Arguments about the Existence of God Flashcards
What is the Teleological Argument?
The Teleological argument (also known as the design argument) is that the observation of the natural world reveals an order, complexity and intricacy that could have only been achieved through an intelligent designer - God
How did Paley’s argument support the Teleological argument?
William Paley used the analogy of a watch and its intricate parts - each designed with a purpose to suggest that the reasonable conclusion would be that it was the work of a designer and not an accident. He suggested that the same is true of the world and nature so the world must have a designer: God.
Give some examples of things in the natural world that support the teleological argument.
- the human eye
- a human fingerprint
- strands of DNA
- details of a leaf
- centre of a flower
How did John Stuart Mill counter Paley’s argument?
Mill’s main line of reasoning was examining the way in which nature operates. He pointed to the cruelty in nature, such as animals who are efficient at killing others. There are also natural disasters such as volcanos and earthquakes as a result of faults in the Earth’s structure. He said this was evidence of bad design so if God existed, he would be cruel and deserve no worship.
What is the Anthropic principle?
F.R. Tennant described the anthropic principle as the way that the universe was so perfectly structured to ensure life would develop. Evolution is further evidence for a designer, producing increasingly complex life forms who eventually came to possess a moral awareness. Tennant believed that this demonstrates that evolution was guided by God.
What did John Polkinghorne say about the anthropic principle?
He explains that the need for such precision in the universe supports the anthropic principle. He believes that God created the universe in this way so as to ensure human existence. He is a theoretical physicist and studied the physics to discover that there is a purpose behind everything - suggesting that God is the thing that put the purpose there.
How do the accounts in genesis 1 and 2 support the anthropic principle?
In Genesis 1 and 2, God is described to have designed the world entirely based on the needs of humanity and nature. Within Genesis 1 and 2 God is shown to have created everything purely to ensure human existence such as the “stars”, “plants” are placed to grow to provide food for creation and “man” and “woman” are made to ensure reproduction can take place. The view that it is all simply a coincidence does not add up since the world is designed to ensure survival and everything that has been made, has a purpose which must mean there is a creator - God. Whether this story is taken literally or as a myth, it is clear that God made the world to ensure human existence and survival.
What is the cosmological argument?
Thomas Aquinas observed that there is no event in the natural world that does not have a cause. The cosmological argument (also known as the first cause argument) suggests that the universe too must have a cause.
- God is the first cause
- God himself does not have a cause
- God is the cause of all things including time and space
- As the first cause he is eternal and unchanging
What is the moral argument?
The moral argument seeks to persuade people that our human sense of right and wrong makes it reasonable to believe that God exists.
How does Cardinal John Newman present the moral argument?
He linked out sense of guilt when we do something wrong to the voice of God speaking through our conscience. He argued it is God who has enabled each person to know right from wrong and that God’s voice is a reminder that we are responsible to him. However, obviously people can choose to ignore their conscience since God gave everyone free will.
What is the soul-making argument?
John Hick linked our behavior in this life to our existence after death. He argued that through moral decisions, a person’s soul is able to develop. He said that suffering and evil are opportunities for humans to learn and act in a way that would best please God so they can become more like him. He said that this process would continue after death meaning every person continues on their journey to goodness even after death.
Why might some Christians reject the soul-making argument?
It does not fit with the belief that God judges people after death. It does not include the teaching that after death, a person’s soul will be sent to heaven or hell. Many Christians do, however, believe that moral behavior will have an impact on God’s judgement of people. This is shown in the parable of the sheep and the goats.
