Many arguments have been presented both for and against the existence of God. However, the vast majority of people believe in some form of God. The following are some of the more common arguments for God's existence.
Argument from Cause: This argument considers God the "First Cause." In other words, everything that exists must come from something else and that something else is what we call God. Philosophically, this argument is presented as:
- Everything that had a beginning had a cause.
- The universe had a beginning.
- Therefore, the universe had a cause.
The first aspect, that everything that had a beginning had a cause, is based on the principle of causality. Nothing cannot produce something. The second part, that the universe had a beginning, is supported by many lines of modern scientific evidence. These include the second law of thermodynamics (that the universe is running out of usable energy toward disorder), the expansion of the universe, the radiation echo of the initial explosion of the universe (often called the Big Bang), among others. The conclusion is that the universe had a cause.
Argument from Design: This argument proposes the following: Every design has a designer; the universe reveals complex design; therefore, the universe has a Designer. This design includes both natural and supernatural causes. Both the macro level (design found in the universe based on astronomy) and the micro level (design found at the cellular level) support the argument of highly designed and complicated forms of life that find no adequate explanation apart from an outside, powerful force capable of intelligent design. This Intelligent Designer opens the door for the existence of God.
Argument for Morality: This argument follows a more internal logic that suggests that:
- Every law has a lawgiver.
- There is an absolute moral law.
- Therefore, there must be an absolute Lawgiver.
Some question whether there is an absolute moral law. Yet as C.S. Lewis notes in Mere Christianity, "The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some Real Morality, admitting that there is such a thing as a real Right, independent of what people think, and that some people's ideas get nearer to that real Right than others. Or put it this way. If your moral ideas can be truer, and those of the Nazis less true, there must be something-some Real Morality-for them to be true about."
While postmodern philosophy attempts to deconstruct this argument by suggesting all absolutes of right and wrong regarding morality are relative, the existence of absolutes in the universe is undeniable. For example, two plus two cannot equal four and two plus two equal five at the same time under the same conditions. Likewise, many areas of morality suggest a universal sense of injustice regarding the wrongs of the world. Individuals may differ regarding exactly what is labeled justice and injustice, but every person has an innate sense of there being right and wrong. This morality has an origin and it is argued this original Lawgiver is God.
Ultimately, the Bible teaches that the fool says in his heart there is no God (Psalm 14:1). Those who are honest will admit there is "something" behind the design of the universe and human life even if people disagree on what the something is. While there are arguments for the existence of God, faith also plays a role. Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." God desires that we seek Him, and rewards those who do. He has provided many ways to understand Him, including the created world and His Word (Psalm 19). Ultimately, those who come to faith in Him must do so through His Son Jesus Christ in order to receive eternal life (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-9).
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