does God exist? Tom Peeler May 11, 2011 tgpeeler.blogspot.com

why does it matter?

if God exists there can be a Son of God there can be Acts of God there can be a Word of God there can be Laws of God there can be heaven and hell

if God does not exist there is no Son of God there are no Acts of God there is no Word of God there are no Laws of God there is no heaven or hell

how can we know?

all knowledge comes through thinking

how do we think? first principles language free will intentionality mind physical substrate

first principles Law of Identity (LID) Law of Non-contradiction (LNC) Law of Excluded Middle (LEM) Law of Causality (LC)

The Law of Identity 1 = 1 or I AM WHO I AM

''Nothing is not nothing. Nothing is something. That's how a cosmos can be spawned from the void--a profound idea conveyed in A Universe from Nothing that unsettles some yet enlightens others. Meanwhile, it's just another day on the job for physicist Lawrence Krauss.'' --Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History

Law of Non- contradiction 1 ≠ ~1

Law of Excluded Middle either 1 or ~1

we either live in a “Christian” universe or we do not - there is no middle ground

Law of Causality Nothing happens in this universe without a cause.

without the LID there is no thought without LNC, LEM, LC there is no rational thought

how do we think? first principles language free will intentionality mind physical substrate

language a language is a set of symbols, and rules for arranging those symbols, to enable thought without language, there is no thought

free will the only thing that can account for the arrangement of symbols according to FPs and language is free will - the laws of physics cannot, in principle, account for thought without free will there is no thought

intentionality our free will purposefully arranges symbols according to FPs and language to originate thought - this is the law of causality - our will is the cause of all rational thought without intentionality there is no thought

illustration of free will and intentionality Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

mind what is it that intentionally exercises free will in accordance with FPs and language to think? it cannot be our brain because everything that happens in our brains can be explained by the laws of physics and information cannot be explained by physics it must be something immaterial

physical substrate all thought is “encoded” into a physical substrate whether the neurons in our brains or the digital 1s and 0s of a computer without a physical substrate there is no thought - or communication

demonstration slide

the entailments no truth claim can be true that violates a FP we have minds and free will our minds are abstract and therefore will never die even when our bodies do we know that there are other minds when we are in the presence of information

how does this help? we can now construct deductive (certain) arguments that prove that God exists

two new terms infinite finite

infinite subject to no limitation or external determination uncountable immaterial no beginning no ending uncaused

finite having definite or definable limits countable material beginning (caused) may be without end

categorical syllogisms All dogs are mammals. Rover is a dog. Rover is a mammal.

arguments cosmological argument teleological argument moral argument laws of rational thought argument cosmological argument restated

cosmological argument Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. Therefore, the universe has a cause.

Whatever begins to exist has a cause. this is true by definition this expresses the law of causality nothing causes nothing something must cause something else

The universe began to exist. this is logically necessary this is a conclusion of thermodynamics

logical necessity that the universe began an infinite regress is impossible because the universe is finite this means it had a beginning (and therefore a cause that is unlike every other cause)

thermodynamics the most certain of all physical laws first law - (no new) energy is created or destroyed (this means the universe is finite) second law - entropy always increases over time (this means the universe will run out of usable energy and is another indication that the universe is finite)

illustration of 2nd law

modus tollens If the universe was infinitely old it would have reached a state of maximum entropy. But it has not reached a state of maximum entropy. (we’re still here) Therefore, the universe is not infinite.

cosmological argument Whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. Therefore, the universe has a cause.

teleological argument Every design has a designer. The universe is designed. The universe has a designer.

the moral argument Every law requires a law giver. The moral law exists. The moral law has a Moral Law Giver.

the laws of rational thought argument Every law requires a law giver. The laws of rational thought (FPs) exist. The laws of rational thought have a Rational Law Giver.

cosmological argument restated Every finite thing has a cause. The universe is finite. The universe has a cause. (and the Cause MUST BE infinite)

how do we know the first cause is the God of the Bible? infinite uncaused immaterial immutable personal/alive omnipotent omniscient omnipresent immanent transcendent

four arguments against the existence of evil who made God? the paradox of the stone the paradox of free will

the existence of evil If God were all powerful and all good then evil would not exist. But evil does exist. Therefore, an all powerful and all good God does not exist.

who made God? John Stuart Mill, Bertrand Russell, and Richard Dawkins, have all asked this question.

the paradox of the stone Can God make a stone so big He cannot lift it? If yes, then He is not all powerful and if no, He is not all powerful. Therefore, God does not exist.

the paradox of free will If God is omniscient and sovereign then I can’t have free will. But I do have free will. Therefore, God does not exist.

in conclusion the Christian God exists everybody knows it the denial of God is based on rebellion, not intelligence – “the fool has said in his heart...” reason points straight to God evidence points straight to God we ignore and deny Him at our eternal peril

Romans 1: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”