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Twelve Arguments for God's existance
From The Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli
Please read this book it is really good and has even more arguments and tons more topics.
These are cosmological, ontological, and psychological arguments. Realize that some are stronger than others and dont disregard all of them just because you dont agree with one of them.
These arguments are for the existance of a God based on the philosophical definition: An all-powerful, unlimited Being.
1. The argument from effiecient casuality
Everything that exists stands in need of being caused to exist. That is a simple scientific law... everything in this universe has a cause. God is the Uncaused Being he is outside from the universe. This is a very simple argument that rests on the foundation of cause and effect. How could the world exist without a greater cause, it could not just come from nothing.
2. The Design argument
"1. The universe displays a staggering amount of intelligibility, both within the things we observe and in the way these things relate to others outside t hemselves.That is to say: the way they eixst and coexist display an intricately beautiful order and regularity that can fill even the most casual observer with wonder... 2. Either this intelligable order is the product of chance or of an intelligent design. 3. Chance can account for it. 4. Therfore the universe is the product of an intelligent design. 5. Design comes only from a mind, a designer. 6. Therfore the universe is the product of an intelligent designer."
3. The Kalam Argument
"1. Whatever began to exist has a cause for its coming into being. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause for its coming into being."
4. The Argument from contingency
"1. If something exists there must exist what it takes for that thing to exist. 2. The universe- the collection of beings in space and time- exists. 3. Therefore, there must exist what it takes for the universe to exist. 4. What it takes for the universe to exist cannot exist within the universe or be bounded by space and time. 5. Therefore, what it takes for the universe to exist must transcence both space and time." God. For things to continue existing they depend on other things. For example... we depend on oxygen's existance for our own existance.Similarly the universe depends on God's existance for its own existance.
5. The argument from the world acting as an interacting whole
This world is given to us as a dynamic, ordered system of many active component elements. Their natures are ordered to interact with each other in stable, reciprocal relationships which we call physical laws... Such a system as our world requires a unifying efficient cause to posit it in existance as a unified whole. Any such cause must be an intelligent cause, one that brings the system into being according to a unifying idea... The sufficient reason for our ordered world-s ystem must ultimately be a creative, ordering (intelligent) Mind... such an ordering Mind must be independent of the system itself."
6. The argument from miracles
This one you have to first ask yourself whether or not you believe in miracles. If you do, miracles are by definition a divine intervention of God, so therfore God exists if miracles exist.
8. The arguemnt from truth
"!. Our limited minds can discover eternal truths about being. 2. Truth properly resides in a mind. 3. But the human mind is not eternal. 4. Therefore there must exist an eternal mind in which these truths reside."
9. The ontological argument
Hard for me to explain... read the book
10. The moral argument
"1. Real moral obligation is a fact. We are really, truly, objectively obligated to do good and avoid evil. 2. Either the atheistic view or reailty is correct or the "religious" one. 3. But the atheistic one is imcompatible with there being moral obligation. 4. Therefore the "religious" view of reality is correct." If you believe in moral obligation (for example murder is wrong) then for that obligation to exist there has to be a moral lawgiver... God.
11. The argument from conscience
If you don't believe in moral obligation, but ratehr moral subjectivism, you will still admit that you have a conscience. Its the little voice in your head that tells you if you are doing something wrong. Well God accounts for that too because for people to have that builtin sense of right and wrong there has to be a moral lawgiver who first decided it.
12. Pascal's Wager
This is one of my favorites just because it is based purely on logic and it is kinda neat when you think about it.
"The Wager assumes that logical reasoning by itself cannot decide for or against the existance of God; there seem to be good reasons on both sides. Now since reason cannot decide for sure, and since the question is of such importance that we must decide somehow, then we must "wager" if we cannot prove. And so we are asked: Where are you going to place your bet." Suppose God does not exist and i believe in him. In that case, i gain nothing and what awaits me after death is not eternal life but, most likely, eternal nonexistance. Now suppose God does exist and i do not believe in him, I lose everything because i rejected him and would not be going to heaven- a place of joy and happiness and love. If God doesnt exist and i dont believe in him, then i dont gain anything. Lastly if God does exist and i do believe in him than i gain everything! So what sounds like the best bet? "The wager cannot- or should not- coerce belief. But it can be an incentive for us to search for God, to study and restudy the arguemtns that seek to show that there is Something, or Someone, who is the ultimate explanation of the universe and of my life."
Thanks for reading!
Jessica
From The Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli
Please read this book it is really good and has even more arguments and tons more topics.
