Reworded
The existence of God
PHI 208 Ethics and Moral Reasoning
Since, life began on earth, it has always hit people’s curiosity that how this universe came into being and what is the purpose behind the existence of the animals and other creatures that abound on this planet. Whenever the curiosity arises in man’s heart and mind, it generally takes us to a bigger question which is related to the existence of God. These questions are quite complex in themselves and to find an answer to all these questions, it is necessary to explore the source of these occurrences. In the paper, basically I will discuss the issue of the existence of God by presenting a dispute and clarifying the various aspects of this issue. I will put forward an argument that supports what I feel is valid and important about this issue and discussing the aspect of issue which appeals to me. I will conclude it by stating my own view and by defending it with my argument. Is the existence of God real or was it the big bang and other natural theories which played a more important role. Although, we generally find it impossible to prove His existence, still it is my personal belief that God exists and we would not need any concrete proof to verify His existence and that He has created us.
People have their own opinions and they hold quite diverse views on the topic of God’s existence and what God is in reality. These are people who believe in just one God and others that believe in many Gods and Goddesses. Generally believers do not think that it is necessary to prove God’s existence, but since there is no scientific evidence verifying God’s existence so there are others who do not believe in it. Moreover, since God is invisible, so there is skepticism in people regarding this issue. It gives rise to an intriguing and puzzling question which is that whether it should be expected of people to provide evidence verifying His existence or should we simply believe that God exists on basis of faith.
Skeptics believe it is meaningless to have faith that a thing may exist without having seen it with one’s eyes. Mostly, it is found that people are skeptical and their beliefs are based on evidence on whose basis they can judge such claims and verify their certainty and uncertainty. According to Queensborough Community College (n.d), “Physical or phenomenal evidence to validate religious beliefs is impossible to produce because religious experiences usually occur privately, and are subjective, making it impossible to be justified, and scrutinized rationally and honestly”. Since there is no concrete evidence or proof to support God’s existence, so the skeptics will continue to disbelieve any claim regarding it. Mostly, the people who question God’s existence have scientific inclination and they think that evolution and such other scientific theories hold more weight.
In the current age scientific developments are taking place rapidly and it in turn gives rise to arguments against the notion that it is the God who is our creator. Many skeptics hold the belief that our existence is due to natural causes like the big-bang theory. Shestople, P. (1997), explains, “The big bang theory states that at some time in the distant past there was nothing until a process known as vacuum fluctuation created what astrophysicists call a singularity and from that singularity, which was about the size of a dime, our Universe was born”. Skeptics rely more in the natural theories because these theories have greater acceptance on the basis of scientific evidence than the supernatural ones. If faith be based on reasoning, analysis and proof, then it is quite unlikely that the skeptics will accept the assumptions behind the existence of any kind of supernatural force. Moreover, there is too much evil in this world which most often gives rise to opinions against the existence of God in the skeptics.
Everyday despairing incidents take place, which can make one question the reason behind their happening. Mosser, K. (2010) states, “In addition to the kinds of events that are caused by human beings, there are other events, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, fires, and other natural disasters that have taken the lives of millions” (sec 4.1). It is often skeptics’ opinion that why these things occur when there is the existence of God. Why does an omnipotent God let these horrific things happen which cause which cause suffering to the people? They believe that if there was the existence of an almighty and perfect God, he would have prevented the evil and the natural disasters that mostly cause suffering or even death. Skeptics generally believe that it is important to prove God’s existence if one has to find the answers to such questions. Faith in an invisible thing is not enough to sway the opinion of a skeptic.
The true believers have faith in God’s existence and so they do not think it is necessary to prove it. Harvard Computer Society (n.d) explains, “God is hidden only to our body and our soul, but God is not hidden to our spirit, we must look for him”. The supporters believe that one can connect with God by seeking Him with his spirit since it is impossible to contact Him with one’s senses. Harvard Computer Society (n.d), states, “When people believe into Christ, they receive God’s life into them”. Supporters do not believe in physical evidence to verify the truth behind God’s existence based on any scientific proof. Neither do the believers think that it was any natural cause like the Big-bang which gave rise to life on the earth. A supporter believes it is God who has created the universe and every living being.
