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People of faith are often portrayed as “ignorant” “illogical”, “weak-minded”

“Blind Faith”

“Faith Without Reason”

Well, Let’s Accept the Atheist Challenge:

Is it ReasonableTo Believe God Exists?

To be REASONABLE means that an argument for God rests on reasonable assumptions, and does not violate any rules of logic.

“Come now, and let us reason together,’’ says the Lord Isaiah, 1:18

Three Arguments for God’s Existence

1. Cosmological Argument :

a. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

b. The Universe began to exist.

c. Therefore, the Universe had a cause.

This is a fundamental academic idea.

How did the bone break?

What Caused the Financial Crisis?

a. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

← ←

No Tree comes from Nothing!

To believe that something begins to exist spontaneously and without a cause, is to believe in

Hocus pocus

If existence can have no cause, then why not all the time?

Unless you believe the universe is infinite.

1. Cosmological Argument :

a. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. b. The universe began to exist.

“Infinity is an idea, not a reality.”

Bertrand Russel

“The Universe is just there, and that’s all.” BBC, 1948

The Universe is not infinite because: Philosophical: - can’t be an infinite number of things or past events.

Physics: a. Big Bang … universe had a starting point. (General Theory U. is expanding, red shift in light from distant galaxies, etc.). b. Second Law thermo dynamics … it all winds down, so if there was an infinite past we would not be here.

We live in a finite universe, not an infinite one.

Cosmological: - Gorde, Goth/Vilenkin Theorem: any expanding universe (or multiverse) can’t have an eternal path.

1. Cosmological Argument :

a. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. b. The universe began to exist.

THEREFORE

c. The universe had a cause.

What can we say about this cause?

Must be uncaused

Must be changeless, timeless, immaterial

Must transcend space, time, and all things natural

Must be personal because a will caused things to come into existence.

Must be extremely powerful.

What is this Cause?

God!In the Beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth

2. The Moral Argument For God

a. If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.

a. Objective moral values do exist.

c. Therefore, God does exist.

a. If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist.

-All values are subjective and depend on personal opinions.

- This is a fundamental secular principle.

-If we are alone as humans, then …

- we can easily come up with subjective theories of the existence of values.

b. Objective moral values exist.

“The Holocaust was wrong”

Most believe this to be objectively true, even though Nazi’s think otherwise.

“There is no Objective, Absolute Truth!”

- Is that true?

Do we believe there is truth independent of us?

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to our likeness … Genesis 1:26

c. Therefore, God exists.

The Reciprocal Argument: The Problem of Evil.

-If there is evil in the world, then there cannot be a good and all powerful God.

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?...

C.S. Lewis

-By the same logic, if there is objective evil, there must be an objective good God.

3. The Design Argument of Fine Tuning

What is Fine Tuning?

The universe is fine tuned on about 40 parameters -strength of gravity - atomic weak force -tilt of earth, size of moon -distance from sun, placement in galaxy - constant universe expansion, mass. - ratios of gases etc.

Small change means no life.

3. The Design Argument of Fine Tuning.

a. Fine tuning is caused by chance, necessity, or design. b. It is not caused by necessity or chance.

c. Therefore it is caused by design.

So What? Does it matter if God Exists?

If there probably is no God, then …

… maybe there is a God, then …

… Maybe I should start worrying!

Is it possible though, to be anAcademic/Scientist, and also be a believer in God?

Lecture #2: Are Science and Faith In Conflict?

Next Time