
since it views God as 'object'– that is, something which exists independently of us (such as a table or
another person). However,
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22.
23.
24.
25. Paley's Arguments On The Existence Of God
My argument and ideas are based on parts of Thomas Aquinas and William Paley's arguments on the
existence of God. As a Christian, at some point in time you wonder or start to question religion.
Does God exist? I feel as though this is a natural question people ask through their personal spiritual
journeys. The existence of God is provided by the premises of a first mover, a first causer, the proof
of possibility and necessity, and God being the designer of the universe, therefore God exists. The
natural world must have had a maker. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth." I wonder if God made the universe, who made God? God is the transcendent
personal cause of the universe, exists independently, there is no beginning. Therefore, nothing
caused God. All humans have attempted to find the answers to the great questions of life. Like
where did I come from or what is wrong with me and the world? We all seek answers, we all want
wrongs to be set right, and we all yearn ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Inanimate objects are soulless things like rocks, land, and sand. Animate things are people, animals,
and plants. There is something in us as animate things that cause or stop "us" to feel wrong about
something even if there are no consequences. This is similar to a human feeling shameful or guilty
of being fearful of death. Parents don't teach babies all right and wrongs there is no law for them,
they are born with the intelligence of judgment or sense of wrong and right which isn't taught. Even
if there were no laws in the world, there would be hesitation (consciousness) inside you, which may
sway your decisions and actions. Governance is driven toward the end or goal which is happiness.
Whether it's the course of good means or bad means it may drive to the end or it may not. Inanimate
things have to direct to its proper end or function. Therefore God directs all natural things to order
and to an
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26.
27.
28.
29. The Argument For The Existence Of God
My paper scrutinizes numerous logical disputes for and alongside the presence of God. I shall argue
that there's no adequate evidence or inclusive arguments for the existence of God. It is grounded on
the views of certain great philosophers and scientists of all of mankind.
Generally speaking for myself, I would correspond to have faith that there is "God". Regrettably, it's
awfully well–defined that the being built up on insightful faith is no longer a suitable custom to
shadow. During the course, I expected to learn some type of proof with the intention of upholding a
course of the belief in a God implanted in me by my parents. Sadly, this wasn't the case. It could
have been fine if the ontological, theological, or cosmological argument could have related itself to
the experimental world with a "God" outside this world, but they are unable too. The ontological
argument failed because it was only a misleading piece of terms that couldn't prolong into actuality.
The teleological argument expressed unsupported inferences from similarities of experiential remark
and materialists supplied other possibilities that are reasonably legal. The cosmological argument
failed as well since it not once understandably argued the making of the universe. There are many
amazing individuals who've consumed an immense sum of time in studying the Bible. Brilliant
philosophers like Plato, Paley, Socrates, Descartes, Aristotle, have made arguments whether god
truly exists. We must understand
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30.
31.
32.
33. The Existence Of God : An Argument
The Existence of God
The philosophical arguments presented in this document are not of religious text, nor scientific
observation or established fact. Rather the premise of this God proof is bring together and share the
various theories on which other God proofs have established foundations. I have heard it quoted that
"Philosophy goes where hard science can 't, or won 't. Philosophers have a license to." Therefore,
with this in mind, I attest that it is more than problematic to construct an argument authenticating the
unequivocal proof of the existence God. If nothing else this may be food for thought.
I begin with the constructs of Anselm. The ontological, or a priori, argument was first expressed in
1070 by Anselm. He argued that because we have a notion of an all–perfect being "that than which
nothing greater can be conceived" – It must be God. Anselm regarded God as a being one who
enjoys all conceivable perfection. Yet if God "existed" only as an idea in our awareness, then God
would be less perfect than if He in fact existed. Therefore God had to be greater than what our finite
minds have ability to conceive so as not to contradict the definition of God.
As I progressed to ascertain the process of the early philosophers, Descartes was almost satisficingly
Heuristic to me. However, in holding to his Catholic beliefs, Descartes, without a doubt believed in
the existence of God. In the beginning of his Meditations on First Philosophy, Descartes writes
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34.
35.
36.
37. The Teleological Argument For The Existence Of God
Does God Exist? Is there any evidence for his existence? These are questions that all people ask
themselves and other people at some time in their lives. These questions are written in the hearts of
all mankind, the seeking for happiness and truth, which is found and fully satisfied in the Perfect
Being, God. In this paper, I will briefly state the Arguments for the existence of God, and then focus
on the moral Argument.
There are four Arguments for existence of God. The Teleological argument, which is based upon the
fact that there is order and laws in the universe that cannot be explain by pure science. The
Cosmological argument is centered on the fact that every effect has a cause and that the universe had
a beginning and is expanding. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Thomas Aquinas in his five ways for existence of God has an indirect defense for this argument in
his fourth way saying, "Now the maximum in any genus is the cause of all in that genus; as fire,
which is the maximum heat, is the cause of hot things. Therefore, there must also be something,
which is to all beings the cause of their being and every other perfection; and this we call God."
undoubtedly, there are various degrees of perfection in begins and humans are the most perfect of
these beings. Man could have not received something higher from a lower creature like the moral
law. Therefore, there must exist something higher than man, a Perfect Being. This is
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38.
39.
40.
41. Theories on the Existence of God
There are many groups of people that have differing views on God. Does he exist? Does
he not exist? These questions can be argued with countless theories as to why he does exist and
how there is no way that he does not exist or he does not exist and there is no way that he does
exist. Theists would argue that God does exist and there is good reason to think that he exists.
