Philosophy of Religion - Does God Exist?
Essay by review • December 2, 2010 • Essay • 1,090 Words (5 Pages) • 1,711 Views
The existence of God.
The question that millions of people ask themselves each day is does God exist?
What is God? Who is God? Throughout my life I have never questioned the existence of God; God just IS. However, there exists beings who need an explanation to how God can possibly exist as an eternal, all-powerful and all-knowing being. Through three different arguments, this paper examines some rational arguments for the existence of and eternal being, God.
The first argument states that if something exist, then it has existed from eternity. Something cannot come from nothing, therefore something has to exist. If God exist He is an eternal being. God is something, therefore God must exist. God has to be an eternal being because he is the greatest conceivable being. Therefore, the premise must be that as an eternal being God exists, and his existence is accounted for. His existence does not depend on either a cause nor on mere chance. Then, if God exists, He is his own existence; meaning He cannot come into existence and he cannot cease to exist. Therefore, If God does exist, He cannot cause or destroy his own existence, which makes it necessary for God to exist. Now, either God exists or it is impossible that God exists. God is something; something does in fact exist. It certainly is not impossible that god exists. Therefore, it is necessary for God to exist. Therefore, God exists.
The second argument says if some being exists, it can be dependent or independent on another being. Dependent beings exist; therefore, independent being must also exist. if all being were dependent then beings would be infinite and the answer to how beings started would still be unanswered. We have already concluded that God is an eternal being whose existence cannot be caused or cease to exist, then God is the ultimate source of all powers. God is an independent being. Because God is the ultimate source above all other beings, then this being is also the ultimate source for everything that pertains to those beings. Therefore, everything that makes up those beings is reliant and dependent on God, the eternal being. Therefore, God Exists.
The last argument is that because there exist beings with knowledge about their own intelligence and powers, there has to be a knowing being. There are two choices, the first is to assume that there was a time when there was no such thing as knowledge, and thus no knowing beings. The second choice is to suppose that there is an eternal being that is all knowing and all powerful. The first of these two choices cannot be accounted for because if that was the case, then there would be no knowing being to come up with that premise because something cannot come from nothing. That leaves the idea that there must be an all knowing all powerful being that has existed since eternity. The previous argument proves that God is an eternal being. Therefore, God exists.
According to the first argument, there exists a God and He is an eternal being. Eternity, implies infinite qualities. The greatness of God becomes totally grand, when encompassed by the idea of eternity. All that is eternal is unlimited so it must be the cause of all things thereafter. Only an eternal Being can be infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, and infinitely knowledgeable. The first argument is sound simply because you cannot make something out of nothing, in order for there to be finite beings, there must be at least one infinite being. You cannot cause your own existence, so there has to be an eternal being .
The second argument argues says that this eternal being is the most powerful being. If this eternal being, God, is omnipotent then he should be able to create anything.
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