Going On To Perfection

In a great article in Christianity Today, William Lane Craig outlines the Christian response to the recent rise in popularity of atheism.  Not only is it good to hear that universities are taking Christian philosophers seriously, but the article is also a good reminder of the arguments that theologians use to justify a belief in God.  He presents a brief overview of the 5 most common arguments for the existence of God.

The Cosmological Argument

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.
2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation if God.
3. The universe exists.
4. Therefore, the explanation of the universe’s existence if God.

The arguement comes down to points one and two.  Point one is extremely plausible.  We wouldn’t expect to come across a glass ball in the middle of a forest and just say that it’s existence has no explanation.  Point two can be defended in that if there is an explanation of the universe existence, it must come from outside of the universe.  This limits one to either abstract concepts or a deity.  Since it would be foolish to say that the number “7″ created the universe, we can hold to the belief that God is the explanation for the universe.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument

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

This is related to the cosmological arguement, but focuses on the beginning of the universe and God as a cause for creation.  The point that is argued most is point 2, yet science does not support the idea of an eternal universe.  Science seems to agree that the universe had a start.

The Teleological Argument

1. The universe is a fine tuned existence.
2. The fine tuning of the universe is due either to physical necessity, chance, or design.
3. It’s not due to physical necessity or chance.
4. Therefore, it is due to a design.

The key is point three.  The universe, as we know it, could have slightly different constants and still sustain life.  While there may be a very few options, there is no physical necessity for the specific constants (speed of light, gravity, etc.) to exist as they are.  Chance can be thrown out in that the odds of all the constants working in conjunction (even to produce alternate constants that would still sustain life) are insurmountable.  This leaves design as the only viable option.  And with design comes a designer.

The Moral Argument

1. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist.
2. Objective moral values and duties do exist.
3. Therefore, God exists.

This arguement holds as a base that people accept that there is a set of moral values that the world should live by.  In order for these values to be truly objective, they must come from outside our world.  The only answer of whom they may come from is God.

The Ontological Argument

1. It is possible that God exists.
2. If it is possible that God exists, then God must exist in some possible world.
3. If it is possible that God exists in some possible world, than God exists in every possible world.
4. If God exists in every possible world, than God exists in the actual world.

This is probably the hardest argument to follow, but the key point is really point one.  If God can exist, then the possibility that God exists in our world is a logical assumtion.  If God is all powerful to exist in one world, than he can exist in any and all worlds.  The question comes to can God exist?  Some would say that the concept of God is a logical impossibility (like a square circle), but most would say that the existence of God is a possibility.  If so, then we can argue that God exists.

While these don’t provide the full answer to the existence of God, there is much here for us to learn and to study.  It is a great reminder to us that we can trust that God does exist and hold that belief with the strength of logic.  We don’t worship a myth, we worship the true God.