Belief leaves it so that even if my prayers werent answered and my life wasnt the way I wanted it, it is according to the will of God, who has greater reasons that we dont understand. Where do you want us to send this sample? Seven Reasons Why a Scientist Believes in God. Ed. I was nothing but ashes now, but I felt myself to be stronger than this Almighty to whom my life had been bound for so long. The Criteria for Science and Scientific Theories, Albert Einstein on Science, God, and Religion. 3rd ed. Ed. Moreover, we need to be conscious of the many other ways our minds are shaped. It is just a reminder that justice is for all, imperfect in this life, but perfect in the next. Before entering the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel had a strong relationship with God; however, due to experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust, Wiesel begins to doubt God and then give up on his faith. Furthermore, nowhere in the Christian religion is there a belief that this earth is perfect. A "fact" is an artifice, as the word itself implies. In M. J. Murray (Ed. Many believe it should be taught, while others say it shouldnt. These actions were influenced by hatred, intolerance, and anti-semitic views of people. If God has a cause for his existence, then hypothesizing Gods existence to prove the existence of the universe will not have any progress. 152-156). theism: Intellectual background Arguments for the existence of God are usually classified as either a priori or a posteriori that is, based on the idea of God itself or based on experience. In short, we are highly fallible beings. The Cambridge Companion to Aquinas. Notable philosophers such as Rene Descartes, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and William Paley have all conceived arguments to prove the existence of God. With respect to the proofs for Gods existence that McCloskey attempts to deal with, namely the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments, McCloskey offers trivial objections that are easily answered. In the matter of the demonstration of the existence of God, a multitude of strictly logical arguments have been tried, that is, those who have tried to demonstrate that God exists without the need to go to reality to prove it, say, if God is the being more perfect than can be thought for a necessary being, to exist in all the strong point that God is a necessity. In any case, no one can refute God through the existence of evil. To install StudyMoose App tap The fact that we feel despair is not evil in itself, it was brought upon us by some other action, perhaps from a mistake in the past. As Cressy Morrison says in Seven Reasons Why a Scientist Believes in God, if the sun gave off only one half its present radiation, we would freeze and if it gave half as much more, we would roast (121). Now, this is no proof for God. Being provisional is a smart, pragmatic tactic because we can never be sure what we'll come across when we round the next corner. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. The Bible will also be used to demonstrate the contradictory nature of God. Theists, on the other hand, insist that science, in fact, has been unable to prove that God does not exist. Anselm was aware that the existence of God is denied by atheists and in response to this, he states the fool has said in his heart there is no God., One burning and enduring problem in philosophy to which we have given considerable examination is the question of the existence of God--the superlative being that philosophers have defined and dealt with for centuries. The ontological argument does not make a clear argument for Gods existence, but it talks about the fact that it is not possible for people to determine a being that we are not sure actually exists. The argument from design, otherwise known as the teleological argument, is an argument for the existence of God based upon the empirical evidence of the design of nature. Copyright 2023 IPL.org All rights reserved. The ontological argument was created by St. Anselm of Canterbury in the 11th century C.E. Physicists have joined in since Ludwig Boltzmann in the late 19th century. Believers must be able to present a model of the universe in which some god is "either required, productive, or useful.". A watch has many different parts and shows all the marks of contrivance and design. This disproves theodicy on a general, As the laws against Jews in Germany got progressively worse, some Jewish people thought to stick up for their rights, but it was futile. The causes of the Holocaust do rest heavily on anti-Semitism, but there where other cause such as nationalism of Germany, polarization of Jewish people in the form of the Nrnberg laws and scapegoating, isolationism of Jewish people due to the totalitarian regime of Hitler and his secret police the Gestapo, and the fear of the capabilities of the Jewish. For example, as a Christian I have a belief in prayer and that through prayer I can find inner peace and answers to difficult questions. If God is, then God is wholly Other to us, even if we believe, as I do, that human beings are created in the image of God. Sure, your life might have a relative significance in that you influenced others or affected the course of history. We have his writings, or writings about what he said and did, the same as with God. If that was the case, then when people stated that God does not exist they would mean that there is a God and he lacks the property of existence. Assume.American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Regardless of what somebody believes, they usually have their reasons. So far, everyone who has tried to scientifically prove that God exists has failed. Adding on, Immanuel Kant has an objection against the ontological argument as well. Assume that God has specific attributes that should provide objective evidence for his