These are cosmological, ontological, and psychological arguments. Realize that some are stronger than others and dont disregard all of them just because you dont agree with one of them.
These arguments are for the existance of a God based on the philosophical definition: An all-powerful, unlimited Being.
1. The argument from effiecient casuality
Everything that exists stands in need of being caused to exist. That is a simple scientific law... everything in this universe has a cause. God is the Uncaused Being he is outside from the universe. This is a very simple argument that rests on the foundation of cause and effect. How could the world exist without a greater cause, it could not just come from nothing.
2. The Design argument
"1. The universe displays a staggering amount of intelligibility, both within the things we observe and in the way these things relate to others outside t hemselves.That is to say: the way they eixst and coexist display an intricately beautiful order and regularity that can fill even the most casual observer with wonder... 2. Either this intelligable order is the product of chance or of an intelligent design. 3. Chance can account for it. 4. Therfore the universe is the product of an intelligent design. 5. Design comes only from a mind, a designer. 6. Therfore the universe is the product of an intelligent designer."
3. The Kalam Argument
"1. Whatever began to exist has a cause for its coming into being. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause for its coming into being."
4. The Argument from contingency
"1. If something exists there must exist what it takes for that thing to exist. 2. The universe- the collection of beings in space and time- exists. 3. Therefore, there must exist what it takes for the universe to exist. 4. What it takes for the universe to exist cannot exist within the universe or be bounded by space and time. 5. Therefore, what it takes for the universe to exist must transcence both space and time." God. For things to continue existing they depend on other things. For example... we depend on oxygen's existance for our own existance.Similarly the universe depends on God's existance for its own existance.
5. The argument from the world acting as an interacting whole
This world is given to us as a dynamic, ordered system of many active component elements. Their natures are ordered to interact with each other in stable, reciprocal relationships which we call physical laws... Such a system as our world requires a unifying efficient cause to posit it in existance as a unified whole. Any such cause must be an intelligent cause, one that brings the system into being according to a unifying idea... The sufficient reason for our ordered world-s ystem must ultimately be a creative, ordering (intelligent) Mind... such an ordering Mind must be independent of the system itself."
6. The argument from miracles
This one you have to first ask yourself whether or not you believe in miracles. If you do, miracles are by definition a divine intervention of God, so therfore God exists if miracles exist.
7. The argument from consciousness
We encounter intelligence all over the world, but the universe itself is not intellectually aware and this unconscious material cannot account for the intelligence and design on it.
8. The arguemnt from truth
"!. Our limited minds can discover eternal truths about being. 2. Truth properly resides in a mind. 3. But the human mind is not eternal. 4. Therefore there must exist an eternal mind in which these truths reside."
9. The ontological argument
Hard for me to explain... read the book
10. The moral argument
"1. Real moral obligation is a fact. We are really, truly, objectively obligated to do good and avoid evil. 2. Either the atheistic view or reailty is correct or the "religious" one. 3. But the atheistic one is imcompatible with there being moral obligation. 4. Therefore the "religious" view of reality is correct." If you believe in moral obligation (for example murder is wrong) then for that obligation to exist there has to be a moral lawgiver... God.
11. The argument from conscience
If you don't believe in moral obligation, but ratehr moral subjectivism, you will still admit that you have a conscience. Its the little voice in your head that tells you if you are doing something wrong. Well God accounts for that too because for people to have that builtin sense of right and wrong there has to be a moral lawgiver who first decided it.
12. Pascal's Wager
This is one of my favorites just because it is based purely on logic and it is kinda neat when you think about it.
"The Wager assumes that logical reasoning by itself cannot decide for or against the existance of God; there seem to be good reasons on both sides. Now since reason cannot decide for sure, and since the question is of such importance that we must decide somehow, then we must "wager" if we cannot prove. And so we are asked: Where are you going to place your bet." Suppose God does not exist and i believe in him. In that case, i gain nothing and what awaits me after death is not eternal life but, most likely, eternal nonexistance. Now suppose God does exist and i do not believe in him, I lose everything because i rejected him and would not be going to heaven- a place of joy and happiness and love. If God doesnt exist and i dont believe in him, then i dont gain anything. Lastly if God does exist and i do believe in him than i gain everything! So what sounds like the best bet? "The wager cannot- or should not- coerce belief. But it can be an incentive for us to search for God, to study and restudy the arguemtns that seek to show that there is Something, or Someone, who is the ultimate explanation of the universe and of my life."
Thanks for reading!
Jessica