| Arguing for Gods | |
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One of the most common discussions on this site is, unsurprisingly, about the possible existence of any gods. "Does God Exist?" is a common topic not just around here, but all over. Most assert that some god definitely exists, a few question that claim, and fewer still aggressively assert the opposite.
In all such discussions, you will find the same basic arguments repeated over and over. There is a limited number of arguments offered for the existence of gods, although there are certainly variations and ways to make old arguments look new. For that reason, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the most common - this will make it easier to deal with them when you encounter them.
Most purport to prove that a single, personal, creator-god exists, so that is primarily the sort of argument which will be discussed here. However, a few are compatible with other sorts of gods.
What is the Cosmological Argument?
The Cosmological Argument covers a lot of ground and takes a number
of different forms, although the most common deal with two ideas: that the existence
of the universe requires a god as an explanation (First Cause - this form
is also called the Etiological Argument) or that order in the universe requires
a god as an explanation. Read More.
What is the Argument to Design?
Sometimes, this is referred to as the Argument from Design, with the
idea in mind that the person is arguing from the existence of "design"
in the universe and to the logical conclusion that the design requires a "designer"
- their god. However, it is incorrect to simply accept the assumption that there
exists "design" in the universe. Read More.
What is the Ontological Argument
This is one of the oldest arguments in Christian theology. It is also one
of the most difficult to understand because it relies purely upon logical considerations
and not at all upon empirical evidence. Read More.
What are the Arguments from Morals and Values?
These are two separate, but connected arguments. Together, they make up what
are known as the Axiological Arguments (axios = value). They assert that the
existence of values and/or of morals proves that God exists. Read More.
What is the Argument from Religious Experience?
This argument starts from the premise that all our knowledge of the world
essentially relied upon experience. As a result, religious experiences should
be accorded the same basic validity as other sorts of experience. Thus, people claiming
to have experienced god, angels, miracles, etc. should be believed. Based upon this
evidence, the existence of a god is made, at the very least, quite likely. Read
More.
What is the Argument from
Common Consent?
The basic version argues that belief in some sort of god is innate or instinctive
and has existed consciously in nearly the whole of humanity throughout history. The
best way to explain this, or so the argument goes, is to assume that some sort of
god really does exist after all. Belief in a god wouldn't be so popular or pervasive
if some god didn't exist, therefore some god must exist. Read More.
What is the Argument from
Reward?
According to this argument, people who believe in a god are happier than
those who do not believe in any gods. This implies the extra happiness is a reward
from their god and, hence, the god they believe in must exist. Read More.
What is the Argument from
Justice?
This argument starts from the premise that in this world virtuous people
are not always happy and do not always get what they deserve while wicked people
do not always get the punishments they should. The balance of justice must be achieved
somewhere and at some time - and that since this does not occur here, then it must
occur after we die. Read More.
What is the Argument from
Consciousness?
According to this argument, neither naturalism nor materialism can give
an adequate explanation of mental events like consciousness. Consequently, divine
and supernatural explanations are needed to explain why we are conscious and how
our brains work. Read
More.
What is the Argument from
Miracles?
The Argument from Miracles is based first and foremost on the premise that
there exist events which must be explained by supernatural causes - in short, some
sort of god. Probably every religion has had miracle claims and so the promotion
and apologetics for every religion has included references to allegedly miraculous
events. Because it is likely that a god is their supernatural cause, belief in this
god is supposed to be reasonable. Read More.
What is the Argument from
Scripture?
Sometimes, you can find popular apologists trying to argue that their particular
holy books qualify as evidence supporting their claims that their god(s) exist.
One method might be to point to the supernatural events recorded in these books
as requiring the existence of a god. Or they might point to how influential the
scriptures have been, arguing that this would not have been possible without the
help of a god.Read More.
What is Pascal's Wager?
"Pascal's Wager" essentially argues that to believe in God is
the best bet because if God exists, you'll go to heaven and avoid hell. If you don't
believe in God, you might lose all this. If God does not exist, you'll have nothing
to lose. So it's better to believe in God than not to.Read More.
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