Man hides from God because he is trapped in sin. Therefore, he denies God's existence to avoid facing a holy and righteous God. – Nissan Gharti
Introduction:
Historically, Christians have been more concerned with advocating who the true God is rather than questioning whether or not God exists. In ancient times, polytheism and philosophical misunderstandings clouded the nature of God, but rarely His existence. This trend continues even today. However, in the past few centuries, a growing campaign of disbelief has attacked the very existence of God. In this presentation, I aim to defend the existence of God by disproving the arguments of those who deny Him, living in false delusion, rebelling against Him, and suppressing the truth. Ultimately, proving the existence of God affirms that this God is indeed the biblical God.
Cause Argument:
Causal reasoning tells us that behind everything that comes into existence, there must be someone who brings it into existence.
As humans, we are familiar with the relationship between cause and effect in our daily lives, making this logic easy to grasp. For example, if you punch someone (cause), the person falls to the ground (effect).
Aquinas argued that the world operates in this way. Someone or something must be responsible for the existence of the world. This cause, according to Aquinas, is God, and the effect is the world itself.
He further argued that the first cause must have no beginning—it must be eternal. This eternal first cause, Aquinas asserted, is God, who is both the beginning and the end, having brought the world and everything else into existence.
Cosmological Argument:
Did creation itself come into existence?
"There is no greater question than why the universe exists: why there is something rather than nothing." – Derek Parfitt
Atheists often claim that the universe is eternal and without cause. However, nothing can come into existence by itself. If it could, we would observe such occurrences in our daily lives. Finiteness cannot give rise to finiteness; therefore, an infinite cause must be responsible for the existence of the finite. The Bible makes this clear: In Genesis 1:1, God created the heavens and the earth. This shows that God is the reason for the creation of everything.
Romans 1:18-20 also states that God has revealed Himself through His creation, leaving humanity without excuse.
Thomas Aquinas, in his five arguments for God's existence, discussed the principle of motion and reason. Every cause or motion requires a prior cause or motion—nothing happens or moves without one. There must be a starting point to the cause-and-effect relationship, and this starting point sets everything else into motion. This first cause, Aquinas concluded, is God.
From these arguments, we cannot deny God's existence. He is behind all creation, as the Bible attests (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17; Psalm 19:1-6; Psalm 24:1-2; Hebrews 1:3).
Teleological Argument:
According to teleological reasoning, when we observe the world—the mountains, animals, people, and all things on earth—we see intelligence and wonder in creation. It would be foolish to claim that these things came into existence by accident. The beauty, orderliness, and balance of this highly integrated universe could not have come about by chance.
Thomas Aquinas' fifth argument for God's existence is the teleological argument. He stated that natural bodies, which lack intelligence, work toward an end. They do this consistently, always achieving the best results. It is evident that they are not acting by chance but by design. That which lacks knowledge must be guided by something that has knowledge and wisdom. Thus, Aquinas concluded, there is an intelligent being guiding all natural things to their ends, and this being is God.
When we understand Aquinas’ argument, we can see that the arrangement, structure, and processes on this earth can only be explained by the design of a knowledgeable and wise creator. For instance, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, while humans and animals do the opposite. This interconnectedness points to intelligent design.
The Earth is also uniquely positioned in the solar system to support life. If the sun were further away, we would freeze, and if it were closer, we would burn. Isaac Newton used the uniqueness of human fingerprints to argue for God's existence. Each person has a unique fingerprint, which points to a designer rather than random chance.
"In the absence of any other evidence, the finger alone can convince me of the existence of God." – Isaac Newton
The created world, including humans and animals, displays intelligence and purpose. It is unreasonable to think that all this came into being on its own. The Bible also provides abundant evidence of divine intelligence in creation (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-20; Genesis 1:1-31).
Moral Argument:
Why do people often challenge theism?
Moral reasoning begins with the fact that every human being has an innate sense of right and wrong, no matter where they live.
If moral values exist, then God must also exist. Moral values do exist, therefore God exists. To resolve our moral crisis, we must acknowledge the character of a good God (in whose image we are made) as the essential foundation of morality, human rights, and dignity.
- Moral values exist: These values are fundamental, existing whether or not a person or culture recognizes them. People inherently understand right and wrong, as John Calvin observed when discussing the consciousness of God. Because man is made in God's image, every person has an awareness of God.
Romans 2:14-15 affirms that even those who have not received God's special revelation can know right from wrong because God's moral law is written on their hearts. This is why atheists and theists share many of the same moral instincts, such as the belief that torturing children is wrong.
Moral principles are not invented: Moral reform movements like the abolition of slavery or the advocacy of women’s rights are only meaningful if objective moral values exist. Morality has not merely evolved; rather, it has been discovered, and it is worth pursuing, even at great cost.
God and morality are intimately connected: Atheists can affirm moral values without believing in God, but they cannot account for the existence of morality without God. Human rights and dignity are based on the fact that we are created in the image of a supremely valuable person.
Non-theistic moral theories are inadequate: Secular moral systems, while contributing positively to moral discussions, fail to explain why humans possess intrinsic value, rights, and moral obligations. Naturalistic evolutionary ethics, which claim that moral awareness is a survival mechanism, fail to address why we can trust our moral faculties.
Conclusion:
All the arguments presented above—causal, cosmological, teleological, and moral—demonstrate the existence of God. The Bible succinctly declares, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1). The evidence for God's existence is overwhelming, and denying it is simply an act of self-deception.
Sources:
- https://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialSciences/ppecorino/INTRO_TEXT/Chapter%203%20Religion/Cosmological.htm
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zv2fgwx/revision/5
- https://www.namb.net/apologetics/resource/the-moral-argument-for-gods-existence/
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book I, Chapters 1-5.
- C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (San Francisco: HarperSF, 2001).
- Kai Nielsen, Ethics Without God (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1990)
- Michael Ruse, The Darwinian Paradigm (London: Routledge, 1989)
- Letter (3 July 1881) to Wm. G. Down, in The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, ed. Francis Darwin (London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1887)
- Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within, A&E Biography (1996).
- J. L. Mackie, The Miracle of Theism (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982)
- In Greg Ganssle, “Necessary Moral Truths” Philosophia Christi, new series 2, 2/1 (2000)
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