existence. God does not exist. Should the holocaust be taught in schools today? The plain scentless air is now the stench of burned human flesh. Inferno. As explained by Emil Fackenheim, a Jewish philosopher, the Holocaust is the perfect event to explain that suffering cannot be justified, because unlike any other genocide, the Jews were killed only for the sake of being killed. The Holocaust was during the same period of World War II. Every church handles discipleship programs due to how relevance [], In this article we are discussing the various proofs that prove the existence of God and the oneness of Allah (S.W.T). The word teleological derives from the Greek word telos, therefore the argument concentrates on the idea of purpose and order in the universe., There are approximately 7 billion people that inhabit this Earth. God didnt bring this evil upon the world; it was Adams choice, mans choice, as it is our choice today. To be scientific, as Russell calls it, is to consign all the oranges to the garbage because the top oranges are bad. To begin with, the ontological argument is an argument that comes from nothing but is rational. Where is the humanity of the annihilation of all humanity? You bet he does, and as long as there are people who believe despite the skeptics, and name-calling, he will continue to exist. At best I can give sound reasons -- sound to my mind, at least -- why my faith is not irrational. Whatever could possibly undergird the existence of the universe, including your existence, Gentle Reader, is one aspect of what "god" refers to. All Rights Reserved. What Is Open Mindedness in Critical Thinking? Keep in mind: This sample was shared by another student. Who is to say that he did exist? The argument attempts to demonstrate that complexity, order and purpose are not attributes that can occur randomly, but must be implemented by a designer. New Jersey: Simon, 1996. All such statements are shorthand for a more elaborate and technical explanation, which is that this alleged entity (or God) has no place in any scientific equations, plays no role in any scientific explanations, cannot be used to predict any events, does not describe anything or force that has yet been detected, and there are no models of the universe in which its presence is either required, productive, or useful. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Hell.Bible Dictionary. For Elie Wiesel and many other Jews of this time, this was their reality. (Aquinas against Anselm) The ontological argument is impressive to the average minded individual using words to describe it like perfect, necessary, and existence built into it's definition, but to others it's deception is clear. The standard form of Anselm's ontological argument is as follows, god is greater than what cannot be conceived, we can coherently conceive of such a being, it is greater to exist in reality than to exist only in the mind and therefore, God must exist. With respect to arguments for Gods non-existence, McCloskey offers the logical form of the problem of evil which, while rich in rhetoric, does not contain enough logic to necessitate its title. Does God exist? For example, David Wolf Silverman argues from the Judaism perspective that, after the holocaust it became more evident that God is not omnipotent. Philosophy and Contemporary Issues7th. Some further refinements are necessary. I am sure that there are some who may question the morality of a Hell, yet what parent wouldnt wish justice on the man who raped and murdered their daughter. The teleological argument attempts to prove in its form that there is an ultimate design and therefore ultimate designer of the universe. This means that people would be confirming and refusing Gods existence. It was long time every person wanted to prove the existence of God. Who is to say that he did exist? On the other hand, the Jews in the Holocaust were murdered just to be murdered. It states that there first had to be a cause for the creation of the universe than a cause to create God than a cause to create the being that created God and so on. However, despite of this, there are still moments in which God is present, Of all the terrible events in history, the Holocaust may be the worst of them all. Whether or not there are super-beings zipping about, and there might be, none could ever be considered divine. Therefore:5) God exists. Argument From Miracles: Do Miracles Prove God Exists? Conclusion Bibliography Academic Tools Other Internet Resources Johnson, B. C. God and the Problem of Evil. Ed. Third, if the Whatever is, then the universe and all that is part of it is a creation. If the evidence described in the above argument were found, for example, that would justify a rational belief in the existence of the sort of god under consideration. If your life is doomed to end in death, then ultimately it does not matter how you live. Why dwell upon the study of the Holocaust when history is loaded with other tragedies? This has resulted to reduced use of omnipotence as one of the attributes of God because this horrifying event shows the extent to which humanity had sunk and the degree to which God withdrew. It was not based on their faith or race (377). The result of such actions were the deaths of millions during the Holocaust, a devastating genocide aimed to eliminate Jews. This prayer was called the proslogion and tried to prove God by means of reductio ad absurdum, which states that the existence of God is logically necessary. The Holocaust is ultimately the result of the Nazis racist ideology.The holocaust should be taught in schools because, it teaches students about the thin line between good and evil, it was a major event of history in the 20th century, they should know the past early so they can prepare for the future, and it helps them deal with the world they live in today. In a world of bad, God recognizes the good