Agnostics, Atheists, and Fideists, on the other hand would argue that there is no good reason to
think that God exists. For some people they have no doubt that God exists. They are convinced
by experiences, theories, or just their faith alone, that God exists while others are not so easily
convinced on the existence of a perfect being that creates ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Natural evil includes physical and metal suffering of animals and people.
Swinburne feels that both moral evil and natural evil are necessities for the world's good,
everyone can learn and grow from them. "Why God Allows Evil" also suggests that the good in
the world has to be balanced by the evil. In order to have good, there has to be some evil. This
statement carries some weight because whenever tragic events happen there is usually some
good that comes from it. For example, when the Boston Marathon Bombing took place, the city
of Boston came together to offer support for the victims and anyone involved. Swinburne
suggests that God would give us responsibility for ourselves, each other, and the world, and he
gave us free will to allow us to create and determine what sort of world we want to live in. There
are some people that believe that there is no such thing an unnecessary suffering. They believe
42. that suffering is a necessity of humans having free will and that free will is a good thing for
people to have and we benefit from it as a whole in our society. Suffering is necessary to build
character and develop compassion or empathy. In the argument of free will, humans must be
given the choice to do evil things and to cause suffering. Some people believe that to some
extent, how we suffer is a result of the attitudes we freely choose. Everyone reacts to situations
differently and people grieve in different ways. Some people that
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43.
44.
45.
46. The Five Arguments For The Existence Of God
The evaluation of the five arguments made clear that a perfect being, God, must exist in all possible
circumstances in order to satisfy the definition of perfection. The Argument from Motion, The
Argument from Efficient Cause, The Argument to Necessary Being, The Argument from Gradation,
and The Argument from Design are considered the five ways Thomas acknowledge if God does or
does not existence. Through reading Aquinas's work, it is hard to determine which one proves that
God does or does not exist. Logically, each argument can be denied or accepted. Consequently,
people can choose to believe whatever they want. However, it is a personal belief that The Argument
from Necessity is the most agreeable at this time. The other four arguments do not provide relevance
to why people die if God is perfect. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The contradiction lies in the other four arguments because no one can truly prove if God exist or that
God is perfect. Therefore, leading to the belief that the very nature of God appears to be a subjective
understanding of what we want God to be in our minds. Aquinas also claims, "...objects in the world
come into existence and pass away" is what determined a sound logic for the student writer (Thomas
Aquinas, "The Five Ways", 2012). These are the facts, people are born, they live and they die.
Clearly, despite the methods that lead to our deaths. One can only believe that people are considered
objects in the universe that come into being and pass
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47.
48.
49.
50. The Teleological Argument For The Existence Of God
The question of God's existence has been pondered by humans for centuries. There are an infinite
number of different opinions, arguments, and ideas favoring for or against the idea of God.
Personally, I strongly believe in God not only due to my religious affiliation, but also because of my
own opinions, ideas, and experience. To begin with, the complexity of Earth and the life that has
formed upon it cannot be based just on luck or chance. I believe that ultimately God, as a power,
rather than a mystical being is the one created and controls the universe. Although the God and his
authority are not entirely comprehensible by humans, it's our faith as worshiper that eventually lead
us to a greater understanding.
To begin with, I believe the teleological argument for the existence of God substantiates that a
greater force must exist. The teleological argument comes from the philosopher Paley. The argument
states that ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In her explanation, Lady Philosophy states that God is in ultimate control of the universe. She also
introduces the idea that while humans are temporal beings, God lives outside of time. The world, to
God, is viewed as an instantaneous event and there is no past, present, or future. Therefore, while
they do not have the ability to fully understand God and his perspective, humans have free will and
the ability to control their life. Building upon these ideas, I would say that humans have yet to fully
understand the aspects of the earth, nevertheless the universe. Consequently, it's not difficult to
believe that humans are not yet able to understand the forces that dictate our universe. Humanity's
inability to fully comprehend, or perhaps see evidence for, God is not because of God nonexistence,
rather it is the choice of God that we remain in the shadows of greater understanding. Therefore,
humans must hold faith, rather than doubt, in the greater powers of the
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51.
52.
53.
54. Nietzsche's View On The Existence Of God
This his view can be perceived that something in our mind or what we understand can exist as an
object in reality. Since people can think about God in their mind, God's existence should be justified.
Even though people do not understand the existence of God, God actually exists as long as they can
think of God in their mind. When I started decoding his idea about the existence of God, it is hard to
understand that God actually exists because I do not understand the existence of God. However,
because of his idea that "something that which nothing greater can be thought" and "even if he does
not understand that it actually exists", I started wander the existence of God. Now I think that God
might exist even though I still do not understand the
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55.
56.
57.
58. Essay on Discussion of the Existence of God
Discussion of the Existence of God
There is a lot of argument about does God exist or not exist. It was long time every person wanted to
prove the existence of God. Some people argued that God exist and proved by many philosophical
theories or scientific basics and religion reasons. On the other hand, other people do not believe in
God existence and they have based their proven by many theories and scientific points.
Many people have tried to prove God's existence with rational argument. Like Aquinas, Abelard,
Pascal, Anselm and Paley are a few that have attempted this. These approaches are of limited
helpfulness, for though we can approach God with our reason and detect him in nature. More ...
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These confirmation might be summarized under two heads: firstly the confirmation from the
expansion of the universe and the secondly the confirmation from thermodynamic properties of the
universe.
The first confirmation is about the theory of the Big Bang (Big Bloom) is that once, all the matter in
the universe was concentrated into an incredibly dense mass. It was said too much smaller than the
eye of a needle for some unknown reason, 15000 million years ago it began expanding. The Big
Bang theory is the Dominant scientific theory about the origin of the universe, According to the Big
Bang; the universe was created some time between 15–20 billion years ago.
