The Classical Arguments for the Existence of God

 

There have been many attempts made to prove the existence of God but none have been definitive or inarguable. Some have pointed out that even if definitive proof existed that would not be enough. Knowing is not the same as believing.

There are three classical arguments for the existence of God. Argument to most people carries

the idea of an angry exchange of words sometimes leading to a physical altercation, but there is also an understanding of the word from a classical legal background. Ancient orators (the forerunners of attorneys) and their descendants, modern scholars, professors, and attorneys offered arguments on numerous subjects, giving persuasive statements for or against a particular matter or understanding of a subject. Modern lawyers present closing arguments to a jury at a trial.

The three classical arguments for the existence of God are the ontological, cosmological, and the teleological. The English-language word ontology is derived from the Greek words ὄν or ὄντος (being, that which is) and λογία (word, study). The English-language word cosmology is derived from the Greek words κóσμος (order, arrangement, or adornment) and λογία. The English-language word teleology is derived from the Greek words τέλος (end, aim purpose, goal, finality) and λογία.

The Ontological Argument says that since we can conceive of a perfect being, then God must exist. The weakness here is that we can also conceive of H.P. Lovecraft’s extremely complex mythology of ancient gods like Nyarlathotep, Yog-Sothoth, or Cthulhu but that does not mean that they actually exist.

The Cosmological Argument says that everything in the universe has a cause and that there must be a first cause, which is God. The weakness here is how to explain how God can be an uncaused cause. To say that God caused himself is just talking in a circle and does not answer the objection.

The Teleological Argument: is generally considered to be the strongest of the three.  This is also known as the argument from design. This argument points to the apparent order, purpose, and complexity of the universe as strong evidence pointing to an intelligent designer. This argument often mentions the fine-tuning of physical constants which must be the way they are for the existence of life, and of multiple complex biological systems which must all function correctly together the very first time or the organism will not be viable. The weakness here is that this argument can point but cannot prove. It can only define a degree of probability.

This argument cannot answer numerous objections. Was God designed by another designer who also had a designer who also had a …? Are there other designers creating other universes? Do suffering and natural disasters show God to be cruel or evil? Does the designer care at all about what he designed? Do we so much want to see design that we see it when it is not really there? Does the apparent presence of design point to the God of the Judeo-Christian tradition or to some other deity? Every one of these questions and objections and many others have been brought up over the centuries and have led to the development of the field of apologetics.

Apologetics absolutely cannot prove the existence of God. What it seeks to do is to find and explore every possible provable fact which adds to the probability of the truth of the Judeo-Christian tradition. There are literally thousands of these provable facts. Do not expect any of this to convince a true confirmed skeptic.

One can easily get bogged down in all the arguments, but I believe that the point of apologetics can be summed up by a line from the Jean-Pierre Jeunet secular comedic film masterpiece, Amelie: “When the finger’s pointing at the sky, only a fool looks at the finger.” 

The field of apologetics attempts to pile facts upon facts to raise the probability of God’s existence to the point at which even hostile total skeptics have to admit that it is at least a viable argument.

Book Comment: You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible?

 

In his book, You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible?, David A. Rich points out ten things you probably think are in the Bible but are not. Rich says, ”… my intention is not necessarily to cause you to agree with everything I write about, but rather to cause you to study for yourself.”

As with most books such as this, the author is not trying to tell you what to think. He specifically says in the quotation above that he does not expect you to agree with everything he says, He is trying to challenge you to read your Bible and to listen to what it says. Do not believe anything just because someone else told to believe it; let the Holy Spirit guide you to the truth.

The ten beliefs Rich mentions include:

There are many roads to Heaven.

When we die, we become angels.

God helps those who help themselves.

God wants you to be rich.

Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.

We are God’s co-pilots.

Pray hard and God will answer.

God and Satan are battling it out.

God is not a micromanager.

Everyone has their own free will.

 

Information you will need to search for this book: Rich, David A., You Mean That Isn’t in the Bible? 10 Popular Beliefs That Simply Aren’t True (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2008)

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A general caution: books may give you wonderful new insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are. All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11 NASB

Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a fuzzy fungus growing on it.

Pumpkins

This was found in the Bible of my wife's grandmother. There is no indication as to the source of the material.

"From one pumpkin to another."
"A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"
The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you for all the world to see."

"This was passed on to me by another pumpkin. Now it's your turn to pass it on to other pumpkins. I liked this enough to send it to all the pumpkins in my patch."

