What argument for the existence of God do you find most convincing and why?

Admin Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-05-01 Age : 39

What argument for the existence of God do you find most convincing and why?

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Posts : 4 Join date : 2009-09-06

I have thought a lot about the 4 arguments of the existence of God. All are very good arguments but I tend to lean towards the argument that most people might consider the weakest argument.

The Ontological argument. I really cannot comprehend that the existence of God could be just in my mind. I believe that people who have never heard of God believe in something higher. I mean, some people who even doubt the existence of God would admit they believe in some higher power greater than themselves. With that in mind, if people who have doubts believe in something, then God must be real.

I felt compelled to share with you my second favorite argument because it was a close running for my first favorite.

The Teleological argument. To me, a person could drive themselves crazy if they really thought about all the detail in everything around us. Take the human body for one example. We are far too complex to be an accident in the way our body and mind works. Take nature for example, it is far too beautiful and purposeful not to have been created on purpose. Take every animal for example, each one has an order and purpose for something else to coexist with one another. How could so much detail and order in this planet and this universe just be a coincidence.

Pam Reed
DLBI student

Posts : 1 Join date : 2009-09-07

The evidential argument that I find most convincing for the existence of God is the moral argument. My position is based on personal experience, the impact on non-believers and biblical foundation. On a personal level, I know people of multiple cultures; Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian. There are moral laws that are inherent in every culture. In terms of the impact on non-believers, of the four arguments, my experience is that non-believers tend to accept and push back less on the moral argument than any other. The moral argument is the most tangible and less esoteric for them. Lastly, Exodus, Chapter 20, vs. 3-17, lay out the Ten Commandments, the biblical foundation by which all moral law emanates. In conclusion, if there are moral laws that govern human-kind in every culture, it is irrefutable that there must a law-maker. There must be a God.

Paul Wright

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-09-07

Question
Which argument for the existence of God the most convincing?

By

Keith Mears

In the study of the existence of God the Cosmological argument is the foundation to uphold the other three arguments Teleological, Moral and Ontological. The Cosmological argues that all things temporal were caused and not self caused or uncaused. Man being a temporal being we have actuality or exist and the potentiality to change and we are not necessary beings we are caused. This poses the fact for the Teleological argument that all things did not happen by chance. This requires a designer to cause all matter to exist, all things not being self caused or non caused therefore; there is a God that caused all and holds all in place.
The Moral argument also is substantiated by the Cosmological argument in a creator that would be a rational agent a moral law giver. A being infinitely perfect, unchangeable and uncaused providing the ought or what’s to happen in a moral law. Therefore; a law giver must exist.
The Ontological argument state that an absolute being is necessary in man’s thinking and must exist. If the greatest being exists in reality and is a necessary being this being would be the cause of all reality; therefore the cause of all existence. Therefore; God is a reality.

Posts : 1 Join date : 2009-09-08

In everyday life we experience cause and effect. There is usually an answer when we ask the question "why" or "how" things happen. Electricity generated by friction, for example, will either flow through an object or cause heat. You flip a switch on the wall, and even if you don't understand it, you know you can expect that a light bulb will turn on. What causes electricity? Usually, friction. What causes friction? Usually, another object, and so on.

When I take this reasoning back to how the universe began, it seems only logical to say that something caused the universe to begin. Even if, let's say, there was another object or universe that collided with something to create the reaction that caused OUR universe, we still have to ask "what created THAT object?" Ultimately, we have to reach the conclusion that even though our minds can't alway grasp the concept, something had to start EVERYTHING.

Once we accept that something DID start everything (the cosmological argument), then we can move on to the teleological argument that the "something" had to be intelligent and all-knowing. The "something" had to be SOMEONE. That someone is God.

Posts : 1 Join date : 2009-09-07

I think knowing what argument is the most convincing would depend on the person that was being spoken or ministered to, in which case it would be good to be knowledgeable of all the arguments. However, I tend to fall into the category of using more of a common sense approach to things, so the cosmological argument tends to appeal to me as the way to go, since I think that most people tend to be able to think in a common sense way.

I go with the Cosmological Argument because it basically says that for any event/thing that takes place or exists, there must be a cause that brought it to existence. That line of thinking falls well into the same vein as the laws of physics. Because of that thought and as evidenced by the complexity of the design, that there had to be something higher in knowledge and power that made it what it is, and that God is the only one that would be able to do the thing that has been done.

Posts : 2 Join date : 2009-09-11

I've pondered the existence of God for a long time. With my analytical, fact-driven mind it's sometimes difficult for me to wrap my head around the concept of a God that I cannot see, but I can feel or sense.