The second confirmation of the beginning of the universe is based on the thermodynamic properties
of various cosmological models. According to the second laws of thermodynamic, process talking
place in a closed system always tend toward s a state of equilibrium. The universe will reach a state
of thermodynamic equilibrium, known as the heat death of the universe. The universe will expand
forever or eventually re–contract.
Many people have come to the point in their lives where they have serious doubt about God, or have
already denied his existence. Most of those people do not do so because firmly held
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59.
60.
61.
62. Critique of the ideas for the Existence of God
Critique of the ideas for the Existence of God
For thousands of years the idea of God have been questioned and proposed by philosophers,
scientists and scholars alike. Many have argued for and against its existence and it's still a subject of
heated debates in the present day. Since God is a notion about an entity that was never seen or heard
from by anyone, it has been a strenuous struggle to substantiate his existence. Yet, great
philosophers have always found a way to validate the idea of God through their own way of
reasoning. The philosophical discussions about God's existence began with pre–modern
philosophers such as Plato, Saint Augustine, and it was further examined by modern philosophers
such as Descartes etc. In this essay I ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However much they may lack form, and however great may be their propensity not to exist,
nonetheless some form remains in them so that they do exist in some way.." so this should be
enough of a proof that "all good things come from God, since everything that exists – whether that
which has understanding, life, and existence or that which has only life and existence, or that which
has existence alone – is from God." (Williams, 1993, p.53) In other words all finite things owe their
existence to God and these things in turn must be good, since they are creatures of God. To
demonstrate the goodness of God and its' creatures, Augustine stretches the idea of lack of the good.
Evil, he believes, is the privation of the good. Thus, evil is created by the absence of the good and
by the absence of God. The conclusion is all–good and powerful God exists.
Another major philosopher Rene Descartes who attempted to prove God's existence wrote a book
titled Meditations, which was composed of six essays, each of which tried to answer different
philosophical questions about self–existence, human nature, distinction between body and mind and
about existence of God, etc. The idea of God was so important to Descartes that he devoted an entire
essay to the discussion and substantiating of God's existence. In Meditations, similarly to Augustine,
Descartes begins his evaluation of God by first proving his own existence, because how can he
prove God exists if he
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63.
64.
65.
66. Paley's Argument For The Existence Of God
The traditional God in the Judeo–Christian tradition is known to be as an "Omni–God" possessing
particular divine attributes such as omniscient, which means he knows everything he is also
omnipotent, or all powerful. God has also been said to be also he is omnipresence which means he
exists in all places and present everywhere, however there are many philosophical arguments on
whether if any of that is actually true or if there is a God at all. This paper argues that it is not
possible to know whether the traditional God exists or not. While there have been philosophers such
as Aquinas, Anselm, Paley and Kierkegaard who are for god and present strong argument, likewise
philosopher like Nietzsche and arguments like the problem of evil both make valid point on why
God isn't real.
Aquinas Argument of Efficient Cause states In our ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Paley's made his argument using an analogy to prove the existence of god, using a watchmaker
analogy and to image if we found a watch on the ground and could it have been possible for the
watch to simply appear randomly, spontaneously on its own. Paley was arguing that the teleology
demonstrated by a watch would conclude that it was designed by an intelligent creator with a
particular end in mind. While Aquinas has a design argument of his own ,the Teleological argument
focuses on the condition that allows for life in the universe to only occur when certain fundamental
physical constants are within a very narrow range if one of many fundamental constant are off
slightly, then the universe would be unfit for the development of matter and life. Since these things
are so finely tuned it appears an intelligent designer may have been involved in making sure these
things happened so life could occur that designer Aquinas believes to be
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67.
68.
69.
70. The Existence Of God By Thomas Aquinas
Kaitlyn Yinger
10–8–14
Robert Evans
Intro to Philosophy
The Existence of God
Thomas Aquinas was a theologian that was a priest in the 1200's and wanted to prove that God
existed. He created many books and articles in his lifetime about God and things with the catholic
religion, but, his more famous book Summa Thelogia gave five arguments that God exists in
Articles II and III they are explained in detail. Below is my understanding of what he was saying the
works of two other man that had comments on this man. Through the arguments of these three man I
have came up with my own views and created an argument based on what they have to say.
In Article II Aquinas states why people think that God doesn't exist and goes on to destroy them
piece by piece. The first argument in Article II against God states that God does not existence
because it can not be demonstrated that he does in fact exist. He answers calmly and uses examples
from the Bible to help him with the answer and then he states what he thinks. Based on what he
stated in his example he went off of it and said that what he thinks. He states in Article II and I quote
"I reply, therefore, that God's existence, and those other things of this nature that can be known
through natural reason concerning God, as is said in Rom. I., are not articles of faith, but preambles
to these articles." (Article II). He is saying that Faith is not a given thing you have to knowledge and
understanding so that you can develop faith
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71.
72.
73.
74. Does God Exist? The Existence Of God?
Does God Exist? The existence of God is a question that has troubled and plagued mankind since it
began to consider logic. Is there a God? How can we be sure that God exists? Can you prove to me
that He is real? Does His existence, or lack thereof, make a significant difference? These loaded
questions strike at the heart of human existence. But the real question is, can we answer any of
them? These questions are answered in the arguments of St. Thomas Aquinas, Blaise Pascal and St.
