Three Cases for the Existence of God
Whether one is religious or a non-believer, theist or atheist, there are certain things in nature that even scientists can’t seem to definitively explain. In Dr. Bert Thompson’s study, he gives three very arguable cases of proof for the existence of God. The author delves into the three main arguments for the existence of God, which scientists have not been able to completely explain away with logic or reasoning, being able to present the views of both sides without necessarily becoming hostile towards the one or the other. The three cases that are presented for argument are the Cosmological Argument, the Teleological Argument, and the ...view middle of the document...
As Robert Jastrow, an eminent evolutionary astronomer explained:
“Every effect has a cause that can be discovered by rational arguments. And this has been a very successful program, if you will, for unraveling the history of the universe. But it just fails at the beginning.... So time, really, going backward, comes to a halt at that point. Beyond that, that curtain can never be lifted.... And that is really a blow at the very fundamental premise that motivates all scientists…The Universe, and everything that has happened in it since the beginning of time, are a grand effect without a known cause. An effect without a cause? That is not the world of science; it is a world of witchcraft, of wild events and the whims of demons, a medieval world that science has tried to banish. As scientists, what are we to make of this picture? I do not know.”
As Jastrow and others have pondered over this quandary of the Universe, many scientists have chosen to simply believe in the Universe as eternal, without a beginning or an end. But isn’t this contradictory to the belief in cause and effect? Therefore the Universe is not eternal, nor did it create itself out of nothing as scientists are now trying to defend. The core belief in physics could not allow one to believe that matter would simply come together and accidentally create the Universe. In the end, both scientists and philosophers have to acknowledge that the Universe had an adequate cause, because the Universe is the effect, and as such requires an adequate antecedent cause. Since no effect can be qualitative superior, or quantitative greater than its cause, a Superior Being must be the cause of the creation of the Universe.
The second case presented was the Teleological Argument. Teleology has reference to purpose or design; thus this approach suggests that where there is purposeful design, there must be a designer. This case looks at the perfect design of the Universe and the human body. The deduction is being made that order, planning, and designs in a system are indicative of intelligence, purpose, and specific intent on the part of the originating cause. Atheists would have to admit that design demands a designer, but they deny that there is design in nature, which of course would not lead to the belief of a Great Designer. The point of contention between theist and atheist is whether or not there is design in nature adequate enough to substantiate the conclusion that a Designer exists. But all one has to look for proof is in the design of the Universe and of Mankind. For example, the Earth is located at...
