Proofs for the existence of God

God, a religious term for the supreme reality, has, from the ancient time to the present, occupied a central position in various forms in almost every religious and philosophical discussion except atheism. Generally man loves to think God to be the Creator of the whole universe, the ultimate source of knowledge, power and love without any question. The philosophers from the ancient period have tried to prove the existence of God with raising a question “Does He exist at all?” and giving answers to this question. 

             

However, there are three main groups of people on the basis of believing in the existence of God:

1. Atheists:  never believe in God’s existence

2. Agnostics: not sure about God’s existence

3. Theists: believe in the existence of God

Now we will attempt to prove the existence of God from the philosophical point of view. The philosophers mainly provide four kinds of arguments to prove the existence of God. They are:

1. The Ontological Argument

2. The Teleological Argument

3. The Cosmological Argument

4. The Moral Argument     

Now we will discuss them in details.

           

The first proof of God’s existence is the Ontological  Argument or Metaphysical Argument which is completely based on reason. According to this argument, there is no need to go out looking for the physical evidence of God’s existence. One can work out that He exists just by thinking about it. Philosophers call such argument a “prior” argument. St. Anselm, Descartes have initiated this argument.

Anselm says:

“We have the previous idea about perfect being; this perfect being is God.”

“We are to admit the Existence in Necessity, this Existence is God.”

Descartes says:

“We have previous idea of God. This idea is given by God in our heart”

“Men are limited. So for limited men, it is not possible to create other limited things. But God is unlimited; so for God it is possible to create everything.” 

Criticism: Ontological Argument or Metaphysical Argument does not go without criticism. Different critics argue against such arguments in different ways. Some of them are:

1. Only idea cannot prove anything.

1. “We have previous idea of God.” It is not logical.

1. The idea about truth, perfect being etc. is negative.

1. Existence is not a quality but a reality.

The second proof of God’s existence is the Teleological Argument or the argument from design. It seeks the proof of the existence of God from the fact that the universe is ordered.

Martineau argues that the selection, combination, gradation, adaption, order etc. found in natural things and human organisms prove the existence of God as an intelligent designer of the world.

Without any purpose nothing is created. This world has a purpose after its creation. This purpose is the purpose of God.

Criticism:

1.    To prove the existence by purpose is difficult.

2.  To prove the purpose by experience is also difficult.

3.  Only action and purpose cannot prove the existence of God.

4.  There are some regularities and irregularities in every action.

        The third proof of God’s existence is the Cosmological Argument. According to this argument, there is a cause after the creation of the world. There is a previous cause that is God. The world is probable, but the God is eternal entity. So it is easy for God to create this type of world.

The criticism of this evidence of God’s existence is:

1.    Only cause is not sufficient to prove the existence of God.

2.  If He is unlimited, how it is possible for Him to create this type of world.    

The fourth proof of God’s existence is The Moral Argument. It seeks to prove the existence of God from the fact that there are moral laws. The moral argument appeals to the existence of moral laws as the evidence of God’s existence. There are some moral senses:

1. Sense of morality: as a social being, we are to follow some sense of morality. This idea of morality is given by God.

1. Sense of duty: It is a must in the civilized society which is also given by God.

The criticism of this proof is:

1. Morality is a relative term.

1. Morality has no natural existence.

1. It is an imaginative idea.

1. It has no value to the non-believers. 

Morality leads us to the mind not to the real existence of God.

Last of all we can say that, the fact of the existence of God is a controversial issue in the philosophical discussion. Some of the philosophers have showed the evidence in favour of His existence and some others have gone against. But majority of the philosophers give priority over the fact that “He exists”.