TELEOLOGICAL AND COSMOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
Lesson 2
John Ratliff
Thesis: Today, our focus will be on two arguments that show the earth has purposeful design
and something had to make it happen – God.
Intro: 1.There is many intelligent people that would have everyone believe that the earth,
universe, and everything it holds JUST happened.
2. Many of these are scientists who know the natural laws of science very well.
3. These laws as far as science knows do not have exceptions and cannot change.
4. By using logical thinking and the basic premises of the teleological and cosmological
arguments, the goal is to prove that the universe did not just happen.
I. The teleological argument states that “design demands a designer.”1
A. If the universe shows purposeful design, then the universe must have designer.2
1. This is the major premise of this argument.
2. Most everyone would agree at least to some extent that the universe shows design.
B. The universe shows purposeful design.3
1. There is over whelming evidence that shows purposeful design.
2. If this evidence can be shown then the conclusion is true.
C. The universe must have a designer.4
1. This fact is even understood by young children, they understand for something to exist
something or someone had to have made it.
2. For example, children understand that if there is a toy airplane, then there was someone
who designed it and produced it. The universe is no different.
II. The cosmological argument is the argument of “cause and effect.”5
A. One part of this natural law of science simply means every material effect must have an
adequate cause that existed before the effect.6
1. Every effect must have a greater cause, and the effect cannot be greater than the cause.7
2. The car did not crash into the tree because the June bug hit the windshield. The door
did not fly open because the mosquito flew into it.
B. Matter cannot create more matter.8
1. If there are 10,000 experiments done on a half pound of dirt, one will never make more
dirt.9
2. Those who do not believe in an intelligent designer and creator, base their argument on
this very idea. They believe that from a ball of matter about the size of a period on this
page the universe and everything in it came to be, how absurd!
C. When one examines nothing it becomes clear that nothing comes from nothing.
1. This should insult those who are of a sound mind. Yet, this very idea is held by
many.10
2. Some of the most so-called intelligent people in the world contend that the universe
and everything in it came from NOTHING!
Conclusion:
1. From these arguments it is logical to conclude that the universe has design and must
have come from something.
2. That “Something” is God. He is the intelligent designer and the supreme creator.11
3. He alone is the cause that made the universe. He is greater than the effect and he is not
made up of anything in the material universe.
4. When the Bible says, “In the beginning God” there in is the cause.12
1
Kyle Butt, Out With Doubt: A Look at the Evidence for Christianity (Montgomery, Al:
Apologetics Press, Inc. 2001, 15
2
Bert Thompson, The Case for the Existence of God (Montgomery, Al: Apologetics Press
Inc. 2003), 68
3
Ibid.,
4
Ibid.,
5
Chuck Northrop, Class Notes. 2010.
6
Ibid.
7
Butt, “Out With Doubt: A Look at the Evidence for Christianity,” 8
8
Ibid.
9
Ibid.
10
Ibid., 9
11
Northrop, Class Notes
12
Genesis 1:1, New King James Version
Butt, Kyle. Out With Doubt: A Look at the Evidence for Christianity. Montgomery, Al:
Apologetics Press, Inc. 2001.
Northrop, Chuck. Class notes. 2010.
Thompson, Bert. The Case for the Existence of God. Montgomery, Al: Apologetics Press Inc.
2003.