The Existence of God

Question 1

What is a theist?

Answer 1

Somebody who believes in God

Question 2

What is a theist?

Answer 2

Somebody who believes in God.

Question 3

What is an athiest?

Answer 3

Somebody who doesn’t believe in God

Question 4

What is an agnostic?

Answer 4

Somebody who wants proof of God’s existence before deciding whether or not to believe in God

Question 5

Why is it difficult to prove the existence of God?

Answer 5

• God is presumably supernatural and all-powerful. Therefore, you can argue that he is beyond proof.
• If God doesn’t physically exist on Earth, how can we physically prove his existence on Earth?
• Lots of ‘evidence’ for the existence of God (e.g. religious experience) is highly personal. How can we trust people are telling the truth?

Question 6

Describe the cosmological argument.

Answer 6

• The First Cause Argument
• Everything must be ‘pushed’ by something else, therefore something must have been the first ‘push’ to start everything else. That thing is God.
• Everything comes into and out of existence. Therefore, there must have been a time of complete nothingness. Something can’t come from nothing; God must be the answer.

Question 7

What are the strengths of the cosmological argument?

Answer 7

• It appeals to our sense of logic. Surely everything must have a cause?
• It is compatible with new scientific theories such as the Big Bang Theory (i.e. God caused the big bang).

Question 8

What are the weaknesses of the cosmological argument?

Answer 8

• Why does everything need a cause? Perhaps something can happen without a cause?
• New scientific theories (such as quantum mechanics) have shown as us that things just happen completely randomly.
• Even though there may have a been a ‘first cause’, why does that first cause have to be an intelligent creator?

Question 9

Describe the teleological argument.

Answer 9

• The Design Argument
• The world is so perfectly designed to support human life that it must have been created by God.
• For example, if you found a watch, you would assume, because of its complexity, that it was created by a watchmaker.
• In the same way, the Earth is so complex it could not have just happened randomly. It needs a creator.

Question 10

What are the strengths of the teleological argument?

Answer 10

• The chances of a planet such as the Earth coming into existing are so low that it seems very likely some kind of God was involved.
• When we look around us, we feel awe and appreciation when we look at natural beauty. Perhaps this is a sign that God made the world through intelligent design?

Question 11

What are the weaknesses of the teleological argument?

Answer 11

• The universe is so big (infinitely big?) that is bound to be a planet as perfect as the Earth somewhere. It’s simply a matter of probability.
• There is evil and suffering in the world. Does this mean God is evil or an imperfect designer?

Question 12

What are strengths of the argument for the existence of God through religious experiences?

Answer 12

• If you’ve had a religious experience, you will have undeniable proof that God exists.
• Many people, included many respected priests, claim to have had religious experiences.

Question 13

What are the weaknesses of the religious experience argument for God’s existence?

Answer 13

• It is hard to tell if people are faking claims for money or popularity.
• Religious experiences may be hallucinations caused by medical problems, alcohol, or drugs.

Question 14

What is faith?

Answer 14

A belief in an idea with without definitive proof.