There are many arguments for the existence of God.
Today, the best such argument can be said to be the many discoveries in fields of science, like biochemistry, physics and quantum mechanics, of a fine-tuned universe. Fine-tuning points to design, which points to a designer or God.
Another argument for God is the existence of objective morality – the idea that morality is universal, independent of interpretation. Right and wrong exist factually, regardless of opinion. That is why religions have commandments.
Certain acts – rape, murder, kidnapping, slavery, child abuse, adultery, etc. – are not just behavior unacceptable to society. It is universally considered as factually wrong and completely unacceptable.
And the reason that such acts are universally seen as absolutely wrong, is not that they are defined as such by a world government or the United Nations. No, they are regarded as utterly evil by the Creator of the universe, the very source of morality – God. God is the quintessence or model of the moral good. In a sense, God defines what goodness is. The fact that objective morality exists, may be taken as a proof that the Creator exists.
But there are many more arguments for God. One is that throughout the ages there have been far fewer non-believers than people who have believed in a higher being. A clear expression of this, is the fact that the most important civilizations that have emerged here on earth, did so based on some form of belief. This strongly suggests that there is something about us that seeks God. We have a kind of built-in sense for spiritual matters. For many, this is a clear sign that God exists.
Another powerful argument for God’s existence is that there are so many who have had personal experiences with God. They received insights or revelations, or clear spiritual guidance from higher powers when going through a crisis in life. In addition, millions of people around the world have had near-death experiences. The sheer number of such cases is in itself a clear indication that the Creator exists.
Many thinkers, philosophers and theologians have tried to create logical arguments for the existence of God. Some have even taken on the formidable task of proving that Our Lord exists.
Arguments for God are normally not evidence in a strict sense of the word, but arguments or indications that point in a certain direction.
Such arguments or proofs are traditionally arranged as a syllogism, a form of reasoning where two premises lead to a conclusion. If the premises are sound, then the conclusion will also be sound, or plausible.
There are three main types of such arguments.
The first is the design argument or the teleological argument.
The second type is the cosmological argument.
The third type is the ontological argument.
Text: Knut Holdhus
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