Anselm of Canterbury. For thousands of years, theologians, philosophers and scientists have been
trying to prove or disprove God's existence. Many, including the three mentioned above, have strong
proofs and theories that attempt to confirm God's existence. Although, without any scientific
evidence, how can they be entirely sure? "Philosophical proofs can be good proofs, but they do not
have to be scientific proofs," (Kreeft). Gravity similar to God's existence ; it cannot be seen nor
explained, yet it still exists. With faith, reason, understanding and even some math, God's existence
can be verified rationally. It is difficult and nearly impossible to say whether or not God can exist
because there is a definite lack of knowledge, or limited knowledge, regarding this issue. Most
human beings in society have the natural curiosity and burning desire to know if God does or does
not exist. But, when it comes to God – the possibilities are endless. He is anything and everything –
he is not
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75.
76.
77.
78. Descartes God Existence
The argument that Descartes posed about God existing just because we have the concept of
perfection instilled in our minds. Earlier in his meditations Descartes states the argument "I think
there for I am," this statement it self proves the we exist and we are beings that think. Everything
beyond your own existence is open to debate. The idea of perfectness is completely subjective, the
ideas of perfection of a fundamentalist Christian are certainty different the ideals of an Atheist or
even Muslim for that matter. I definitely know that the idea of perfection that I have is greatly
different that other people. Even if the concept of perfection wasn't completely arbitrary, the massive
leap of think just because we can comprehend perfection,
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79.
80.
81.
82. Response To The Existence Of God Analysis
Response to the Argument of the Existence of God
Tamara Alston, RN
Liberty University Online
Phil 201 Fall B 2016
Does God Exist? In the Article "On Being an Atheist", McCloskey refers to the arguments defending
the existence of God as "proofs". He also believes that because none of the arguments can absolutely
prove the existence of God, that we should deny them all and the existence of God (McCloskey,
1968). Foreman addresses this dilemma in his presentation "Approaching the Question of God's
Existence." Foreman states that there is no absolute proof of God's existence but there are many
things in the universe that are best explained by the existence of God. All arguments in the defense
of the existence of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In Craig's "The Absurdity of Life without God", he gives us multiple reasons why McCloskey's
claim is absurd. Without God there is no hope of life beyond the life we know. Man must die
eventually, but without God the grave is the absolute end. This means that our life has no purpose or
value (Craig, 2008). If we are all awaiting the end, then it doesn't matter that we even existed.
Mankind is no more significant than bees or snakes, creatures that do not have a soul. Our end
would all be the same (Craig, 2008). We need God and immortality for our lives to be significant.
Even if we lived forever, without God it would all be meaningless (Craig, 2008). Without God our
life would have no value because it would not matter if we were a good person or an evil one.
Assuming that the grave is the end, there would be no incentive to do good deeds or to be a good
person. All morals would be pointless. Without God there also is no purpose to life (Craig, 2008).
There would be no reason for our existence and we would be here by chance. We would have
nothing in our future except death. We cannot be happy and consistent if we were sure that life is
meaningless because there is no God (Craig, 2008). If God does exist, then life is meaningful with
value, purpose, and
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83.
84.
85.
86. The Design Argument For The Existence Of God
ONE
The design argument for the existence of God follows the model: 1) In nature, things appear to work
together for a clear purpose. 2) The best explanation for these relationships is that God designed
these things. 3) Therefore, God exists, as he was the one who designed nature. This argument
contends that an intelligent designer of the world does exist, and structured the universe so that most
natural things fit together for a clear purpose. We can recognize that things in nature seem to be
made for specific reasons that are too fortunate to be accidental. For instance, we observe that
giraffes have extremely long necks and conveniently eat from the tops of trees. We can also identify
that planet earth is just the right distance from the sun and moon to sustain human life. If either of
these things were less ideal, there would be drastically worse outcomes for the giraffes and humans
on earth. The harmony we witness in nature compels the belief in an intelligent designer.
Philosopher William Paley gives an example supporting this argument using a natural rock and a
watch. He argues that in a forest if someone were to stumble upon a rock, they would not likely
question why or how the rock came to be there, for all they know it has been there forever.
However, if in a forest someone was to stumble upon a watch, they would likely wonder how and
why this complex watch come to be in the forest. The passerby questions the watch because it is
obviously more elaborate
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87.
88.
89.
90. Religion and the Existence of God Essay
Religion and the Existence of God
The existence of God has been questioned since the beginning of time. Religions thrived on
answering the unanswerable questions of the universe and people were able to find solace in the
answers. As science has expanded and been able to answer these questions with natural, as opposed
to supernatural answers, many people stopped looking to God and religion for the causes of things
and started looking towards science. God was dead, according to many scientists and people of all
professions. Many philosophers, however, have different conclusions. In the article, "Science Finds
God" (Newsweek 1998) it was recognized that although theologians and scientists differ sharply in
their views and do not ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To actually move a thing must be moved by another thing that is actually in motion. Therefore that
thing must have been moved by another. However this cannot go on infinitely. There must be
something that is the first unmoved mover that causes all movement. This being, in a state of pure
actuality, is what people call God. An example of this is a stone is moved by a stick. The stick is
moved by a hand. The stick moved from a state of potential movement to actual movement by the
hand. In order to move the stick the hand must move from potential to actual by something else.
What moves the hand must be also be moved by another because nothing can be moving both
potentially and actually at the same time. Whatever was the original cause of all movement must be
pure actual movement. This being is the unmoved first mover, God. Aquinas's fifth proof relates
more directly to "Science Finds God." This article states that the complexity of the natural world is
more evidence that God must exist. Thomas says that there is some pure act of intelligence that
causes all other acts of intelligence. As an archer shoots an arrow towards its target, God aims
everything to its ultimate end. Everything is ordered towards an end and that end is determined by a
being we call God. Using empirical sciences, it is evident that everything has its purpose and
functions for
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91.