My mind leans toward the cosmological argument simply because the idea of cause and effect makes sense to me; I understand it. When I attempt to perceive the origin of life, I firmly believe that we (effect) had to have been created by something (cause) and that cause is God. And this takes me to my second favorite argument - ontological. Even before becoming a believer more than four years ago, I always believed that something greater than man was in control of everything. There are just too many instances where my life was so well orchestrated that it's not possible for it to be mere coincidence. And this is more of a feeling/sense than it is factual evidence, which is why is places second for me. (I favor fact over feeling a lot).

Michele afro

p.s. Totally unrelated - I had to use that afro smiley because I was just at my mom's place in San Diego and she pulled out old family photos when we lived in Alaska (circa 1976-79) and oh my! My Japanese mom had her hair teased out into an AFRO!!! Hilarious.

Posts : 2 Join date : 2009-09-11

So, I couldn't figure out how to reply to Pam's specific post, so it's going here:

Hey Pam,

I'm with you when you wrote, " I believe that people who have never heard of God believe in something higher." That was true for me for years and I spent a long time trying to figure out who/what that higher existence was before I realized it was God. When I look back, God had strategically placed people into my life as an unbeliever who led me to Him. And the most beautiful part was that the leading wasn't the stereotypical thump-her-head-with-a-Bible approach. God spent years carefully and eloquently enabling me to meet people who would just drop small, non-intrusive seeds. Then one day, something sprouted in me and I realized, "Oh...that higher being I've been searching to label is God. Cool."

Michele Smile

Posts : 4 Join date : 2009-09-06

By Tom Reed

WHAT ARGUMENT FOR THE EXSISTENCE OF GOD
DO I FIND MOST COMPELLING AND WHY?

I would have to say Teleological is my most compelling argument.

The whole design of the universe cannot be an accident or coincidence. The earth being positioned at a perfect angle, and rotating perfectly to create gravity and sustain life. Trees and plants filtering the air we breathe. Plants and animals having the proper nutrients we must have for the human body to function. Rain and snow providing us with a supply of fresh water to drink. Accident or coincidence I cannot believe that.
I do not believe the complex design of the human body could have been an accident either. The way we can walk, talk, see, hear, smell and taste. The union between the brain and central nervous system the way our lungs, heart, and digestive system all work together. These things are too perfectly designed to be an accident or to have evolved from anything.
I believe everything has been designed before it was created or built. The complexity of the earth and universe had to be designed by an all-powerful God. The intricacy of the human body along with our ability to think, reason, and feel emotion must have been designed by an all-loving God.

By Tom Reed

Posts : 2 Join date : 2009-09-08

The most compeling argument for me is the Teleological argument.

I tend to be very black and white in the way I think and to believe that something came from nothing makes absolutely no sense to me. The complexity of the universe, the sensitive ballance of the earths atmosphere, the very air we breath and the uniqueness and individuality of each human being could not have happened by chance.
How sad would our world be if the lives we lead had no meaning or purpose?

Albert Einstein once said "I am under the belief that in order for there to be a watch there had to be a watch maker and in order for there to be a universe there had to have been a universe maker." Something had to get the ball rolling and for me the only logical answer to that question is God.

Keith MacTough

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-09-13

Choosing one argument over another in order accept which one best convinces me of God’s existence seems limiting. We live in a society of many different possibilities that lead to one defining answer: God does exist in all we do, are, and live by.

The arguments presented in the book and in class add to the already working body of thoughts that define who, what, how, why, and where is God. Why limit ourselves to just one interpretation when the possibility of embracing all arguments helps us further understand and confirm His existence and our reason for being?

If I must choose, however, then I would lean towards the scripture, moral, and teleological arguments. The word of God provides us with the moral compass needed to live a virtuous life based on the harmonious balance that we should preach and practice. The traits found in these arguments encompass the message that our all powerful, all knowing, and all just God has created beings that have the capacity of living the life that He has chosen for us. All is done through trial and error, of course, for we are not perfect.

I think the imperfection that lies within us was perfectly placed so that God would give us the room to grow in understanding and faith. The challenge we face is how much are we willing to learn? Then the question that follows is how much of this new found wisdom are we willing to share in order to pass forward the proof of God’s existence.

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-09-13

paulwright wrote:: The evidential argument that I find most convincing for the existence of God is the moral argument. My position is based on personal experience, the impact on non-believers and biblical foundation. On a personal level, I know people of multiple cultures; Western, Middle Eastern, and Asian. There are moral laws that are inherent in every culture. In terms of the impact on non-believers, of the four arguments, my experience is that non-believers tend to accept and push back less on the moral argument than any other. The moral argument is the most tangible and less esoteric for them. Lastly, Exodus, Chapter 20, vs. 3-17, lay out the Ten Commandments, the biblical foundation by which all moral law emanates. In conclusion, if there are moral laws that govern human-kind in every culture, it is irrefutable that there must a law-maker. There must be a God.

