RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY & ULTIMATE QUESTIONS: UNIT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
CONNECTED TO PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE
HOW DO WE PROVE THAT THINGS EXIST?
RELIABLE EVIDENCE
CHANGE OF REASONING TO REACH A CONCLUSION
(LOGIC)
Thought experiment: DOES THE LOCH NESS MONSTER EXIST?
PEOPLE WHO ACCEPT NESSIE EXISTS USING ONE OR ALL OF THE
FOLLOWING TYPES OF TRUTH
They are certain Nessie exists because they have seen the monster for
themselves
They accept the accounts & evidence of sightings of Nessie given by
other people
With all the sightings of Nessie in Loch Ness, it seems more likely that
there is a monster in loch ness rather than no monster, so it is logical to
accept that there is such creature as nessie living in Loch Ness
PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE EVIDENCE PEOPLE GIVE TO
PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF NESSIE BECAUSE:
They have not seen any evidence for themselves, so do not accept that
Nessie exists;
They do not accept the evidence of sightings by other people as sufficient
proof;
They think that the people who claim to have seen nessie might be
hallucinating or lying, or that the sighting is wishful thinking as people want
to see the “monster”. It might be a case of mistaken identity, or deliberate
hoax to fool people;
They think that without any proof of such large creature living in the loch, it
is not logical to accept the existence of god.
CAN WE PROVE GOD EXISTS?
YES (THEIST) BELIEVES IN GOD
NO (ATHEIST) DON’T BELIEVE IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD OR THERE IS
RENE DESCARTES (1596 –1650) Philosopher & Mathematician father of INSUFFICENT EVIDENCE THERE IS A GOD (AGNOSTIC)
the modern Philosophy who proved god existence and the basis of
DAVID HUME (1711 – 1776) Philosopher & Historian who thought that
human knowledge is acquired by reason (RATIONALISM) Extra key
observation and experience should be the foundation of human knowledge
points: Meditations – method of doubt – “Cogito ergo Sum” “I think
(EMPIRICISM). Hume was a radical atheist and his essential in the unit
therefore I am”for more visit: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes- “Miracles” (reasons against miracles)
epistemology/ A THEIST IS CERTAIN THAT GOD EXISTS BECAUSE:
AN ATHEIST REJECTS ANY BELIEF IN GOD BECAUSE: THEY DO NOT BELIEVE
THEY HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH GOD DIRECTLY
THAT ANY EVIDENCE ACCEPTED BY THEISTS IS SUFFICIENT PROOF THAT
THEY ACCEPT THE ACCOUNTS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN GOD EXISTS.
OF THEIR EXPERIENCE OF GOD AS EVIDENCE THAT GOD EXISTS
AN AGNOSTIC HAS DOUBTS ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD BECAUSE
THEY BELIEVE THAT GOD IS THE ONLY LOGICAL EXPLANATION
THAT IT CANNOT BE KNOWN WHETHER OR NOT GOD EXISTS.
FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE & ORDER WITHIN
ARGUMENTS TO SUPPORT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
FIRST CAUSE ARGUMENT (COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT)
ARGUMENTS AGAINST FIRST CAUSE ARGUMENT (COSMOLOGICAL
Key words: THOMAS AQUINAS – CAUSE & EFFECT – PERFECTION –
ARGUMENT):
WELL-ORDERED UNIVERSE – COSMOS – CREATION 
Key Words: ACCIDENT/CHANCE – BIG BANG –RELIGIOUS ACCOUNTS ARE
Explanation: Everything that exists was caused to exist/the Universe
MYTHS – IF THINGS ARE CAUSED TO EXIST WHAT CAUSED GOD? – IF GOD IS
RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY & ULTIMATE QUESTIONS: UNIT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
exists, so it too must have a cause/there had to be something eternal
(without beginning or end) that was not caused by anything/the eternal
first cause is god/therefore god exists.
Religious reference: Thomas Aquinas: A Christian who lived in the Middle
Ages. Aquinas believe that the universe had a beginning. Things cannot
cause themselves to come to existence, then the universe must have been
caused to exist by something outside the universe. The cause of the universe
was God. If God had not caused the universe to begin, then there would be
no universe and therefore we would not exist. As we can see for ourselves
that the universe exists, then it must have had a creator to begin it, and the
creator is God.
Some people use the fact that we are able to measure time as evidence that
the Universe had a beginning, because to measure time we need a starting
point. A theist would argue that the measurement of time is evidence that
the universe had a beginning and this beginning was caused by God
DESIGN ARGUMENT (TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT) :
Key words: WILLIAM PALEY – NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE –
INTRICATE DESIGN, PLAN, PATTERN & PURPOSE – GOD AS
WATCHMAKER – ISAAC NEWTON - FINGER PRINT – GRAVITY – KEEP
THE REGULAR MOVEMENT OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES IN THE UNIVERSE
– ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE – F.R TENNANT – GRAVITATICIONAL FORCE –
Fine Tunnig OTHER REASONS: UNIQUE THINGS – DNA – IRIS 
Definition: The universe is too ordered and complicated to have come
about by random chance; therefore, it must have been designed. A design
needs a designer. The designer of the universe is God. Examples of
Teleological/Design Arguments:
1) THOMAS AQUINAS’ DESIGN ARGUMENT: He said that things could
only be kept in regular order by an intelligent being. Aquinas said
that the planets, sun, moon and stars rotate in the universe in a set
pattern because God keeps them in their place.
