The Mystery of God's Existence Essay

1. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. (18) 2. ‘The argument merely indicates the probability of God and this is of little value to a religious believer.’ Discuss. (12)

One burning and enduring problem in philosophy to which we have given considerable examination is the question of the existence of God--the superlative being that philosophers have defined and dealt with for centuries. After reading the classic arguments of St. Anselm and St. Thomas Aquinas, the contentious assertions of Ernest Nagel, and the compelling eyewitness accounts of Julian of Norwich, I have been introduced to some of the most revered and referenced arguments for and against God's existence that have been put into text. All of them are well-thought and well-articulated arguments, but they have their holes. The question of God's true existence, therefore, is still not definitively answered and put to rest; the intensity of this

Alvin Plantinga is a Reformed Epistemologist. He does not necessarily agree with the solidity and rational behind Classic Foundationalism, which states that all nonbasic belief’s are ultimately justified by basic beliefs and all basic beliefs must be incorrigible and infallible. Plantinga argues, though, that people have basic beliefs that are not infallible all the time. These beliefs are axiomatic to our belief system but they are not immune to doubt. For example, we believe there is a physical, mindless world that exists outside the self. We also believe there are other human minds all around us. People believe these things even though we don’t have arguments for them being true. Nonetheless, Plantinga thinks these beliefs as perfectly rational, while a classical foundationalist would have to disagree. It is true, then, according to Plantinga, that we can be fully justified in holding a basic belief even if its validity is vulnerable to new, contradicting,

Religion or lack of religion is a contentious topic that lingers quietly, yet sometimes principally, in our society and is debated under permanent perspectives without giving attention to the contradictory perspective. The belief in God, or Christianity, and Atheism, the disbelief of lack of belief in the existence of God, are two complete opposites of each other yet still have some similarities.

Time and time again people put the faith of others into question. Forever, people have debated what belief is real and which belief is not, what is righteous and what is not, which god exists among all or ceases to exist at all. Even though religion is doubted continuously, those with a firm belief in god persist and conquer all quarrels that face them in their devotion to the lord, and we see an example of this commitment in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans.

a) Christians believe many different things about God’s nature; due to the huge spectrum of Christians that there are. However, as a general rule they perceive God as being one of the following four things:

The Reason for God arrives at a unique time, for we are at a point when both belief and skepticism are on the rise. “Skepticism,

Does God Exist? If God so desired, He could merely appear and attest to the whole of humankind that He exists. But if He did that, there would be no need for faith. “Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed '” (John 20:29). I’m sure an abundance of people would love for someone to simply show them the evidence for God 's existence. Enough of those statements of, "You just have to believe” or “Just have some faith” such statements that leave many people with no comfort or acceptance. I would like to attempt to point out some of the reasons that lead me undoubtedly believe that God exists. First of all, consider the following. When it comes to the prospect of God 's existence, the Bible says that there are individuals who have seen sufficient evidence, but they have concealed the truth they have seen. On the other hand, for those who continue to wonder if God is there, he says, "You will seek me and find me; when you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you." Before one looks at the facts surrounding God 's existence, one must ask themselves, if God does exist, would I want to know him? To follow are some reasons to consider.

What is God? Simply we can say that god is our creator, he is the one that created this universe and all the living beings. He is almighty and has knowledge of everything. But for decades, there has been different arguments for explaining the theory of god’s existence. Although different religions might see god in different perspectives, the main concept of god is almost the same in every religion. God is a fragment of our belief (Fénelon, François de Salignac de La Mothe-). We are a very curious species. We want to define everything by logic. It's not just this decade, mankind has been looking for logical explanations of various events since its dawn. Therefore, the biggest mystery or question that comes to our mind is "who created this world and all the living beings in it?" Thus, emerged the concept of God. People started believing that we were created by a superior being, and different religions were built around this concept. In this paper, we will discuss various arguments surrounding the existence of God.

Almost everyone at some particular point in his or her life has challenged the existence of God. This may happen for a number of reasons. For example he or she might have been at a point in their life when their faith alone was just not enough for them to believe. Humans have a natural instinct to find reasons for events that can’t be explained. For some, the existence of God may help give them the answers they are looking for.

In the “Suma Theologica,” by Saint Thomas Aquinas, Aquinas combines the doctrines of Christianity with Aristotelian philosophy, through the assertion that as a result of observation, utilization of the senses, and an empirical mindset, one can substantiate the existence of God. Aquinas holds the conception that in the quest for God’s existence, philosophy and theology are interwoven together and both play complementary roles. He infuses numerous theological doctrines, mainly from Saint Augustine, alongside Aristotelian ideals such as, the first mover, to corroborate his argument for the existence of God. Instead of basing his argument on human reason and rationality like his predecessor, Saint Anselm of Canterbury, Aquinas holds that it is

God is defined as “the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe” (“God”). I find it highly unlikely that God exists because if God is perfect in power and perfect in goodness then why are so many human attributes given to god: A perfect being would be one without emotions such as anger, hate, jealousy, sadness, and happiness to influence their decisions (“God”). I believe it stems from people’s innate sense to belong and be loved due to the evolution of society. Therefore, humans attempt to explain the unexplainable (the creation of the universe) by creating a deity which is not only all powerful but human-like as well because humans realize they are the most complex beings while

Human beings are often accredited as being the only organisms with a stream of consciousness, a sense of self-realization between themselves and the world around them. Yet despite this extramural way of thinking and all of our accomplishments, we as a race have always thought of ourselves as unknowing and lost, leading us to search towards the horizon for guidance in our ‘elevated thinking’. After all, man has always looked to the skies, down towards the earth’s core and even inwards for an explanation for ourselves and the world we inhabit, creating profound and often ridiculous images of someone or something that can explain all of our issues , answer all of our questions and do away with all of our problems along the way. Perhaps Voltaire had phrased it best, that “Even if God did not exist , it would be necessary to invent one “ With newer generations exposed to a greater realm of science and education, the conventional role of a religious “insider” and an atheist “outsider” has tabled. Instead, it is now believed that science abhors the idea of a ‘God’, and that the idea of one is merely present to pander to innocent and unknowing religious followers, while the latter believes scientific ‘logic’ flawed. So the question stands today; is there a so called God, and if so where is God, who is God, and most importantly...what is God?

It is true that since the beginning of time, many people have worshiped and believed in many gods, which society has created. Ludwig Feuerbach, German philosopher, in The Essence of Christianity, argued that religion was the consciousness of the infinite. God is merely an alienated image of humanity’s own desire for perfection,

Back in the cell, Murfon was first to speak. “Did you notice that all those council members were very old? I thought everyone was reclaimed after their allotted number of cycles.”