92.
93.
94. Thomas Aquinas And The Existence Of God
Philosophers formulate treatises on similar topics, one specifically which has been approached
several times, the existence of God. Each philosopher has a varyingly different theory on how
whether in fact God does exist, or that he does not exist. Evidently, God's existence has not been
settled and will continue to be deliberated until humans no longer exist, however, there are
philosophers who are more successful at arguing for God's existence than other theories do. Thomas
Aquinas, a renowned philosopher and regarded as one of the greatest Christian theologians, wrote
about God's existence which is superior to other philosophers who have attempted to provide their
own insight to the topic. Thomas Aquinas's proof for the existence of God is logical and provides an
excellent argument for God's existence. Aquinas first attempts to prove the existence of God through
the concept of self–evident propositions. Self–evident propositions are propositions in which the
evidence of its truth lies within itself. Aquinas says "God exists" is a self–evident proposition within
itself. Which is true, but just stating "God exists", and expecting for everyone to understand what the
proposition means is unrealistic. In order for a self–evident proposition to be self–evident to us, we
must have an understanding, unlike a proposition that is self–evident in itself. "God exists" may be
self–evident to those who already believe in his existence, but those who do not already believe in
God's
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95.
96.
97.
98. Descartes's Argument For The Existence Of God
Descartes states in order to find the truth, we must be able to clearly and distinctly perceive
something to be true, we must prove two things. First, proving that the existence of God is true.
Second, the fact that God is not a deceiver tricking Descartes into perceiving something to be true
when in reality it is false. These two steps are neccesary for first, only by the fact that we know God
is not a evil–deceiving demon, can we rule out the possibiltiy that Descartes's perception is not
influenced by an evil demon. Second, without the prove that God is in existence, Descartes has a
possibility of being possessed by an evil demon, which in turn, causes him to go back to square one
of only recognizing that he exists. Only when the existence ... Show more content on
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It is worrisome, as this is a important argument of Descartes. By stating he has an clear and distinct
idea of God as a perfect being, it is possible that Descartes first premise has an error unless
Descartes is certain his proof is correct. With that said, his clear and distinct perception then relies
on the existence of God which then goes back to the standard of clear and distinct perception. With
that said however, I believe the Cartesian circle argument is a misrepresentation of Descartes true
argument. Descartes reasononing is that his ideas are clear, distinct and true. With that said, his clear
and distinct idea of God proves that God himself exists. By Descartes idea that God is perfect and
trusthworty(not a evil deceiver) Descartes states he cannot be deceived by anything from the
external world as God wouldn't deceive him into doing so. Descartes in my opinion, is not aruging
that he is not prone to error, but rather he knows that God will not deceive him and with the
knowing that he has a mind, he can come to clear and distinct ideas if he was able to be free from
error. Though Descartes argument's premise may be false or questioned, his reasoning is not
circular, as his ideas instead are
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99.
100.
101.
102. The Existence Of God In The Brothers Karamazov
The existence of god is a question explored in the novel The Brothers Karamazov by three brothers.
Alyosha, a young, devoutly faithful man believes that God exists, and believes deeply in salvation
through the forgiveness of sins. Alyosha is almost innocent in his faith, as demonstrated when an
elder mentor becomes old and frail. Alyosha observes his lifelong mentor's body falling apart, and
he genuinely believes that a miracle will heal his mentor's body for being a faithful man. Alyosha
becomes extremely emotional when he observes that a miracle is not likely to happen, and claims
that though his faith was shaken by this event, he was still certain of God's existence. However, he
does add that although he knows God exists, that he does not accept the world God created in which
a miracle is not performed on his mentor.
Alyosha has a conversation with his brother Dmitri when he visits his brother in jail. Dmitri believes
that God exists. He states that men cannot live and God cannot exist without joy, because God's gift
to humanity is joy. He claims that man cannot exist in prison without God, and that it is stupid to
believe that man can love humanity without God.
Ivan, brother to Alyosha and Dmitri, also speaks to Alyosha on his beliefs in the existence of God.
Ivan, being a scholar and intellectual of sorts, is by far the most skeptical and critical of the brothers
in his assessment of the question. He claims initially that no natural law that made humans love each
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103.
104.
105.
106. The Existence Of God And Theism
There have been many discussions on how the world has been created and whether there is a true
designer of the universe or rather it happened through a big bang. H.J. McCloskey "on being an
Atheist" argues throughout his article that theism is not a belief that is rational, but a is something
that should not exist, just as God he believes does not. Throughout this paper will be the discussion
of the Cosmological, teleological, design arguments, and how he refutes these arguments to
invalidate the existence of God and theism. McCloskey throughout his article refers to
cosmological, teleological, and design arguments as proofs. Stated from Merriam–Webster a proof
is, "Something which shows that something else is true or correct". This goes to show that
McCloskey is arguing the existence of God and is giving these three arguments the basis that they
are correct. Although as stated in "Approaching the Question of God's Existence" presentation?
States, "I do not think that is what these arguments do, I do not think they give 100% proof of God's
existence And if that is what you're thinking about the arguments, then that may be why you don't
think the arguments work". This goes to show that McCloskey is basing almost everything on these
arguments and is not looking at all the resources at a whole. As foremen also explains to use for
these arguments is the "Best explanation approach" (Foreman). Through this it is able to use these
arguments to best explain the reasons as to why
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107.
108.
109.
