Arguments for the Existence of God

Is there a God?The Cosmological Argument

God is the only adequate explanation for the existence of the universe.

The Teleological ArgumentAll the intricate design in the universe argues for a purposeful first cause.

The Anthropic PrincipleThe universe seems fine-tuned for human life.

The Moral ArgumentThe sense of moral obligation all possess points to a Moral Lawgiver.

The Argument from Religious ExperienceEven if only one person has had a genuine experience with the Divine, the Divine must exist.

The Cosmological ArgumentArguments for the Existence of God

Leibniz’s Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence. It is either necessary (its own explanation) or has an external cause.

2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.

God by definition is self-existent, independent, and necessary.

3. The universe exists.4. The universe has an explanation of its existence.

It is not self-existent or necessary.

5. Therefore the explanation of the universe is God.

The Cosmological Argument (pt. 1)

Anything that exists must have an explanation for its existence.The universe exists.Therefore the universe must have an explanation for its existence.

The Cosmological Argument (pt. 2)

One’s existence can be necessary (thus one can be self-existent, and be its own explanation) or it can be explained by an external cause.The universe is not self-existent, or necessary.The universe can only be explained by an external cause.

The Cosmological Argument (pt. 3)

The external cause of the universe must be self-existent.God by definition is self-existent and necessary (he couldn’t not exist).Therefore, God is an adequate explanation for the universe.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.2. The universe began to exist.3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

Premise 1: Whatever Begins to Exist has a Cause

Something cannot come from nothing.A vacuum is not nothing.

If something can come into being from nothing, then why doesn’t anything and everything come from nothing?Scientifically, premise 1 is constantly verified and never falsified. Common experience also confirms the truth of premise 1.

The Kalam ArgumentPremise 2: The universe began to exist.

If the universe always existed, then an (actually) infinite number of past events occurred prior to today. But that is impossible, since an infinite number could never be reached (in actuality).You can’t pass through an infinite number of elements one at a time.

If you can’t count to infinity, then you can’t down from infinity.The expansion of the universe points to a beginning.

The beginning of the universe is also the beginning of time.The second law of thermodynamics

Given enough time, all the energy in the universe will spread itself out evenly. The universe will experience a “heat death.” If the universe were eternal, why are we not already in this state of equilibrium?

The Kalam ArgumentPremise 3: Therefore the universe has a Cause.

On the basis of both philosophical and scientific grounds, we know that the universe has a beginning. Since anything with a beginning has a cause, the universe has a cause. The universe cannot be self-caused.The universe must have a transcendent cause. The cause must be uncaused because an infinite series of causes is impossible.The cause must be immaterial, non-physical, and unimaginably powerful.The cause must be personal.

Why a Personal First Cause

Only a Mind could be immaterial, non-physical, transcendent, unimaginably powerful.A personal cause is the only way to explain how a timeless cause can produce a temporal effect (beginning of the universe). Without a will, there would be no permanent cause without a permanent effect.A personal being with freedom of the will could bring about something spontaneous and new, such as the creation of the universe.This personal, powerful, timeless, necessary, self-existent First Cause is the God of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.