God Who Built the Stars

God who built the stars.

The Lord of the universe.            

That God knows your name.

Do you think that you have no skills which can be used by God for His glory?

Do you think that you have no skills which can be used by God for His glory? He has given each of us skills and abilities.

http://www.alabamas13.com/story/25751305/cutters-for-christ-helping-bessemer-bounce-back-from-tornado

Mike Royer, the news anchorman who appears in this video, is an outspoken and committed Christian. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutters-4-Christ-Inc/245762302169254

The similarly named Cutters 4 Christ, Inc., is a for profit professional lawn and landscaping service in Marietta, Georgia (USA). Their Facebook page shows that they do excellent work.

Film Comment: This Is the End

Collect up at least one hundred film actors, singers, and entertainers at a wild drug and alcohol fueled party, then start the end of the world, complete with giant monsters and demons. The Earth cracks open and people fall into a burning Hell. Have the actors portray themselves, thrown into this situation.

This Is the End (2013) has a cast filled with big name celebrities: Jamez franco, Seth Rogan, Jay Baruchel, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Dany McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, The Backstreet Boys, and many others.

When the trouble starts everyone runs outside as the world begins to burn and explode around them.  Too dumb, selfish, cowardly, drug-addled, gluttonous, etc. to “escape” some do not even notice the disturbance.  But they soon will. The six main protagonists run back into the “safety” of the house.

The guys tell themselves they will survive because they are “good people,” but they realize that they are not.  The film does not show any of these people in a good light.  They all realize that they are damned.

The film, a comedy with some undeniably hilarious moments, features violence, gore, impalement, decapitation, penis jokes, nudity, profanity, cannibalism,  homosexuality, demons, intentional blasphemy, obscenities, betrayal, alcohol and drug abuse, self-righteousness, taking God’s name in vain, urination, vomit, obscene gestures, discussion of intent to rape in the presence of the intended victim, masturbation, demonic possession, prayer for the death of another person, sexual slavery, cowardice, self preservation at the expense of other’s lives.  Did I forget anything?

The supposedly ”happy” messages of the film are:

1.     Self-sacrifice confers instant entry into Heaven.

2.     In Heaven, we become angels.

3.     In Heaven, you can have anything you want, even a dooble.

4.     There is no need to be a “Christian” to enter into Heaven.

5.     Heaven is just another wild party.

6.     The Rapture looks like an alien abduction with a beam of light pulling the person up into the sky.

This highly offensive film intends to offend in every way imaginable, showing a contempt or disregard for any conventional understanding of propriety or morality.  It made me wonder.  The actors, portraying themselves, know that they are damned.

In the film, they are facing evidence which, at the very least, proves that God and the supernatural are real.

These are extremely talented, supposedly very intelligent comedians who have gone out of their way to intentionally offend nearly everything related to Christianity and the End Times.  Should not this film prod these actors into actually thinking about their real-life situations?

To some, or most of the actors, I am sure that this was all just a big joke.  Perhaps they are like many people and do not believe anything at all.  Post-modern moral and intellectual relativism at its logical conclusion.

…………………………………………

This is an end of the world film where the Earth is not merely damaged, but is actually destroyed.  Two other prominent films of this type are When Worlds Collide (1951), which depicts the chaos which erupts when a planet the size of Earth is on a collision course with our planet.  The other is Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), a surprisingly tender and bittersweet love story.  Either of these two films would be an infinitely better use of your two hours than This Is the End.

The Hand of God

Look at this NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, USA) photo of Pulsar Wind Nebula PSR B1509-58.  The Earth would be an infinitesimally small fleck of dust if it were contained in this cloud.  The cloud is hundreds of millions of miles across.

It is probably just a natural phenomenon but it does appear to be a hand, even showing fingernails. The incredibly immense and the incredibly small all point to the Creator.

This NASA image is posted on their website with a downloadable link so I am assuming that it is free of copyright issues.  If this is not the case, I will remove the image.  The URL for this image is http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/pia17566_2.jpg.

Child in a Hot Car

It happens several times every year.  A screaming mother or guardian, a dead child in a hot automobile.  Never intending to harm the child, the adult has become distracted, rushing around, and has forgotten that the child is locked in the automobile, windows up, in the hot sun.

In the closed system of the locked car, the internal temperature in the passenger cabin can rapidly soar to 120 - 130 F ( ).  The child dies of a heat stroke.  The adult, of course, feels massive guilt and may, in some jurisdictions, face criminal charges.

