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16:47 Arguments for and against the Existence of God

Arguments for and against Author

Paul Harrison
the Existence of God Date
Apr 3, 1997
The polytheistic conceptions of God were criticized and derided
by the monotheistic religions. Since the Enlightenment,
Home
monotheistic concepts have also come under criticism from
atheism and pantheism. Metasystem
Transition Theory
Arguments for the Existence of God Metaphysics

Philosophers have tried to provide rational proofs of God's God

existence that go beyond dogmatic assertion or appeal to ancient
scripture. The major proofs, with their corresponding objections, Up
are as follows: Prev. Next

1. Ontological: Down
It is possible to imagine a perfect being. Such a being could
not be perfect unless its essence included existence.
Therefore a perfect being must exist.
Objection: You cannot define or imagine a thing into
existence.
2. Causal:
Everything must have a cause. It is impossible to continue
backwards to infinity with causes, therefore there must have
been a first cause which was not conditioned by any other
cause. That cause must be God. Discussion
Objections: If you allow one thing to exist without cause,
you contradict your own premise. And if you do, there is no Great Mystery,
reason why the universe should not be the one thing that Comment by
Cameron Jenkins
exists or originates without cause.
Arguments about
3. Design: the existence of
Animals, plants and planets show clear signs of being God and the
designed for specific ends, therefore there must have been a Qur'an, Comment
designer. by Linas
Objection: The principles of self-organization and Kondratas
evolution provide complete explanations for apparent Limits to Human
design. Certainty,
Comment by
3a. Modern design argument: Richard Michael
the Anthropic Cosmological Principle. This is the strongest Romanowski
card in the theist hand. The laws of the universe seem to God was revealed
have been framed in such a way that stars and planets will Historically when
form and life can emerge. Many constants of nature appear Jesus came to
to be very finely tuned for this, and the odds against this earth, Comment by
happening by chance are astronomical. Andrew Kempe
Objections: The odds against all possible universes are God is fear and
does NOT excist,
equally astronomical, yet one of them must be the actual
Comment by
universe. Moreover, if there are very many universes, then Dominicus
some of these will contain the possibility of life. Even if Then what is our
valid, the anthropic cosmological principle guarantees only name for what we

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08. 03. 2024. 16:47 Arguments for and against the Existence of God

that stars and planets and life will emerge - not intelligent are growing
life. In its weak form, the anthropic cosmological principle toward?, Comment
merely states that if we are here to observe the universe, it by Ernst Renaud
Mary Baker Eddy,
follows that the universe must have properties that permit the Second
intelligent life to emerge. Coming of the
4. Experiential: Christ in the
A very large number of people claim to have personal Flesh., Comment
religious experiences of God. by Kow Chai
Objections: We cannot assume that everything imagined in why, Correction by
mental experiences (which include dreams, hallucinations aleander zee
etc) actually exists. Such experiences cannot be repeated, Experiment for
faith, Comment by
tested or publicly verified. Mystical and other personal
Christopher John
experiences can be explained by other causes. Experiment for
5. Pragmatic: faith, Comment by
Human societies require ethics to survive. Ethics are more Christopher John
effectively enforced if people fear God and Hell and hope I did not write the
for Heaven (cf. the origin of ethical systems). comment
Objections: The usefulness of a belief does not prove its attributed to me on
truth. In any case, many societies have thrived without these this page,
Comment by
beliefs, while crime has thrived in theistic societies
Richard Michael
believing in heaven and hell. Romanowski
Simplicity should
General objection against all the rational proofs for not be an argument
against the
God: existence of God,
Each of the above arguments is independent of the others and Comment by Chua
cannot logically be used to reinforce the others. Tat Hsien
The cause argument - even if it were valid - would prove only a A few comments
first cause. It would tell us nothing about the nature of that cause, on underlying
nor whether the cause was mental or physical. It would not prove assumptions in this
that the first cause was the personal, judging, forgiving God of article, Comment
by Pieter van
Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. It would not prove the existence of
Leeuwen
a designer or of a perfect being. Equally, the design argument A few comments
would prove only a designer, the ontological argument would on underlying
prove only the existence of a perfect being, and so on. None of assumptions in this
these arguments individually can prove that the cause, designer or article, Comment
perfect being were one and the same - they could be three different by Pieter van
beings. Leeuwen
Enter Now, the
Christian...,
Arguments against the existence of God Comment by
Paolo
General objection,
The major philosophical criticisms of God as viewed by Judaism,
Comment by
Christianity and Islam are as follows: Devil's Advocate
assumptions,
1. Evil: Comment by
Because evil exists, God cannot be all-powerful. all- Michael S. Wilson
knowing and loving and good at the same time. assumptions,
2. Pain: Comment by
Because God allows pain, disease and natural disasters to Michael S. Wilson
exist, he cannot be all-powerful and also loving and good in God and Meaning,
Comment by
the human sense of these words. Mathphysto
3. Injustice:
Destinies are not allocated on the basis of merit or equality. Add comment...
They are allocated either arbitrarily, or on the principle of
"to him who has, shall be given, and from him who has not
shall be taken even that which he has." It follows that God
cannot be all-powerful and all-knowing and also just in the
human sense of the word.
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4. Multiplicity:
Since the Gods of various religions differ widely in their
characteristics, only one of these religions, or none, can be
right about God.
5. Simplicity:
Since God is invisible, and the universe is no different than
if he did not exist, it is simpler to assume he does not exist
(see Occam's Razor).

None of these criticisms apply to the God of pantheism,

which is identical with the universe and nature.

See also: Has Science Found God?: Examining the Evidence

from Modern Physics and Cosmology

Copyright© 1997 Principia Cybernetica - Referencing this page

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