The Cosmological Argument

Vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture notes about the Cosmological Argument.

Cosmological Argument

An argument to prove the existence of God, explaining why there is a universe.

Infinite Regress

A sequence of reasoning that can never come to an end.

First Mover

The initial source of movement that is not moved by anything else, understood to be God.

First Efficient Cause

The first cause in a chain of causation, identified as God in the cosmological argument.

Contingent Being

A being whose existence is not necessary and at one time did not exist, contrasted with non-contingent beings.

Unmoved Mover

A concept in the cosmological argument referring to God as the source of all movement without being moved by another.

Causation

The relationship between events where one event (the cause) leads to the occurrence of another event (the effect).

Material Existence

The existence of all physical things which are contingent and not necessary.

Eternal and Omnipotent God

The conception of God that exists beyond time and space, being all-powerful and eternally existent.

Christian Perspective of Cosmological Argument

The belief among Christians that God is the origin of everything, serving as the unmoved mover and first cause.

Transcendent God

A God who is beyond human perception and independent of the universe.

Immanent God

A God who exists within the universe and is active in human affairs.

Evidence of Causation

Observations and experiences that suggest every effect has a cause, supporting the existence of God.

Big Bang Theory

A scientific explanation that some theists use to support the idea of God as the first cause of the universe.

Agnostic Position

The belief that the existence of God, or the nature of God, is uncertain or unknowable.

Catholic Church's View on Atheism

The belief that claiming the universe 'just happened' is less believable than it being designed by God.