Transcript Proof for the Existence of God

Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Proof of the Existence of God
This proof should help the reader to see in what sense the
evidence for God is obvious.
The conclusion of the argument will not be some bare theism,
but the distinctive God of Scripture: Trinitarian, sovereign,
transcendent, immanent, absolute and personal
1. Moral Argument
2. Epistemological Argument
Metaphysical Arguments:
3. Teleological Argument – Purpose
4. Cosmological Argument – Cause
5. Ontological Argument – Being
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Psalm 71:14-19
v.14 Faith is being sure, or confident,
of the hope you have.
I will speak so God is praised and
v.15 His salvation is clearly displayed.
Proofs of God’s righteousness and his
deeds of salvation are more
numerous than I can count.
v.16 Speak with POWER from the Holy
Spirit
v.17 I have known God from my youth
and I keep on proclaiming His
wondrous deeds in my life.
v.18 Preserve me till I’m old so that I
will proclaim You to another generation.
v.19 Your righteousness extends into
infinity. You do great things,
Who is like you?
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Moral Argument
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5.
Moral Values
We cannot see them
We cannot feel them
We cannot hear them
We know they exist
Ex. A witness can see a thief walk into a
bank and rob it, but they cannot see the
moral evil of the robbers action. The evil
is without a doubt there.
6. Right and Wrong cannot be seen or heard
Apologetics to the Glory of God
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Moral Argument
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1.
2.
3.
Ethical Values
Truth is an ethical value
Jean-Paul Sartre
Ethical values are hierarchically structured
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Moral Argument
 Morality
1. We learn morality, typically, in the family
2. Moral standards presuppose absolute
moral standards, which presuppose the
existence of an absolute person
3. If God is absolute then he has no
beginning and no end
Apologetics to the Glory of God
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Epistemological
A Cursory Look at Christian
Epistemology
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What is knowledge?
What can we know?
How do we come to know what we know?
How do we know we really know?
What are the limits of knowledge?
Apologetics to the Glory of God
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Scripture is God’s voluntary self-revelation
and our knowledge of who the Creator is and
who we are must come from this authoritative
Word.
The Psalmist says, “The earth is the
Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and
they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1)
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Circular Reasoning
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Circular reasoning is the only reasoning that is
possible for finite man
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we either reason from God to God-given and
God-interpreted facts
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or, from man to man-interpreted facts.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Two levels of knowing
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God’s knowledge is ultimate and absolute
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Man’s knowledge is derivative and dependent
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Three states of epistemological
consciousness
1. Adamic Consciousness- although this state does
not exist at the present, it was extant with Adam
and Eve prior to the fall. Adam as a finite being
was created with an innate knowledge of
God.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Three states of epistemological
consciousness
2. Unregenerate Consciousness- Scripture tells us
that when Adam broke the law of God, a profound
change took place in Adam and subsequently in all
men. Instead of being inherently receptive to the
revelation and law of God, Adam’s reason, will, and
affections sought to suppress the same law and
revelation (Rom. 1:18-23).
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Three states of epistemological
consciousness
3. Regenerate Consciousness- After regeneration
the intellect, the will, and the affections are
renewed in principle
(Col.3:10). By the renewing work of the Holy
Spirit man’s mind is in principle returned to its
normal (Adamic) condition.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
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Ch4 Existence of God
If evolution was true, why does only man have
logic?
- Some say it was an evolved improvement to
preserve the human species (e.g. we don’t just
step in front of a car expecting not to be hit,
because of logic)
- According to evolutionists cockroaches and
other animals have been around longer than
humans
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
In Conclusion
The power of logic is normative and ethical.
It tells us what we ought to confess as a
conclusion, granting our confession of
premises. And if it is ethical, it is
covenantal; like moral values, it rests on
the dependable word of a trust worthy
person, a Lord, or absolute divine
personality. Thus, when unbelievers use
logic to raise objections against
Christianity, they are using something
which, manipulate it how they may, points
in the opposite direction.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Teleological Argument
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Teleological Argument
* The name “the teleological argument” is
derived from the Greek word telos,
meaning end or purpose.