2) WILLIAM PALEY’S DESIGN ARGUMENT: Paley was a Christian
Philosopher who used the Design (Teleological) argument to prove
the existence of God arguing: if we found a watch, even if we did not
know its function, we would know that there is evidence of design as
the parts have been put together for a purpose. In the same way, if
we look at natural world, we can tell that there is evidence of design.
Paley used the example of things that are just right for their
purpose, such as the eye for sight, birds’ wings for flight, and fish
CONNECTED TO PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE
ETERNAL, THEN WHY CANNOT THE UNIVERSE BE ETERNAL? 
Explanation: Most scientists would accept that the universe came into existence
through the Big Bang theory.
Atheists often use the Big Bang theory to reject the Existence of God. They argue
that it proves that universe resulted from a random spontaneous event, not an
action by God.
They also say the religious accounts of creation are myths.
Agnostics and Atheists also say if the argument is that things exist because they
are caused to exist, then what caused God? If God is eternal, then why cannot the
universe be eternal?
THERE IS NO DESIGN! THERE IS NOT PROOF GOD DESIGN THE WORLD!
Key words: ACCIDENT/CHANCE – THEORY OF EVOLUTION – CHARLES
DARWIN - adaptation – survival
Definition: It depends on the belief that everything in the world is designed,
and the designer is God. Not everyone believes that humans are the result of
design and even if the world is designed, we cannot prove that the designer os
God. The design may be the work of many gods or an apprentice god.
Theory of Evolution: Many atheists use Darwin’s theory of evolution to
account for apparent design in the world. Atheists argue that it through
evolution that features such as the opposable thumb develop and NOT design by
God. Atheists like Richard
Dawkins (zoologist) argues that is evolution has give the appearance of design,
not God.
Additional reasons: For some Atheists and Agnostics, Cruelty and suffering in
the world within nature is evidence the world is not designed – a “designer”
would not have included such flaws
RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY & ULTIMATE QUESTIONS: UNIT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
gills for breathing under water. He argued that things that are
designed need a designer. The designer of the world he believed was
God. The discovery of the existence of Gravity is part of God’s design
to keep the regular movement of the heavenly bodies in the
universe.
3) ISAAC NEWTON’S DESIGN ARGUMENT: According to him that fact
that we have opposable thumbs is an evidence of design. The fact
that we all have individual patterns on our thumbs was regarded as
evidence that God planned each human separately.
4) ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE: A modern version of the Design Argument
developed by F.R. Tennant. He argued God designed the world so
that everything was just right for human life to develop. The
gravitational force as the universe began was just right. If it’d been
greater, the stars would have been have been too hot and would
have burned out before the universe developed. If it’d been smaller,
then stars would have been too cool and not have formed. As the
universe expanded, gravity was at the correct rate to allow galaxies
and eventually planets to develop. Once the earth was formed, it had
all the conditions for intelligent life to develop. Theists believe that
this fine tunning cannot be chance but deliberate action of God
Religious reference: Most Christians believe that Genesis account of
creation supports the Design Argument as it shows that God planned the
development of the world. The design argument is sometimes called the
teleological argument, from the Greek word teleos meaning that there is an
end or purpose to everything.
ARGUMENT FROM MIRACLES
EVENT PERFORMED BY GOD – BREAKS THE LAW OF NATURE – CURE OF
TERMINAL ILLNESS – SURVIVAL FROM ACCIDENT – DEMONSTRATION OF
GOD’S LOVE
TYPES OF MIRACLES
Events that break the
Events in which no laws of nature are
laws of nature, cannot be broken but a coincidence occurs at just the
explained by science
right time to cause a good outcome. This is
E.G. Jesus turned water
believed to be because God’s intervention. E.G.