and is willing to purchase the entire box, even with his life, just to save the good ones. That is what the Flying Spaghetti Monster is. Heisenberg followed all my directions. To conclude, looking at all three arguments there is one argument that has little to no fault which is the teleological argument. That unique thing has to have someone else imagining it. God exists. Then there is the argument that if evil exists God cannot exist. We are deeply influenced by our upbringing within the culture we are born into, especially when it comes to biases, mental blind spots of many kinds. and then Add to Home Screen. In this, there is humanity, because it counters the natural man, and for any atheist, this goes back to evolution and our nature as an evolved animal and shows us the way to be more divine. Clifford inThe Ethics of Beliefstates, it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence (175). Evil is set upon the earth because of some disorder in our own lives and not by the good itself. 100% customized to your need with expert writers. New Jersey: Simon, 1996. If there had to be a designer of, 1. A mere 71 years ago a defining feature of world history took place, in concentration camps across Eastern and Western Europe. God is good, plain, and simple. 6 million Jews were ripped out of their homes and ultimately murdered. Because the Holocaust was unique. Kneel and pray to God and ask if a certain thing is true. By clicking Continue, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. This is a confusion of knowledge and faith. The argument is deductive, analytic and a priori, and was first formed by St. Anselm, who prayed for a short argument that would prove God to be that than which nothing greater can be conceived. If we just assume that God must do as we ask, we will be left in serious trouble indeed, and this is what Clifford refers to. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. It is also an error of logic -- absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. When we arrive at a fact, it has its origin in a compound action that begins when we notice a stimulus, either from our senses -- information already filtered and interpreted to an extent by the brain -- or else, something in symbolic discourse like literature or mathematics, also data that come already formatted. Home Essay Samples Religion Existence of God Does God Exist. It is this ability to transcend the routine operations of the mind that allow us to grow and mature. The argument merely indicates the probability of God and this is of little value to a religious believer. Discuss. If we can prove that the world is natural and full of chaos then there is no room for a God who is perfect. Moving on, another argument that is used to justify the existence of God is the cosmological argument. How to Write a Critical Review of an Article, How to Analyse Secondary Data for a Dissertation, We use cookies which you can view and control. Discuss There is a lot of argument about does God exist or not exist. However, this argument hits a barrier when simply asking Is there a cause for Gods existence?. On the other hand, taken as a whole, the universe does seem to point beyond itself. John R. Burr and Milton Goldinger. If God is not, then we should have the courage to live into that belief. Tennant, F. R. (2002). The suffering ends in a happy note because job was compensated for being faithful to. People that believe in the Judeo-Christian God have different reasons for why they believe in God. The cosmological argument seems to make some sense but it also seems to be a small piece of the teleological argument. The Holocaust originates from the Greek language and means completely burnt offering to God. How does this relate to the Holocaust where almost 8 million Jewish people died? In order to prove impact on the universe, there must be measurable and testable events that could best or only be explained by whatever this "God" is we are hypothesizing. Perhaps the most interesting ability of our mind is to grasp that it is generated by the brain, like a magnetic field results from an electric current passing through a piece of iron. If God existed, there should be concrete evidence of His existencenot faith, but tangible, measurable, consistent evidence that can be predicted and tested using the scientific method. GradesFixer. At some point in life, everyone feels utter despair. In this paper, the Design Argument will be discussed and analyzed., How successful is the Design Argument? The Jews were made to understand that they are on their own and that they should be in this world for themselves. You cannot understand something outside of your existence rationally because you cannot experience it or see it; you can only theorize, believe and trust in it. Why God Does Not Exist! - 926 Words | Studymode A critic of the argument was Gaunilo. This inhumane treatment was done by their own kind, no sympathy, no empathy. This role of opposites plays in all things. No, this fear of death is not a Christian thought, but a procrastinators argument. This is obviously not the case. Oxford University Press. Atheism and Anti-Theism: What's the Difference? The conquest of freedom of thought, expression and worship allowed, not only the peaceful coexistence of different creeds but also the option for atheism is as respectable as any other. Now I am not preaching Hellfire here. In our own judgment, we may wish to throw the entire box away or move on to the more perfect box because of its defect. Whatever exists is, as such, and in its proper place, good; evil is essentially parasitic upon good, being disorder and perversion in a fundamentally good creation (166). If the two arguments have the same form, then they either succeed or fail together. Things in the universe exist. Does God Exist? | Popular Writings | Reasonable Faith Belief is something that is hoped for