People, who trust God, believe that there are multiple examples to verify that we did not appear on the planet just naturally. An example is that the universe has such a perfect design and so there must be a creator to have designed it. According to the University of Houston (n.d), “The universe and the life forms in it are like a watch; Consider the harmony of the ecosystem: plants breathe in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen, while animals conversely breathe in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide; plants feed animals while decomposed animals feed plants… There is a regular cycle of life… Moreover, consider how complexly organized a single organism is… Each organ and tissue has purpose, all of which shows signs of an intelligent creator; there is no other possible explanation for it.” Believers hold the faith that it is not by chance that we are here and it is God who made us.
In case of the evil that happens, believers do not think that it is not entirely upto God. He has given us the liberty to make choices and whatever we do, we choose to do. According to Eby, D. (n.d), “ God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, he allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil”. We are having the ability to select whether we commit to a good cause or do something evil. According to Mosser, K. (2010), “the evil that does exist is that caused by human beings who possess freedom”. Supporters believe that God is having the power to prevent the disasters from happening but he has his own reasons for not interfering with these things.
The argument which I feel to be stronger and better defended is that we do not need any proof of God’s existence and that our faith alone is a good proof of his existence. Just because we are unable to see him, does not necessarily mean that He does not exist. According to Loyola University (n.d), “His presence is no longer in his earthly body; it is rather in his Spirit abiding in our hearts”. I believe that those who doubt his existence do so because they are unable to acknowledge his existence. With regard to the evil in this world I believe that God has bestowed us with senses so that we can make our choices, learn from our mistakes as well as deal with the consequences. Mattison, M. M. (n.d.) explains, “God cannot overrule every evil choice of man and every evil consequence therefrom without contradicting his own purposes in creating beings with free will. This is part of the price we pay for freedom, and which God himself pays for creating us”. Since God did not create evil, it is unfair to hold Him responsible for it.
The conclusion is that though there have been several attempts to dispute the existence of God, still there is an excessive need to prove His existence. Since He is not visible to us, many people find it difficult to believe in His existence. However, believers do not need any proof in this regard since they have faith in His being present. Gazing at the stars, observing the beauty of nature, understanding the complexity of the universe indicates towards the existence of an intelligent designer, which is God. We do not need to see God with our eyes or feel him using our senses or even touch him to know that he exists. It is through our faith that we connect with Him and believe in His reality. I think that there is so much evidence that proves that God is around us, however to feel His presence it is essential to seek Him.
References
Eby, D. (n.d.). Why Does God Allow Evil? · Community Discussions · myUMBC. Start · myUMBC. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://my.umbc.edu/discussions/2026″http://my.umbc.edu/discussions/2026
HolySpirit. (n.d.). Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://www.luc.edu/faculty/pmoser/idolanon/Holyspirit.html”http://www.luc.edu/faculty/pmoser/idolanon/Holyspirit.html
Mattison, M. M. (n.d.). Don’t Doubt God!. Auburn University. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/openhse/theodicy.html#Power”http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/openhse/theodicy.html#Power
Mosser, K. (2010). Philosophy: A Concise introduction. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/books
Proof of God | Chemistry and Physics Department | School of Arts and Sciences | LeTourneau University. (n.d.). LeTourneau University | Longview, Texas. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.letu.edu/_Academics/Arts-Science/chem-phys/documents/ProofofGod.html”http://www.letu.edu/_Academics/Arts-Science/chem-phys/documents/ProofofGod.html
Shestople, P. (1997). Big Bang Cosmology Primer. Berkeley Cosmology Group. Retrieved January 26, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://cfpa.berkeley.edu/Education/IUP/Big_Bang_Primer.html”http://cfpa.berkeley.edu/Education/IUP/Big_Bang_Primer.html
Teleological Argument. (n.d.). University of Houston. Retrieved January 28, 2013, from HYPERLINK “http://www.uh.edu/~psaka/god/telos.htm”http://www.uh.edu/~psaka/god/telos.htm
Why Is God So Hidden?. (n.d.). Harvard Computer Society | People. Technology. Awesome.. Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~acf/faq02.html”http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~acf/faq02.html