People are incredulous that anyone could forget that they had left their child in a hot car.  Some make very harsh and unkind statements and a few predictably, become “holy” and "forgiving." They may say that no one knows what pressures the mother was feeling, no one knows what was on her mind, no one was “walking in her shoes.”  Then they misapply Scripture.  “Judge not that you be not judged.”

The admonition against judging others applies to hypocrisy and also to a tendency among some to pride themselves in their own holiness.  It does not mean that we are not to have opinions and it does not mean that people should not be held responsible for the consequences of their actions, even their unintentional actions.  The legal systems in the areas in which these incidents occur should be followed.  The judgements of the legal systems should be accepted.

The people who call for "understanding" do have a point.  No normal person would intentionally harm their own child.  There are extenuating circumstances and pressures on people which can cause them to exhibit "tunnel vision," seeing only the thing directly in front of them and forgetting other, more important, responsibilities.  The thing we must remember, however, is that we still bear individual personal responsibility for our actions.

Just as it is imperative for Christians to keep their eyes on God, it is also crucial for us to keep our eyes on our children (and also our elderly and others who may not be able to care for themselves).  We have been told that if anything distracts us from God, we should cut it out of our lives.  This is also a good principle for us to follow concerning those under our care. 

Awe

"A religious person makes the decision not to be awed by anyone but G-d."  Rabbi Schmuel "Schmuley" Boteach, b. 1966, California, USA.  Rabbi Boteach is a Chabad Lubavitcher.  Orthodox Jews do not write the name of God, instead substituting G-d.

Praying for God

"A little girl was asked to pray in Sunday School. "Dear Lord," she said, "please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my brother and my doggy and me.  And please take care of Yourself, too, Lord.  If anything happens to You, we'll be in big trouble."

From the Big Book of Church Jokes, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.

   

The Extent of God's Love

“If I could only love the most righteous person in the world as much as the Creator loves the most wicked person in the world.”  Rabbi Zusha of Hanipol

Meshulam Zusha (1718-1800) was born in Galicia and would, in modern terms, have been of the Polish nationality.  He was known for his extreme piety and his highly emotional prayer life.   He is considered to have been one of the great Hassidic rabbis along with his equally revered brother, Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk.

Many people understand that Jesus died for the sins of the world.  What they often fail to realize is that Jesus died for them individually.  The Bible says that the angels rejoice when one sinner believes.   The price paid for that one sinner was the most valuable thing in the universe. 

Film Comment: The Adjustment Bureau

The Adjustment Bureau (2011) is a film based on “Adjustment Team,” a science fiction short story by the writer, Philip K. Dick.  The plot goes like this, David Norris (actor Matt Damon), a failed United States Congressional candidate, has a random romantic encounter with a woman (actress Emily Blunt) he does not know and, as a result, is inspired to give a concession speech which launches him as a strong favorite for the upcoming United States Senate competition.   This sets in motion events which are not prevented because a man in the park is a few seconds late and fails in his assignment to spill coffee on David,

Soon David realizes he is being followed by men in suits and hats, who become increasingly open in  pursuing of him.  Soon, David awakens, tied up in chair,  surrounded by men in suits and hats.  The leader of the mysterious men explains to David that he must not see the woman again or it will jeopardize “the plan” which has been written by “the Chairman.” If David persists after this warning, he will be “reset; ” he will be adjusted to return him to “the plan.”  Of course, David refuses to adjust his actions, and the chase begins.

“The Chairman” is clearly God and the “agents” are clearly angels.   The film raises questions about free will, predestination, the function of angels, God’s omnipotence and omniscience, whether God is an “absentee landlord” or involved in the world second by second, whether or not God is concerned with each individual person, whether or not God has dealt with the world differently during different historical periods, whether or not we are able to influence or change God’s plan for the universe, the possibility of consequences for refusal to follow God's plan, whether of not we can take God "by surprise," what is the exact nature of "time" and "eternity," and what God ultimately wants: what is the ultimate purpose of God's plan. 

The cosmological view presented by the film is not consistent with orthodox Christianity.

God's Farthest Limit

"Imagine what you think might be God's farthest limit, and you will find Him present there." Hilary of Poitiers (ca. 315-367) in On the Trinity 2.6.