110. Controversies On The Existence Of God
Existence of God
Major issues and controversies on the existence of God
Name: – Yasin Eroglu
Student Number: – 213483441
Course Name and Code: – The Nature of Religion: An Introduction, AP/HUMA 1860 6.00
Teacher Assistant: – Irfaan Jaffer
Due Date: – April 14, 2015 Beliefs cannot be validated, and for this reason, people believe in what
they choose to. This paves way to question the existence of God, the existence of an omnipotent and
omniscient being. Given that the Divine is beyond sensory experience, there are questions and
controversies regarding His existence. Views on God's existence can be placed on a spectrum: on
one end, those who accept a divine power, and on the other, those who reject it. In this essay, I argue
that God exists. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
However, belief in God requires faith. Faith is needed in order for one to accept the existence of the
Divine. The existence of God is controversial (and unlikely) for one who has no basis of faith. This
is because reason cannot explain faith. Reason cannot explain the existence of something that it has
no basis for. This relates back to Descartes "cogito ergo sum," meaning, "I think, therefore I am."
Although Descartes was concerned with knowledge of the individual, this can relate to God. To
think that there exists a God inherently assumes that there is such a force in the universe. Given that
religion is a collective practice and an act of obedience to God performed by many people for
centuries, it seems horrendous to assume that so many people have been wrong about their
experience and belief. One can come to this conclusion through deduction by moving from general
to specific; millions of people cannot simply be wrong in believing that there is a
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111.
112.
113.
114. The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of God
The cosmological argument for the existence of god According to St. John 8:31–32 said, "If you
remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth shall
set you free". This sentence is come from the bible, but I am not a christian, so I do not really
understand what this means. I guess it was talking about if people believe in god, and trust his
words, and in the end the will get the freedom. For many of christians, they believes in god, but
many of the treatises of theologians and Christian philosophers can shed much light on the existence
of God, the problem of evil and other objections raised by modern unbelievers. So, what I going to
talk about is cosmological argument for the existence ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
On the other hand, some people do not believed in "god–typed" things. To explain this objection,
and how the two forms of cosmological argument evade it, I'll use a simple, generic statement of the
cosmological argument: (1) Everything that exists has a cause of its existence. (2) The universe
exists.
Therefore:(3) The universe has a cause of its existence.
(4) If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God.
Therefore:(5) God exists. This argument is subject to a simple objection, introduced by asking,
"Does God have a cause of his existence?"If, on the one hand, God is thought to have a cause of his
existence, then positing the existence of God in order to explain the existence of the universe doesn't
get us anywhere. Without God there is one entity the existence of which we cannot explain, namely
the universe; with God there is one entity the existence of which we cannot explain, namely God.
Positing the existence of God, then, raises as many problems as it solves, and so the cosmological
argument leaves us in no better position than it found us, with one entity the existence of which we
cannot explain. If, on the other hand, God is thought not to have a cause of his existence, i.e. if God
is thought to be an uncaused being, then this too raises difficulties for the simple cosmological
argument. For if God were an uncaused being then his existence would
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115.
116.
117.
118. The Argument for the Existence of God Essay
The Argument for the Existence of God
It is an undisputed fact that some people claim to have experienced God. It is these religious
experiences that have been used by philosophers to argue for the existence of God. The main way of
expressing the argument from religious experience is as follows:
P1 Someone experiences an entity
C1 The entity exists
P2 Someone has experienced God
C2 God exists
Those who champion the argument seek to differentiate ordinary experiences and religious
experiences. The supporters of this argument argue that there are several key differences between
the two types of experience: that religious experiences are completely different from what is normal
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The idea expressed here is that religious believers will become explicitly convinced that they are in
God's presence when a religious experience occurs.
In order to stress that the experience was truly experienced and not simply a conclusion of a series
of inferences (caused by consideration of a set of hypotheses), experiences are described through the
undeniable, self–authenticating interaction of the five senses. For example, when you see a football
heading straight towards you and subsequently colliding with your head, you not only see the
football coming towards you but also feel the football when it hits your head. Through the
interaction of the two senses of sight and touch it would seem illogical to deny the existence of the
football and, indeed, the event itself. An analogy to this effect is often cited because the direct
experience that comes from a spiritual sense and that not to believe in God's presence after this
experience would seem absurd.
The point of the example of experiencing God 'something like the way that you would experience
people' is not the idea of how we experience each other's bodies but how we experience each other's
'being'. This is further clarified by the suggestion that we also experience other people's minds,
123. The Existence Of God Is A Delusion
The infamous atheist philosopher, Richard Dawkins, once said that the concept of God is a
"delusion" and that it is "something people believe in despite a total lack of evidence." I disagree
with Dawkin's statement as the existence of God can be proved by the existence of evil as one
cannot exist without the other. I believe that the existence of evil proves that God exists as it was
this argument that led former atheist; the Chronicles of Narnia author C.S. Lewis, to believe in the
existence of God– "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I
see it but because by it I see everything else" a quote by C.S. Lewis (Lewis, Proof that God exists).
C.S. Lewis did not believe that God exists because of all the pain and suffering that was occurring in
the world at that time. Atheists often use the injustices and suffering in the world such as deaths of
innocent civilians due natural disasters, wars, murder etc. as evidence for the disprove of God. C.S.
Lewis realised that it was in fact the "injustices" or "evil" in the world that proved God's existence:
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this
idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.
What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?...Of course I could have given up
my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did
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124.
125.
126.
