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Arguments for God's Existence

An argument for God's existence is an argument that serves to either:

  1. Lead to the conclusion that God exists,
  2. Lead to the conclusion that Christianity is true,
  3. Increases the perceived likelihood that God exists, or
  4. Increases the perceived rationality of believing in God.

We will discuss some of the most popular arguments for God's existence. Note that:

  1. The discussion around the arguments is not exhaustive; we will not cover all possible objections or counterarguments.
  2. The discussion is not meant to "knock down" or "destroy" the arguments. Instead, it is meant to provide a balanced view of the arguments and their various perspectives.
  3. The discussion is also not meant to endorse or promote any particular argument.

God is defined as a being with at least one of the following attributes:

  1. Omnipotence - all-powerful,
  2. Omniscience - all-knowing,
  3. Necessity - it is logically necessary that God exists,
  4. Moral perfection - morally perfect,
  5. Creator/Designer of the universe.

Note that different arguments define God differently. For example, an argument might lead to the existence of some "first cause", but that is not necessarily the traditional Christian God. It could be a whole host of other things.

What Constitutes a Good Argument?​

A good argument generally has two properties:

  1. Sound: The argument draws from true premises.
  2. Valid: The conclusion follows from the premises.

The following is an example of an argument that is valid, but not sound:

  1. Either it is raining or God exists.
  2. It is not raining.
  3. Therefore, God exists.

This argument is valid because the conclusion follows from the premises. However, it is not sound because the first premise is not true.

Directory​

Sources​

This whole discussion is based on Capturing Christianity's video series on the arguments for God's existence.