Existence of God

Cosmological Argument

Everything that begins to exist has a cause,

Chain of causes cannot go back forever

There must be an uncaused cause,

Often identified as God.

Therefore God exists

Cosmological Argument - Strengths

Based in logic and does not rely on prior belief in God to make sense.

Makes sense based on seeing evidence of cause in everything we observe.

Using the domino analogy to explain makes it easy to understand for all people.

It works with what know of God, He has always existed so makes sense for him to cause everything else.

Cosmological Argument - Weaknesses

Says everything needs a cause, but doesn’t say why God doesn’t need one.

If God doesn’t need a cause then why does the universe need one?

We have now observed things coming into existence without a cause at the sub-atomic level.

An analogy is only another way of explaining something, does not provide any actual evidence.

Big Bang Theory

Universe began as a singularity and expanded over time.

Anti-matter and matter created, until only matter existed.

The matter became the atoms that form everything.

Galaxies then stars and eventually planets formed.

Big Bang Theory + Cosmological Argument

The Big Bang could be caused by God, we don’t know what happened to cause it so leaves space for God.

Big Bang suggests God was not needed as it could have been the cause of itself.

Both share the idea that there had to be a starting point.

Teleological Argument

Suggests that the complexity and order of the universe imply a designer.

All things in nature have a clear purpose, like the human eye, designed to allow us to see and to survive, so suggests a designer.

Complexity and purpose cannot come about by random chance, more likely something designed it - God.

Therefore, God exists

Teleological Argument - Strengths

Gives a purpose to our existence, rather than just being here by random chance.

Logical argument, relying on evidence we can observe, rather than relying on religious belief.

Works well with the nature of God, He is all-powerful so has the ability to be the designer.

Teleological Argument - Weaknesses

Does not fully eliminate the chance that the world came about by chance.

The world suffers from disease, famine, natural disasters, so it is not perfectly designed.

If complex things need a designer, does God not also need a designer.

A watch cannot be compared to the universe, it is man made, while the universe is organic.

Evolution

Random genetic changes that take place in the womb that cause slight changes in animals.

Changes can either be good or bad, good means the animal will survive, bad means they might die out.

E.g. the beaks of birds allow them to eat different sort of foods, wrong beak shape then they might not be able to eat .

Evolution + Teleological Argument

Evolution could be the method God uses to create his animals.

Evolution involves a lot of suffering of animals, a loving God surely would not allow that?

Evolution claims life to be random chance while the Teleological Argument says that everything is designed with a purpose