Arguments for God's existence Flashcards
Aquinas’ Five Ways
Motion, First Cause, Contingency, Degree, Teleology
Motion
All things in motion need a mover, but there must be something unmoved that begins other things in motion. God is the Unmoved mover
First cause
all effects must have causes, but there cannot be an infinite series of causes into the past; thus God is the first or Uncaused Cause - cosmology
Contingency
all things existence in dependence on something see that is contingent; therefore, there must be something that is absolutely independent that is necessary. This necessary being is God
Degree
there appears to be an increasing degree of perfection among us; there fore, there must be a being who is the height of perfection. This being is God
Teleology
the observable design in the world suggests that there must be an intelligent designer, God
Beauty
aesthetics, much like degree, it demands levels of increasing preference toward a perfection of not only ontology, but pleasure - this must be born from a necessity to conform
Morality
with all mankind having an innate sense of right or wrong, there must be a set of justice scales. Therefore, God holds the scales
Love
affection requires being affected. Love comes from being loved. God is love
Ontology
if it is logically possible for God (a necessary being) to exist, then God exists. Concepts must be tied to reality
Atheism
all men known that there is something greater than them, what some call the Numinous, even if unnamed. This is God. The strong denial of what all men know, is an ethical denial of what ll men know.
Religion
in all cultures in all times, religion has been a prominent part of all people groups, even if but prominent denail of religion in the modern era
Judaism
ONe of the major world religions that has at its absolute core a monatheistic approach to life. yahweh IS. Their place in history is prominent.
Christianity
The followers of Jesus, the Christ, have as their core a monotheism within a Triune Godhead - of which the founding “prophet” is God Himself. The most impacting worldview for the entire history of the Western Civilization, Christianity builds all ideals on the predicate of the existence of God.
The Holy Scriptures
The Christian Book of Scriptures has more literary and cultural veracity than any other religious book and has as its main Character, God.
The Incarnation
An event that has defined the Western world and has been taken across the globe, the coming of God to men, showed us the existence of God, tangibly
Jesus the Christ
The man Jesus claimed not only to affirm the existence of God but promoted Himself to be God with irreconcilable claims to have the authority to say such. his claims were affirmed by His deeds, signs, and ultimately, His resurrection from the dead.
The Resurrection
The most unique event of all human history was the event of the Incarnation, but this was fulfilled when the One who claimed deity proved it by coming back from the dead. He accomplished this to bring life to humanity because that is God’s will.
Singularity
an infinite Being cannot be understood by finite beings unless He reveals Himself and must do so in such a way as to be understood and therefore would only do so in a singular, non-confusing way.