127. Mccloskey's Argument For The Existence Of God
How long has mankind been arguing, and what exactly is the narrative for these arguments? If a
person is a Christian and believes the Bible is the Word of God, then it is a fact, Adam and Eve
knew the existence of God. They had direct experiential knowledge. Cain had direct knowledge of
God, as did Noah and Abraham. So when did man stop knowing that God exists and arguing for
non–existence? This path that man first took, a small step down, has now turned into the main
highway that more and more people are driving on at a very high speed. With so many signs and
prophecies from the Bible, how did mankind become so filled with a sin nature as to want to
constantly deny the existence of the one thing that can give them eternal life? ... Show more content
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The real meat of the concept of first cause is completely left out. The argument from contingency
and the temporal argument are never mentioned. When making an argument for or against anything,
both sides should be explained equally and fairly. This is a one sided argument. When McCloskey
argues against the cosmological proof he uses the argument against first cause and a necessary being
as not being an argument, because one cannot say something is necessary for existence just because
of its mere existence. If McCloskey wanted to try and validate his argument at this point, it would
have been more logical to try and explain away the necessary being cause with The Big Bang
Theory, or evolution. Then a real debate could ensue with a counter argument of creation. There are
many valid points to be made with C–14 carbon dating and the fact that there is nothing new under
the sun. DNA remains the same in all creatures and if evolution was a fact, something would have
evolved past what it has been in so many years. There are no new creations and if anything mankind
on a general basis seems to be de–evolving in some areas. McCloskey's argument is not sound. An
argument is not a real argument or debate by just simply saying it cannot be. His argument is just so
much spinning on the subject. It seems to be one of those if I say it is, so then it is. All the proofs for
the existence of God
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128.
129.
130.
131. The Teleological Argument For The Existence Of God
Our textbook Philosophy: An Introduction to the Art of Wondering, states that the "teleological
argument for the existence of God is based on the apparent order and design of nature and cosmos,
and on the purposive nature of evolution" (Christian, 2012, p. 611). The cosmos can be explained
currently with mathematical calculations, principles that are physical and chemical in nature, and
psychobiological processes (Christian, 2012, p. 611). "Living organisms have distinctive metabolic
and life–cycle rhythms.... Subatomic studies have revealed the complex configurations of energy
patterns.... Cosmic processes run through ordered sequences resembling birth, life, and death"
(Christian, 2012, p. 611). Thus, the teleological case follows a path or fate, such that occurrence of
life transpired from a potential edict from some higher intelligence, namely God. ... Show more
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Thus, there is no proof that there is only one god, instead of multiple divine beings.
If there is a God and an intelligent design of the universe, then there is no reason for the natural
disasters, illnesses, and other unexplainable events.
The universe and biological systems often display randomness.
In order to find hard data to clarify and defend the answer would be difficult, since it is hard, if not
impossible, to prove and verify that God exists. There is empirical observation, but not proven
reasoning. Significant analysis in the form of scholarly articles can be found and various thoughts
for and against the teleological argument, but not hard data. However, the teleological argument is
convincing and is probably the most popular argument in attempting to prove the existence of God.
This argument or belief has even been found to go back to the Greeks. Most religious people today
use this argument as to the existence of God. Yet, to find hard data to prove the existence of God
would be complex. We must rely on faith and commitment to our belief in
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132.
133.
134.
135. Paley's Argument For The Existence Of God
Throughout history, humans have displayed beliefs in the existence of some sort of higher being.
The existence of God gives an explanation of why the world is the way it is and is a reassurance for
life after death. However, even believers of a deity find themselves questioning their own god,
asking themselves, "If there is so much suffering in the world, how can God exist?" and this is
understandable. Suffering is defined as the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. Theorists
have attempted to answer this question, some arguing for the existence of God and some arguing
against it, but there's no real way to answer this question. After all, there's no definite proof of God's
existence in the world. Two dominant arguments for the existence of ... Show more content on
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This argument appears to be logically valid, as shown in appendix 1 which displays a truth table for
the teleological argument. This theory claiming that the universe is designed would subsequently
mean that evil and suffering which occurs in the world is simply a part of the overall picture. Evil is
therefore neither good nor bad but is purely just apart of the design and nature of the universe.
William Paley, a philosopher created the classic statement of the teleological argument, likening the
universe to a watch. Paley argued, "If we find a pocket watch in a field, we immediately infer that it
was produced not by natural processes acting blindly but by a designing human intellect" (Natural
Theology, Ch 1). The complexity, order and function of the watch suggests design. This can be
compared to the universe as the universe implies an intricacy and precision that calls for the
existence of a designer. However, some might claim that this is a weak analogy as there is not a
significant resemblance between natural objects and objects
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136.
137.
138.
139. The Debate Of God 's Existence
We are raised to follow these old traditions which are passed from generation to generation. We are
told to follow certain norms or otherwise the big guy upstairs will punish us for being "disobedient".
To many, "believing in God" is the only way to live, the reason for the way everything is, and it's the
meaning to life. To others, God, is just a popular view whose existence cannot be proven. While
both Atheist and Agnostics agree on the questioning of God's existence, they disagree on the
reasoning of why thing are the way they are. Agnostics believe in a higher power while Atheists
believe in strictly science. Both points of views made me question if science is really the only
explanation for everything, how people came to "believing", and the effects of believing in a higher
power. Although it is true, there is no evidence to prove God's existence, why not live a good moral
live regardless of the existence of a higher power or not?
The main argument we are presented with is whether God exists or not. One argues that there is no
evidence to prove its existence while the other one argues that we aren't capable enough to
understand the "philosophical mysteries of the universe." One point of view we see is an atheist.
Atheists argue that "there is absolutely no scientific evidence for his existence" and from what they
have heard the "definition of God" is "a logical impossibility in this known universe" therefore, God
does not exists. To Atheist, the explanation behind
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140.
