Skip to main content

ACTS 3057 Lecture 3 - Does God Exist 1 - The Cosmological Argument

Questions to Ponder

  • If there is a God, why is it so difficult to "know" Him?
  • How can God stand by and watch children massacred for absolutely no reason in the school shooting in Texas?

Philosophical Evidence for the Existence of God

  • Evidence or Proofs
    • Proof implies scientific method, experimentation, etc.
    • From a spiritual perspective, if we could PROVE that God exists, then we don't leave room for faith
  • Life's Ultimate Question: Is there a God?
    • Life's Existential Questions:
      • Where did I come from? Question of Origin
      • Why am I here? Question of Purpose and Meaning
      • Where am I going? Question of Destiny
    • The answer to "Is there a God?" brings the answers to Life's Existential Questions
    • Atheism answers these questions, and thus it is a BELIEF SYSTEM (as opposed to a LACK of belief)
  • George has twenty philosophical arguments

Cosmological Argument

  • Intro
    • The argument of Cause and Effect
    • First Cause Argument
    • A posteriori argument
      • Based on evidence and facts 
      • The opposite is an A priori argument which is based on assumed truth/notions
    • Syllogism
      • Philosophical argument based on premises and a conclusion
      • Major Premise + Minor Premise + Conclusion
      • If I don't like the Conclusion, then I must poke holes in the Premises
        • Example: The Pillar of Atheism is The Problem of Evil and Suffering which is structured as a Syllogism
          • Premise 1: If God is all loving, He would want to get rid of all evil
          • Premise 2: If God is all powerful, He can get rid of evil
          • Premise 3: Evil exists
          • Conclusion: God is not all loving and all powerful
          • I don't like the conclusion, so I must poke holes in the premises
  • Syllogistic Format
    • Premise 1: Whatever begins to exist has a cause
    • Premise 2: The universe began to exist
    • Conclusion: The universe has a cause

  • There are Four Possible Explanations for the Cause of the Universe
    • The Universe came from nothing
      • Dr Laurence Krauss - "The Universe from Nothing"
      • Dr David Albert responded negatively to Krauss' book
      • Robert Jastrow said that the Creation of the Universe from nothing would violate the laws of matter and energy.

    • The Universe is self-created
      • Logically, this doesn't make sense! For it to create itself, it must first exist... and also not exist!
      • "The Language of God" - Dr Francis Collins wrote that "I cannot see how nature could create itself"... wrote this book as an atheist, but later became a Believer

    • The Universe is eternal (did not begin to exist)
      • Championed by Immanuel Kant
      • Science in the last 3-4 decades conclusively proved (scientifically) that the Universe had a beginning in time
      • Robert Jastrow again refutes this in God And The Astronomers
      • Arthur Stanley Eddington
      • Stephen Hawking
      • Scientifically:
        • 2nd Law of Thermodynamics - Entropy: The Universe goes from order to disorder
        • Motion of the Galaxies - 
        • Radiation Background of the Universe - 
        • Cooling rate of the Universe - Has been cooling since the "Big Bang"
      • Philosophically, There could not have been an infinite number of moments before today, or else today would never have arrived (because infinity has no beginning or end). Since I have arrived at today, then there must have been a finite number of moments before today. Thus, the universe is not eternal.
    • The Universe is created
      • Since the first three are false, then the fourth must be true

  • What is the First Cause
    • If the Universe is composed of space, matter, time.
    • The First Cause must be outside of the space, matter, time (i.e. space-less, matter-less, time-less)

  • Characteristics of the First Cause
    • First Cause must be Omnipresent (because outside of space and thus, is not limited by space)
    • First Cause must be timeless (because He is outside of time and thus, is not limited by time and is outside of time)
    • First Cause must be immaterial (because He created matter and thus, is outside of matter)
    • First Cause must be all-powerful (to create out of nothing)
    • First Cause must be a person (to choose or have the will to create)
    • First Cause must be un-caused (to avoid infinite regress - i.e. 'well who created him... well who created him...')
    • First Cause must be immutable (changeless; not subject to change because change lives within the dimension of time, and the First Cause must be outside of time)
    • First Cause must be supernatural (beyond nature, since from this Cause CAME nature)
    • Sounds a lot like the God that Christians worship

  • The Scripture Support
    • 2 Timothy 1:8-9 - 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
    • John 17:24 - “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
    • Psalm 90:2 - 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
      Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
    • Hebrews 3:4 - 4 For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.
    • Isaiah 44:24 - “I am the Lord, who makes all things, Who stretches out the heavens all alone, Who spreads abroad the earth by Myself;
    • Isaiah 48:13 - 13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.
    • Psalm 102:25-27 - 25 Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. 27 But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.
    • Romans 1:20 - 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
      • There are many excuses not to believe in the existence of God, but there aren't any reasons

  • Biggest Refutation is "Who Created God?"
    • That's like asking "who is the Bachelor's wife" or "Who created the Uncreated?"
    • The first Premise here was "Whatever begins to exist has a cause" - but the word "begins" implies time... but God is outside of time.

Discussion Post

Does God exist? This question is the root and foundation of understanding all of life's existential questions - where did I come from, why am I here, where am I going?

We start this week by simply laying the foundation - the Universe has a Cause. The Syllogistic Format is easy to understand and frankly, very logical, I await the discussions about the atheist's usage of it for the "Problem of Pain and Suffering." Everything that exists has a cause. The Universe exists. Thus, the universe has a cause. We discussed the ONLY four potentials for the Cause of the Universe - the Universe came from nothing; the Universe came from itself; the Universe is eternal (i.e. refuting the first Premise); the Universe is Created.

I had read about the First Cause Argument (i.e. Cosmological Argument) before in Timeless Truths and seen it elsewhere. But this is the first time that many parts of it really made sense. For example - we read in Timeless Truths that the First Cause must be "Immaterial (He transcends space)." But I had never put together that the REASON He must transcend space is because space (along with matter and time) are what compose the Universe. So since the First Cause brought about the Universe to exist, the First Cause must be outside of those things that compose it. This goes for many of the First Cause Characteristics we discussed (e.g. Supernatural, Omnipresent, Changeless, etc.)

I also learned from the Philosophical perspective of why the Universe is not eternal... it comes down to a math problem (and I love math)... infinity has no beginning or end. So there could not have been an infinite number of moments before this very moment. Thus, there must have been a finite number of moments. Therefore, the universe is not eternal. 

When considering the Timelessness of God, though it can't be fully comprehended - I've previously used the analogy of a Video Tape (or more appropriately today, a YouTube video). That video has a beginning, a middle and an end. At any given moment, you're watching the present. You can rewind to the past or fast-forward to the future. But none of those actions affect YOUR reality or YOUR timeline. In that way, you are OUTSIDE the "time" that exists in that video. It's not a perfect analogy, but of course we can barely come close to the reality of the One Who is Timeless.

Back to top