Arguments For God's Existence Flashcards
Who/ what is the key thinker/ idea in the design argument?
William Paley
Watch analogy
What is the design argument?
That the world is complex and orderly and shows evidence of design. If it was designed is must’ve had a designer and this designer is God
What are the problems with the design argument?
Who designed the designer?
could order be the result of random chance?
the world doesn’t always seemed well designed
evolution can explain the appearance without the need for God.
Who is the key thinker in the cosmological argument?
St Thomas Aquinas
What is the cosmological (causation) argument?
That everything that happened has a cause. The cause of this also has a cause and so on. This chain can’t go on forever. There has to be a first cause uncaused by anything else and this must be God
What are the problems with the cosmological argument?
If the universe needs a cause, why doesn’t God?
The universe could have caused itself
science can explain the universe through the big bang theory.
What does the argument from miracles?
Miracles are violations of the laws of nature. Only God could be the cause of these and therefore God exists.
What are the problems of the argument for miracles?
The answer miracles can be explained by science
reports of miracles are often untrustworthy
if God intervenes on some occasions to before miracles, why doesn’t he intervened at other times to stop evil?
Contingent existence
Depends on something.
Necessary existence
Doesn’t depend on anything
