The Cosmological Argument

What is it about? Many religions in today’s society make claims, such as: Many religions in today’s society make claims, such as: There is a God and that… There is a God and that… God made the universe God made the universe But, Philosophy of Religion helps us QUESTION these claims. So, we ask… But, Philosophy of Religion helps us QUESTION these claims. So, we ask… What EVIDENCE is there to back up these claims? What EVIDENCE is there to back up these claims? Is this evidence convincing? Is this evidence convincing?

Cosmological Argument Learning Intentions. By the end of the lesson you should be able: 1. To recognise that there is a debate about the existence of God. 2. To understand that there are various points for and against this argument. 3. To be able to discuss the different points that prove and disprove God’s existence.

Who created you?

Who created the Universe?

Science can offer us explanations of things that are within the universe, but does the universe as a whole have an explanation?

Cosmological Argument Is an argument which says that God has to exist because the world exists. The world couldn’t exist without God because he created it This argument is based on Cause and Effect.

Have you ever wondered…..

“What caused the universe to exist?”

“That’s easy The big bang!!”

We need to take the scientific approach to this Science tells us that everything has a cause. Let that be your starting point. What caused the big bang?? And what caused That cause? And what caused that cause?

Science teaches us that everything has a cause. Make that your starting point.

My name is St. Thomas Aquinas But right now I am going to follow the scientists advice.

Aquinas’ Cosmological Arguments Thomas Aquinas was probably the most important philosopher of the medieval period. Thomas Aquinas was probably the most important philosopher of the medieval period. Aquinas was trying to connect/join the Christian faith with the philosophy of Aristotle (an ancient Greek philosopher/scientist/mathematician) whose works had just been ‘re-discovered’ and were being taught in the religious universities of Europe. Aquinas was trying to connect/join the Christian faith with the philosophy of Aristotle (an ancient Greek philosopher/scientist/mathematician) whose works had just been ‘re-discovered’ and were being taught in the religious universities of Europe.

Everything has a cause Something must have caused the universe Something must have caused the big bang Something must have caused that cause Yes, the big bang Something must have caused that cause

Something must have caused that cause something must have caused that cause

something must have……….

This is getting boring. Yes I agree (Remember me? St Thomas Aquinas) but I have a solution!! It’s just silly If we keep asking“What caused that cause,” Then we’ll never stop asking it! (Infinite regress) And that just doesn’t make sense

The only sensible explanation Is that there must have been………… a first cause uncaused by anything else !!! Let me explain it in black and white……

At the beginning - a first cause, uncaused by anything else. That first cause was the creator God.

Everything has a cause. Everything has a cause. The Universe exists so it must have a cause. The Universe exists so it must have a cause. You cannot have infinite number of causes. You cannot have infinite number of causes. Therefore there must be an uncaused cause, which causes everything to happen without itself being caused by anything else. Therefore there must be an uncaused cause, which causes everything to happen without itself being caused by anything else. Such an uncaused cause is what people understand by ‘God’. Such an uncaused cause is what people understand by ‘God’. The Cosmological Argument

The Uncaused cause in simple talk means… Everything has a cause… even a cause has a cause. BUT Something had to make the first cause happen. That something is what we know as ‘God’.

The strength of the argument Is that it is based on the scientific principle that everything has a cause. The second strength of the argument is that it starts off by saying, “the universe exists.” That can’t be denied, we are part of it.

The argument has two weaknesses Firstly, you may have proved a “first cause” but that doesn’t mean it still exists or that it was God. It may have died or disappeared.

The second weakness is this. You start off by saying “everything has a cause,” It doesn’t make sense, and it’s not logical to then say “something has no cause.”

So, what is the main points of the Cosmological Argument?

Cosmological Argument Key Points… Something must have set the world in motion. Something makes the sun and moon rise everyday. Something has created the universe and billions of galaxies. That SOMETHING= God.

What makes the first domino fall?

The Domino Analogy Analogy? Analogy? When you suggest something is like something. For example, a street light is like a star. Both provide light at night time. When you suggest something is like something. For example, a street light is like a star. Both provide light at night time. Key points Key points The first domino will NOT fall on its own. The first domino will NOT fall on its own. SOMETHING has to start the chain reaction. SOMETHING has to start the chain reaction. What is that something? What is that something?