* It is important to keep in mind that when
we say that the world is “designed” we are
comparing it to man made objects.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
* Science is a Religion
* Definition of religion: is the way one
believes
* Science is not a religion. Creation is a religion
but not science.
* Science is based upon faith. For example:
evolution has not been seen and has not been
tested but with faith people believe that it
happened.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
* Scientist dated Fossils by the Rock layers they
were found in and Rock layers were dated by
the Fossils in them. This is
CIRCULAR REASONING.
* Logical reasoning tells us that rock layers that
are lower are older than those that are higher.
But sometimes to find the age of a rock we have
to look at the fossils inside that rock.
* Was that circular reasoning?
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
* Life is evolving but only in a downhill
direction.
* There is plenty of evidence for beneficial
mutations and natural selection as seen in the
way bacteria adapts to new environments.
* Everything can adapt to new environments, but
can a group mutate into a whole new species?
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Therefore
The universe has an intelligent DESIGNER
Psalm 8: 3-4
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Cosmological
 -The basics of Cosmological-
 -Came from the Greek Word “Kosmos”, which
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means “World” or “Universe”
This argument generally begins with the
existence of the world or some part of it and
seeks to establish the existence of a necessary
Being who causes the existence of the world.
The Three Forms of the Cosmological
Argument
1. The Thomist argument – Discussed later
2. The Leibnizian argument – The existance of
God is important and necessary
3. The Kalam argument – The world was caused to
exist at the beginning of time
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
The Thomist Argument
Got its name from St.Thomas Aquinas
Humans are restricted, contingent beings
Such beings need something to be
dependent upon
Must come from one Essential Being like God
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Sub-sets of the Thomist Argument
 Motion – every motion is caused by a
previous motion, ultimately requiring an
“unmoved mover”
 Cause – much like the motion argument,
but simpler. Every effect is caused by a
previous action; the whole process requiring a
“first” or “uncaused” cause.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Opposition to Thomistic Arguments
Irrationalism – believe some events are
“uncaused”
 Ironically try to build rational
arguments to prove their beliefs.
 However any effect resulting from
an “uncaused” cause would have no
meaning or rational grounds.
 How can we find meaning in an
irrational world?
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Overview of the Kalam Argument
Universe
Beginning
Caused
Personal
No Beginning
Not caused
Not Personal
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
From the view of Christianity
 The world is not self-existent and self-
explanatory.
 It is not Causeless
 God is the ultimate source of the world.
If we assume that the world is rational,
we must assume that God is the author
of the reason.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Ontological
Ontological Argument
The ontological argument attempts to prove God’s existence
through abstract reasoning alone.
Ontological Argument Alone?
-All arguments should be presented and used together.
For example: Many strands of one rope.
Proving God’s Existence
-If arguments are united, God’s existence becomes
convincing to unbelievers.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Ontological Continued…
Formulating the Ontological Argument:
Premise 1: God has all perfections.
Premise 2: Existence is a perfection.
Conclusion: Therefore, God exists.
Definition of God:
Perfection: greatest possible being, not merely the greatest
thing that happens to exist. He is the highest great-making
property to the highest degree.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Ontological Continued…
Argument Based on Reason:
The fact that we can conceive the idea of God shows
that He exists, because we cannot conceive
anything greater than ourselves, unless that being
gives us the ability.
Ontological Argument Claims:
that the idea that God doesn’t exist is just as
preposterous as saying a four sided triangle exists.
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God
Ontological Continued…
Confusion of Atheists:
Perhaps atheists doubt in the existence of God because they
can’t believe in the existence of a perfect being.
Conclusion – Anselm of Cantebury:
He stated that he was seeking “not to understand, that I may
believe, but to believe, that I might understand.”
Apologetics to the Glory of God
Ch4 Existence of God