Paul Wright

Mr. Wright,

I thank you for presenting your comment with information to support it. The moral argument is one that cannot be denied by anyone considering the lessons it has taught mankind through time.

We all have a moral compass (at least I like to believe that) and should believe & follow the laws created by God and by leaders of our nation. The difficulty lies helping individuals see the connectedness of all that is just with God's Word. How could we assist those who cannot come to terms or be at peace with those same moral arguments that connect us to God and confirm his true existence?

Sincerely,
Evelyn

Posts : 1 Join date : 2009-09-14

Recently CBS news presented a segment about a Phoenix cab driver who is scheduled to donate a kidney to a women he frequently picked-up and transported to a dialysis clinic. As the story goes, the cab driver is known to arrive late for his pick-ups and frequently gets lost. To this particular passenger’s dismay, she always seemed to get this driver whenever she ordered a taxi. The cab driver said she was never pleasant when she got into the car. However, being the person that he is, he began to wonder why she was always in a bad mood and one day took note of the fact that he always dropped her off at the same place – a dialysis center. He went home and researched the dialysis process and discovered that the process itself is very stressful for the patients. He said it was never his intention to donate a body part to a stranger, but was compelled to do so. He felt that he had nothing to live for any way – his wife left him years ago and took his daughter and he had no idea where they were. Eventually he got tested and found out that not only was he a perfect match for his customer, but the doctors said their match was so compatible, they could be siblings. The story was aired on the Phoenix local news and it just so “happen” that the drivers long lost daughter was watching. She contacted her father and they have rekindled their relationship. This story was particularly touching to me because it truly exemplifies the argument of God’s existence that has always been convincing to me – the teleological argument. The coming together of the cab driver and the dialysis patient wasn’t a coincidence – it was a perfectly designed connection based on a preconceived, intended, purpose. The “happenstance” of how everything played out is “too complex, orderly, adaptive, and apparently purposeful and beautiful to have occurred randomly or accidentally.” Only an intellectual mind or will much greater than that of any human could have conceived such a divine intervention – there it must be a God, therefore, I am convinced that God exist.

Gina Tabon

Posts : 3 Join date : 2009-09-13

Veronica Orellana wrote:: In everyday life we experience cause and effect. There is usually an answer when we ask the question "why" or "how" things happen. Electricity generated by friction, for example, will either flow through an object or cause heat. You flip a switch on the wall, and even if you don't understand it, you know you can expect that a light bulb will turn on. What causes electricity? Usually, friction. What causes friction? Usually, another object, and so on.

When I take this reasoning back to how the universe began, it seems only logical to say that something caused the universe to begin. Even if, let's say, there was another object or universe that collided with something to create the reaction that caused OUR universe, we still have to ask "what created THAT object?" Ultimately, we have to reach the conclusion that even though our minds can't alway grasp the concept, something had to start EVERYTHING.

Once we accept that something DID start everything (the cosmological argument), then we can move on to the teleological argument that the "something" had to be intelligent and all-knowing. The "something" had to be SOMEONE. That someone is God.

Hello Veronica,

As a student of Spanish & Latin American Literature, I find it fascinating how almost every cultural group has something in common: the cosmological argument of how life began and, thus, proving the existence of a "creator". The great difference is that they attribute the existence of life and "god" to multiple "deities". Now, as a student in DLBI, I am taught to look at the arguments of God's existence through different lenses. This has been such a rewarding experience for it has brought me closer to the scripture not as a literary marvel but as the Word that represents truth.

Thank you for sharing.
Evelyn

Posts : 2 Join date : 2009-09-15

[justify]
I personally find each argument convincing but I know there has to be a beginning for everything to be here. Meaning everything started somewhere, which leads me to the cosmological argument. Our book states for every effect there must be a corresponding cause and the cause was God. Our entire existence had to start somewhere and by someone and that was God.

The New Living Translation (NLT) of Hebrews 11:3 states "by faith we understand that the entire universe was formed by God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen." This is conformation that God created the universe and He does exist.

God's creation of the universe is further confirmed through scriptures. Starting at Romans 3:19 it says we know about God instinctively, He put this knowledge in our hearts. Further confirming His existence. Since the creation of the world we have been able to see the earth and the sky (universe) and everything else that God made. We are able to see "His invisible qualities, His eternal power and His diving nature." (NLT)

The Bible tells us in the last part of Romans 3:20 that we have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. I conclude God is real and His existenance is all around us and by our faith we believe.

Nena McDonald