God Chooses to Use Whomever He Chooses

God seems to always choose the most unlikely person. Read the post below from The Jesus Site.com.

http://www.jesussite.com/blog/2012/02/think-god-cant-use-you/

You may wonder why this is.  My understanding of this is that if God used the obvious people (kings, military conquerors, politicians, the most beautiful women in the world, men as handsome as movie stars,  the richest and most powerful people, etc) everyone would "understand" why they were successful.  God's glory is magnified when He uses unexpected people to achieve His plan, because it is obvious that the actions come from God: a small teenaged boy used to defeat a giant, a donkey used to deliver a message, a frightened concubine used to save an entire nation, a brutal pagan absolute ruler used to take Judah into captivity to cause them to depend on Him, and a hate-filled persecutor used to become his doctrinal interpreter.  If God can use any of these people to bring about His purposes, He can use you to bring about His purposes.

Large People

"Given their numbers, it appears that God loves large people as much as the small."  Charles Henderson , Christian internet blogger

The Glory of God

"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." John 20:21

"For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:45

What does it mean, that our only purpose is to show the Glory of God?  What is the Glory of God?

These questions come to the ultimate question: what is the true nature of God?  Obviously, He is not an old bearded man with scary intense eyes and a massive grey beard.

God is a Spirit.

God is personal, not some indeterminate “force.”

God is infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful, all-sufficient, and utterly perfect and holy.

God is just.

God is eternal.  This does not mean “timeless,” but independent of time, not bound by linear time as we are.

God is unchangeable.

God is One God in Three Persons; the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, who exist in a community of Love.

God is Love.  God does not love, He is Love.

So what is the Glory of God?  The Glory of God is in His act of sharing Himself with His creatures, us.  As created beings we are imperfect and therefore excluded from the presence of Perfection.  We are incapable of correcting this situation, though in pride, we try.

Though he is complete in and of Himself and has no need for us, God has chosen to correct the situation and to include us in His Love.  Only He is capable of fulfilling and satisfying the Law and so He sent His Son to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Because of God’s Act of Love, He has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

What They Think of Us: Woody Allen on the Sign He Wants from God

"If only God would give me some clear sign!  Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank." Woody Allen

Many people want God to be their personal magician or financier.  They want God for what He can give them.  Others want some sort of irrefutible sign.  I will believe if you show me plainly who you are.

God has already given us Himself.

Dependence on God

"God will often give you more than you can handle so you can learn to depend on him rather than on yourself." Craig Groeschel in Weird.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

What They Think of Us: Woody Allen About God

"If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil.  But the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever."  Woody Allen

Book Comment: The Christian Atheist

Craig Groeschel (pronounced "Grow-shell") is one of those very likable pastors, like Francis Chan, who tell you a story and then stick a knife into you for a little surgery.  The knife they use is the Bible.

In The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist, Pastor Groescchel explores the sometimes startling disparity between what we say we believe and how we choose to live; acting as if God doesn't really exist, or as if He exists but doesn't really care about us, or as if He exists but doesn't really matter in our day-to-day lives.   This is not a book about knowing "hypocrites," but about people who believe themselves to be Christians and who are crippled in their Christian lives by lies they have believed.  Some of them are pastors.

Pastor Groeschel doesn't spare himself or his family from criticism.  He clearly understands that his life and actions sometimes contradict what he says he knows to be true.  We all fall short, but, wonderfully, we are covered by the Blood of the Lamb.

The book devotes entire chapters to twelve common reasons Christians drift into the uselessness (to God and to themselves) of being Christian Atheists.
1.  They don't know who God really is.
2.  They are ashamed of something they have done in the past and are afraid that it will be exposed.
3.  They know that God loves others but aren't convinced that He could possibly love them.
4.  They don't believe in the power of prayer.  They don't believe He is listening, others feel awkward or silly talking to Him.
5.  Seeing obvious injustices and tragedies in this world, they don't believe that God is fair.
6.  They are unwilling to forgive, preferring to hold onto their hatred.
7.  They don't believe that they are able to change.
8.  They worry about everything.
9.  They think that their personal happiness should be a priority for God.
10. They believe in God but place their real trust in their personal power, position, or money.
11. They are timid or unwilling to witness to others.
12. They don't believe in "organized religion."

What Pastor Groeschel is trying to do in this book is to call us to continually examine ourselves and our lives; to think honestly about our lives and faith; to learn to rid ourselves of hindrances to complete trust and dependence on God.  He doesn't come right out and say it but he is ultimately talking about the process of sanctification.   We don't want to go the other way and to become the "believers" of whom Titus was speaking: "They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate." (Titus 1:16)

How terrible it would be to be that person and not even realize it.