141.
142.
143. The Third Article: The Existence Of God
The Third Article within the writings entitled The Existence of God opens up with two strong cases
saying that God does not exist. The first states that if God's name means infinite goodness, evil
would not be present in the world. However, since there is evil in the world then God does not exist.
The second proposes that things that can be accounted for by use of principles do not need God. For
example, all natural things can be reduced to one principle which is nature. Another example states
that all voluntary things can be reduced to one principle which is human reason or will. This case
concludes that God's existence is not necessary. In response to these two cases Aquinas proposes
that he can prove the existence of God in five ways. These
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144.
145.
146.
147. Essay about The Existence of God
We go through life drifting from one superficial disagreement to another without truly ever taking
the time to ponder about the meaning of life. Such a question will not be easily resolved but by
trying to answer it we stop daydreaming and extend our conception of ourselves while gaining
knowledge of the external world (Solomon 10). Unfortunately anyone who attempts to answer that
question quickly realizes that it isn't just one broad question but rather it's the slogan to an
overwhelming amount of enquiries. Out of all possible question the one that has had the most
influence on humanity is the notion of whether or not God exists. Philosophers and non–
philosophers alike from ancient civilizations to our modern era have contributed their ... Show more
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Let's start with the fact that God is powerful enough to control human thought and action to such a
point that if he truly desired it we would not doubt his existence. Nevertheless such a doubt does
exist so it can be established that humanity has the capacity to choose "a course of action from
among various other alternatives (Free Will)". Having that ability in conjunction to what many
philosophers claim to be a naturally selfish human nature results in a combination were the
prevailing outcome is human suffering. However not all suffering is a result of human action or
inaction which brings us to the following point.
Natural disasters and diseases that claim the lives of tens of thousands cannot be easily explained
with a concept such as free will. Not having an obvious explanation doesn't signify that there exists
no solution but rather that there are limitations to human knowledge. Take for example the vast
uncertainty surrounding certain scientific and mathematical matters of fact when many, if not all
philosophers, can agree that is attainable knowledge. If that restraint exists for such topics than the
likelihood that we will know or understand what God is like is considerably higher. For example we
cannot begin to understand the scope of divine love since the best indication that we have is human
love which oscillates over time or is easily broken.
God as already defined transcends our experience so how exactly can his existence be proven when
all
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148.
149.
150.
151. Existence of God Argumentative Paper
Jessica Black–212160
Philosophy
8–17–2012
McCloskey
There are many different types of arguments for the existence of God. With each argument there is a
conception presented of God. For each argument there are different approaches. I will be focusing
on the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments. Teleological
Arguments are known to be arguments from divine, arguing from order in the universe to the
existence of God (1).With the ordering of the universe, created by an intelligent being, they hold that
it is ordered towards a purpose or an end. The Cosmological Argument "is the argument that the
existence of the world or universe is strong evidence for the existence of a God who ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
The atheist holds that there is severe contradiction between claiming God is good, yet evil exists.
Mackie, an atheist, says
"...the contradiction does not arise immediately; to show it we need some additional premises...these
additional principles are that good is opposed to evil, in such a way that a good thing always
eliminates evil as far as it can, and that there are no limits to what an omnipotent thing can do. From
these it follows that a good omnipotent thing eliminates evil completely, and then the propositions
that a good omnipotent thing exists, and that evil exists, are incompatible"(8). There exists two kinds
of evil. There is "human evil," and "natural evil" in which atheist claim are both forms of needless
suffering. The logical problem of evil claims the
"tension" between simultaneously having evil in the world, while also having a perfect God. This
would without a doubt be a logical contradiction according to the atheist. There is also the evidential
problem of evil. With this claim, there is not contradiction, but the fact that evil exists, if give
grounding evidence for being able to reject that God is all–powerful. It is a weaker version of the
former, and claims that it is highly unlikely that an all–perfect God exists. Plantinga responds with
trying to defend that it is reasonable to believe in God, even without evidence.
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152.
153.
154.
155. The Existence Of God Essay
The existence of God has long been a topic of debate. It is the ultimate topic of discussion, as
everyone seems to have an opinion on it. I will look at the traditional arguments for the existence of
God, the ones that have stood the test of time, and find out how convincing the arguments really are
by looking at each one in turn, analysing the logic behind each argument, and finally looking at its
criticisms and the responses to the criticisms.
The first argument for the existence of God I will look at is the cosmological argument, more
commonly known as the "First Cause" argument. It is attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas, a 13th
century philosopher. The basic premise is that for the Universe to exist, something must have caused
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According to Russell, there is no reason why it needs a cause to come into existence. Similarly, there
is no reason why it couldn't have existed eternally: Aquinas uses the fallacy of moral dilemma to
offer us no other selection of choices. This is not a formal fallacy, as you can see below, but an
informal fallacy originating in premise #3. There is also question over the other 2 premises:
1. There is a first cause of the Universe
2. The first cause must be eternal
3. God is the only eternal being
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4. The first cause is God
It has also not been proven that something that comes into being needs a cause, as nothing that we
know of has ever come into existence, merely changed from one state into another, therefore the
Universe does not need a first cause. Following the First Cause argument, Russell also asked the
question: if God made the Universe, who made God?
Anybody responding to these criticisms will say that God does not need a creator because he caused
everything else and is eternal. Aquinas described God as "the necessary being" and "the immovable
mover". According to him, God is the only thing that has no beginning or end. His argument is
entirely dependent on his own belief in his premises.
Another popular argument for the existence of God is the teleological argument, more commonly
known as the Design
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