Existence of God

1. Existence of God

2. The Existence of God has been argued for many years and there are many arguments for and against him. For this topic you will need to know: • Characteristics of God • The Cosmological Argument • The Big Bang Theory • The Argument from Possibility and Necessity • The Teleological Argument • The Theory of Evolution • The Argument of Evil and Suffering

3. The Characteristics of God What are the six Characteristics of God? • Spiritual – God is not physical • Omniscient – All Knowing • Omnipotent – Present Everywhere • Eternal – Not created, God will always exist • Benevolent – Good/Loving

4. The Cosmological Argument Explain the Cosmological Argument: • St. Thomas Aquinas created it • Everything has a cause • Every cause has a cause • This cannot go back forever • Therefore there must be an uncaused cause, that is not caused • This uncaused cause is what people understand to be God.

5. The Argument from the ‘Unmoved Mover’ Similar to the Cosmological Argument explain the argument of the ‘Unmoved Mover’ : • Everything that moved is move by something else • That mover, that moved, has been moved by something else • This cannot go back forever or movement would not have started in the first place • Therefore there must be an unmoved mover, which isn’t itself moved • This is named ‘the unmoved mover’ and what people understand as God

6. The Argument of Possibility and Necessity Explain the argument of Possibility and Necessity: • Individual things come into existence and eventually cease to exist • Therefore at one time none of them existed • But something only comes into existence as a result of something that already exists • Therefore there must be a being who has to exist, which is necessary – that being God.

7. The Big Bang Theory Explain the Big Bang Theory: • This is an argument which is AGAINST God. • The Big Bang was an explosion which released hydrogen and helium gases. • Gradually these combined to produce stars and planets. • This process took 12 to 15 million years! • It takes away the need for a creator of the world – which defies the need for God.

8. The Teleological Argument Explain the Teleological Argument: • Life is complex with every creature being made up of different parts – organs, limbs, etc. • It seems they are so suited to life that they must have been designed to live. • This cannot possibly just happen by chance and must be caused by an intelligent designer • This intelligent designer is known at God

9. William Paley’s argument for design in the Universe Describe William Paley’s argument for design in the Universe: • Everything in the world shows complexity, order and purpose (COP) • William Paley describes the watch analogy – if you found a rock when you were walking on a beach, you would not question where it came from. However if you found a watch, you would ask who had designed it. The C.O.P that a watch has, provides evidence of a designer. The watch could not just have occurred by chance. Therefore this analogy provides an argument for God – the universe too, like a watch, shows C.O.P , so it too must have an intelligent designer, which is God, the C.O.P in the Universe could not have happened by chance, so there must have been an intelligent designer.

10. Arguments to support Paley’s Argument State other pieces of evidence which might be used to support Paley’s Arugument: Everything is perfectly suited to its specific use e.g. the human body (organs, hands) • If a tornado went through a junkyard, it would not make a jumbo-jet, a jumbo-jet shows C.O.P, and needs an intelligent designer • If you put a monkey in a room with a computer, the monkey would not produce a Shakespearean play, things with such complexity, order and purpose do not just happen by chance. • If you look at objects, such as the human eye, or the bucket orchid you can see the C.O.P shown, and how perfectly each of them work, this could not be made so perfectly without an intelligent designer- God.

11. Criticisms – Arguments against the existence of God Cosmological Argument : Criticism One : - The argument appears to contradict itself. It says everything needs a cause, and that something does not need a cause: God. So… What caused God? If God does not need a cause (eternal, necessary) then maybe the Universe too, does not need a cause.

12. The Cosmological Argument: Criticism Two Russell said “I should say the Universe is just there and that is all.” The Universe is just a ‘brute fact’ – we just need to accept existence and that is all!

13. The Theory of Evolution Explain the theory of evolution: • Produced by Charles Darwin • He found out that everything has adapted over time, so that they are perfectly suited to their way of life - he found this out on a voyage which he took and he collected fossils and drawings – in which he found how animals have changed to suit where they live • This occurs by natural selection • Charles Darwin discovered that humans originated from monkeys

14. The Theory of Evolution Explain two ways in which the theory of evolution challenges the argument from Design: • If everything has adapted to its environment there would be no need for an intelligent designer • If God chose natural selection to produce species which were suited to their environment then that is a waste. If God was all loving, then he would not want animals to die or suffer due to the natural selection process. • The theory of evolution provides an argument which means God would not be necessary.