into wine, Moses crossing 16 people survived in stairwell B (11
the Red Sea
September)
ARGUMENT FROM RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE (people meeting God
CONNECTED TO PHILOSOPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE
PROBLEMS WITH THE ARGUMENT FROM MIRACLES
DIFFICULT TO PROVE – NO MORE THAN COINCIDENCES – WHAT APPEARS
TO BE A MIRACLE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT SCIENCE CANNOT EXPLAIN YET;
THEIST WANT MIRACLES TO HAPPEN SO THEY GIVE MIRACULOUS CLAIMS
TO ORDINARY EVENTS;
THE CURE OF AN ILLNESS MAY BE THE RESULT OF MIND OVER MATTER
AND THE BELIEF THAT THE SUFFERER WOULD BE CURED;
IT MAY BE THAT THE DOCTORS WRONGLY DIAGNOSED AN ILLNESS AND
THE PERSON WAS CURED NATURALLY;
SOME MIRACLES ARE FAKE OR MADE UP BY INDIVIDUALS WANTING FAME
OR MONEY
GOD PICKING AND CHOSE WHOM IS HELPED IS NOT FAIR AND LOVING
RELIGIOUS PHILOSOPHY & ULTIMATE QUESTIONS: UNIT THE EXISTENCE OF
GOD
TO PHILOSOPHY,
PROBLEMS
WITH THECONNECTED
ARGUMENT FROM
RELIGIOUSPSYCHOLOGY,
EXPERIENCESCIENCE
personally)
INDIVIDUAL
GROUP OF PEOPLE
COMMUNICATING FEELING
WITH GOD
GOD IN
THROUGH PRAYER WORSHIP
& MEDITATION
FEELING
CONVERINVOLVEM
THE
SION
ENT IN A
PRESENCE
MIRACULO
OF GOD IN
US EVENT
NATURE
FEELING GOD IN WORSHIP
CHARISMATIC EVENT – BASED ON
LITURGICAL - CATHOLIC
BELIEF DURING THE SERVICE YOU
CHURCH CELEBRATES THE
CAN RECEIVE THE GIFTS OF THE
SACRAMENTAL RITUAL OF HOLY
HOLY SPIRIT. PENTECOSTAL
COMMUNION
WORSHIP
CONSECRATING THE BREAD &
WINE IT BECOMES THE BODY &
BLOOD OF CHRIST
ARGUMENT FROM MORALITY
MORALITY: SENSE OF RIGHT AND WRONG THAT HELPS TO GUIDE
PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOUR. PEOPLE HAVE AN INBUILT SENSE OF MORALITY –
THIS SENSE COMES FROM A SOURCE OUTSIDE THEM – THIS SOURCE IS
GOD – THEREFORE GOD EXISTS.
IMMANUEL KANT (1724-1804) GERMAN PHILOSOPHER WHO THOUGHT
OUR KNOWLEDGE OF RIGHTS & WRONGS COMES FROM A SOURCE
BEYOND OUR EXPERIENCE I.E. GOD AND THERE IS AN UNIVERSAL
MORALITY EXPRESSED IN CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVES.
MORAL BEHAVIOUR MUST BE REWARDED SO THOSE WHO DO NOT GET
FAIR TREATMENT IN THIS LIFE ARE REWARDED AFTER DEATH. GOD
MUST EXIST TO RAISE PEOPLE TO LIFE AFTER DEATH IN HEAVEN
 CONSCIENCE IS EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
IT IS AN INNER VOICE FROM GOD THAT GUIDES OUR BEHAVIOUR.
IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD WHEN WE BEHAVE WELL, AND GUILTY OR
ASHAMED WHEN WE DO SOMETHING WE THINK OR KNOW IS WRONG.
DIFFICULT
PROVE –OR
FEELINGS
PEOPLE
ARETO
MISTAKEN
MISLED OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE MAY BE
PEOPLE
ARE ILL HADWITHOUT
A HALLUCINATION
THEY THOUGHT
WAS A REAL
HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE,
ANY WAY THAT
TO OBJECTIVELY
MEASURE
EVENT
THEM;
DIFFICULT TO PROVE – NO MORE THAN COINCIDENCES – WHAT
APPEARS TO BE A MIRACLE (IF IT IS A MIRACULOUS EVENT) MAY BE
SOMETHING THAT SCIENCE CANNOT EXPLAIN YET;
SOCIAL EXPLANATION – MOST PEOPLE CONVERT TO THE RELIGIONS
THEY WERE RAISED WITH. IS IT REALLY TO BE BELIEVED ALL THESE
PEOPLE HAVE A DEEP RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE TELLING THEM THE
TRUTH OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD AND OF THEIR OWN BELIEF SYSTEM?
(OBJECTIVE) MORALITY IS DIFFICULT TO PROVE / DOESN’T EXIST !!
MORALITY is no more than rules or laws developed to control people It is
part of human development through EVOLUTION. Part of survival process
required in a world in which resources necessary to support life are scarce and
danger is all around us. People who cooperate are more likely to survive and
reproduce than groups of people who do not. As a result NATURAL SELECTION
has favoured morality because it has SURVIVAL VALUE
THERE IS NO LIFE AFTER DEATH, people shoul seek fair treatment and
reward in this life GUILT FEELINGS are result of going against the MORAL
RULES provided by the SOCIETY, RELIGION and/or FAMILY in which they were
raised.  Guilt feelings are caused by a conflict between people’s DESIRE’s and
the controlling influences of SOCIETY, RELIGION and/or FAMILY. Not everyone
feels guilt even when they do something that most people would consider wrong.
 Sigmund Freud (1856 –1939) Austrian neurologist who study human brain
and behaviour, founder of Psychoanalysis. Freud develop concepts about
CONSCIENCE, GUILT, REPRESSION.