but not seen, and part of the trial of life is the exercise of this belief because without belief there is no hope. Idols are always dehumanizing. The Holocaust affects Jews in a way that seems unimaginable, and most of these effects seem to have been universal experiences; however, in the matter of faith, Jews in the concentration camp described in Elie Wiesels Night are affected differently and at different rates. The use of hellfire comes from the fires of Hinnom where the Jews burnt up their idolatrous artifacts and fire burned there constantly, like a garbage heap. There would be no reason to worship it; in fact, one would do well to avoid it and its "noodly appendages.". Which viewpoint is correct? McCloskey ends his article with a pragmatic justification of Atheist, stating that Atheism is more comforting that Theism; a point that is stark in its irrelevance., Examine some of the key principles of the argument for the existence of God based upon religious experiences, The ontological argument rests on the premise that the universes existence is contingent- it depends on something else to exist. By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. 171-176. Defined Natural theology is a set of arguments that argue for the existence, in which their aim is not presuppose a belief in God, but rather have their starting point with the existence of the world, the order and purpose in the world and the concept of God. Russell, on the other hand, gives wives tales and jokes as his evidence, such as the nose were designed to fit glasses (151), and so on, as if only through ignorance can God be dismissed. For if God is a benevolent God, there is no reason why he would allow the innocent to suffer, or as B.C. 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help you just now. Johnson says in God and the Problem of Evil about God not miraculously saving those innocent children who suffer, we are still left without an excuse for Gods inaction (159). Responsibility is a hard pill to swallow especially when a benevolent God is giving us such a thing. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/science-allows-belief-god-does-not-exist-248234. Wiesel describes his torturous treatment in the concentration camps, a place which stole everything from him: his home, his family, and even his faith in God. Instead, these constantly failing attempts end up reinforcing the impression that there is no "there" therenothing for "gods" to do, no role for them to play, and no reason to give them a second thought. The fool says in his heart: there is no God (Psalm 14: 1). As John Hick in The Problem of Evil says, Evil whether it be an evil will, an instance of pain, or some disorder or decay in nature has not been set there by God but represents the distortion of something inherently valuable. God seeks to save us by wiping away our ignorance; nihilists seek to just wipe away humanity. At the young age of fifteen, Wiesel was separated from his family and sent to the most notorious concentration camp in history. Don't use plagiarized sources. However, the ontological argument does have its weaknesses. He also points out that rabbits having white tales to be easy to shoot is a Christian thought; one, I may add, I have never heard of (Russell 150). Without knowing anything about these evil times, it is evident that evil was present throughout the whole century, and such evilness cannot be justified. In his memoir Night, Jewish Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel reflects on how he began to lose his faith in God during his time spent in the Holocaust. This argument comes with a flaw, people might argue The world is very sophisticated and complex, so God created it. However, we could also say The world is very sophisticated and complex, so James created it.. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. Harsh changes were put on the Jews from the loss of basic human rights like freedom to the loss of lives. Through this belief comes the hope that I can improve myself for the better. Any who teach otherwise can be seen as not accepting the true Gospel. And even if said Monster existed, it could not be God. Available from: https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/does-god-exist/, Dr. Russell speaks of fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death in the Christian religion (157). After being the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust he resolved to make what really happened more well-known. Only those afraid of hell, either literal or symbolic, try to disprove it and the existence of heaven. This does not, however, mean that their arguments are flawless. This action of silence encouraged more people to follow, which lead to Hitler and the Nazi Partys rise to power without having to face formidable opposition. Examine the strengths and weaknesses of the argument for the existence of God based on religious experience. Any information contained within this essay is intended for educational purposes only. And I sure hope there is a time that the rapist utterly understands what he had done, even if it is in the next life. Dont waste Your Time Searching For a Sample, In Kenya corruption is a big problem that exists everywhere around the, Ethics in researchThere exists complexity of research ethics. 4) If the universe has a cause of its existence, then that cause is God. Students who find writing to be a difficult task. He used references for the Jews to personally strike images in their mind. We can and we should rigorously question what we believe to be true, not only in general but especially about God. The ontological argument is too ambiguous in its first too premises and just doesnt make any sense when pulled apart and evaluated. The teleological argument suggests that there had to be a designer of all biological organisms because of their order and complexity. With Hell seen in the context of our state of mind, it would do no good use the argument against the existence of God. Philosophy and Contemporary Issues7th. I highly recommend him if you need an assignment done . For as the Marquis de Sade, one of the champions of atheism, says inLHistoire de Juliette, ou les Prosprits du Vice, once his life is over, theres an end to it: his annihilation is final and entire, of him nothing survives (De Sade). Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. Philosophy and Contemporary Issues7th. If he only suffers for such an action through the anguish of spirit a hundredfold harsher than the parent had to suffer I, as the parent, would feel justice was served. It is not possible to prove the existence of God solely by rational thinking as you also need to incorporate aspects of faith, but rational thinking helps solidify your beliefs pertaining to God and leaves the answers we cannot conceive rationally up to faith. Without this teaching of joy, there is only fear of death and the unknown. Or that he doesnt care about me? To argue that certain things in the world exist or do not exist cannot in any way prove or disprove God. Yet, the more we focus on it, the less time seems itself to exist. Middle English, from Old Englishgodspel(ultimately translation of Greekeuangelion). The argument that the good suffer, and often the wicked prosper no matter how annoying, has nothing to do with disproving that there is a God (Russell 152). Of course, nothing in science is proven or disproven beyond a shadow of any possible doubt. But it is important to note that the book of job presents us the best way of accounting and understanding the holocaust. Existence of God | History, Philosophy, & Arguments | Britannica Paley, W. (2006). Everyone who has learned about World War II should know about the Holocaust. God Does Not Exist. But it does set up the terms within which conversation about God should take place. Dont know where to start? By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. While there are many other arguments doing the same, the ones proposed by the three aforementioned thinkers have the most weight to them. For the sake of meaningful contrast, Paley emphasizes three distinguishing properties [], In today's contemporary churches, discipleship programs have taken many forms and have assumed many understandings due to different views from different churches. What we call god (all human languages have a word for it) is something we infer from the fact of existence. Natural Theology. But it does set up the terms within which conversation about God should take place. Give us your email address and well send this sample there. Gospel.American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. I refer to hell that Dante Alighieri, though he wrote of an Inferno, wrote on a metaphorical level, spoke of, there is no greater sorrow than thinking back upon a happy time in misery (142). This is an example of a student written essay. So on a grand scale, the universe did not always exist, it must have been created by a powerful being which is God. Does God Exist Categories: Existence of God God 3 pages / 1223 words Downloads: 295 Download Print The existence of God has been a big subject in philosophy and efforts to prove or disprove his existence have been taking place since the dawn of time. Open Document. Cline, Austin. Wake up to the day's most important news. Considering the nature of the Holocaust as a historical transforming event and its substantial death toll, that is taking the lives of six million Jewish, several postulations surrounding the subject of God after the Holocaust have emerged, such as the works of Richard Rubenstein, Eliezer Berkovits, and Hans Jonas to name a few. We can infer that since the "passage of time" is an illusion generated by the brain, then this limitation does not impinge on the divine. This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. The real truth of the matter is, in all the oranges under the bad there may be perfectly ripe ones, even just one, and what kind of justice is it to ignore the one in a box of many. When it comes to such a difficult question as this it is important to realize that no matter what anyone says, it is never enough to persuade any to believe or not. Many theologians and academics honestly admit that no matter what any philosopher may assert regarding this topic, whether or not a certain person believes in God's existence is a question of faith and nothing more., Throughout the course of time, many philosophers, dogmatic religions and even individual human beings themselves have tried to prove the existence of God. Secular belief, the assumption, is not, in fact, religious belief. Furthermore, if the thought that God does not have a cause for his existence then that also constructs another barrier for the cosmological argument. Cambridge University Press. As John Henry Newman famously remarked, he knew what England looks like because he believed the mapmakers. If God does exist, then that is not God. Without love or mercy. While the Holocaust may not have been a hoax concocted by the Jews for the sake of profit, evidence suggests that the events, as they were presented to us, are not the exact account of what took place during World War. (12), The teleological argument attempts to prove the existence of God by explaining that the world, in its seemingly perfect and ordered state could not have come about without the existence of a designer. Professional writers that guarantee an on-time delivery. Cambridge University Press. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email, Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled, The question that everyone asks does God exist? Bystanders during this dreadful disaster did not stand up against the Nazis and their collaborators.
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