Why I Believe in God's Existence Essay

Introduction

Religious experiences and justifications of God's existence can only be understood religiously. Declaring good and evil or distinguishing ungodly from righteousness has resulted in significant differences among Christians, but I can still reinstate the arguments of many religious philosophers that indeed God exists and why I believe so. According to Anselm's ontological reasoning in 'Proslogion' 1078, he says that God is mightier than human thoughts that He dwells even in the minds of those who deny His existence (Dr.Morris 27). The ability of humans to interpret God's concepts is in itself a clear prove that God exists.I, therefore, disagree with Gaunilo's claims that God does not exist since his proves are not consistent, and he does not exhaustively explain how things happen. As all things have a cause of their existence, nothing exists by itself, and it must be having something that makes it be.

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Consequently, his explanation of the island's existence lacks proper justification because the island is in people's minds who believe that it exists. Philosophically, God's beliefs vary with religious experiences, the contradictions between religion and science, nature, and scope of evil and righteousness (Chaffee, 368). Philosophy is just a mere rational thought that examines the existence of nature and religious beliefs, which therefore confirms that God existed before. The cosmological argument, ontological, and teleological argument by Hegel on the existence of a supernatural being all prove the existence of God. However, all the proves on God's existence ranging from St. Anselm, G.W.F Hegel, St. Thomas Aquinas to Dr. Tom Morris does not certainly affirm God's existence but rather faith, which is the cornerstone and bedrock for beliefs and utmost happiness in God. These prove only to illustrate that Christianity is a rational religion.

Hypotheses on God's Existence

According to St. Anselm's proves on God's existence, God exists in our minds. God is a reality, and something that occurs, in reality, is excellent, His concepts do not allow any contradiction. Theoretically, God dwells in our minds but not in reality, if this is a fact then, God is possible and would be higher than he is. God is, therefore, a being where greatness is possible. God as being in which more excellent is possible and not possible. This contradiction shows that it lies for God to occupy our minds; hence, He is present in reality as well as in our perceptions (Alexander, 2014).

The first argument on God's existence in this context is drawn from Saint Anselm, whose claim was preceded by different proves on the case study. Anselm argued that nature existence is parallel in the sense that those that coexist in others are not necessary, and that human beings can consider them nonexistence. Anselm also argued that God does not only exist in the minds of humans but also manifests Himself in various physical forms else God would not be supreme to be honored by man. Moreover, Anselm associates God's existence with that of a painter (Chaffee, 361). When a painter imagines what he is to perform later, he owns it in his mind and still does not perceive it as a reality since he has not yet performed it. After making the paint, he now believes that the paint exits because he has already made it. Similarly, people who do not believe in God are convinced that there are superior things that exist in their minds than they can apprehend God. However, they hear about Him, and what they perceive is already occurring in their minds; hence, there is prove that there exists a superior being in reality and understanding to which nothing more significant can be regarded (Chaffee, 368).

Additionally, Saint Anselm presents two ways in which nature can be conceived; firstly is when it is properly understood. Secondly is when the word representing it is conceived, and thirdly is when the word is given a meaning. Therefore, God is conceived not to exist in the world of reality. Anyone who understands what water and fire are can perceive water to be the fire factually. Consequently, people who understand what God is can sometimes say that God is not real. According to Saint Anselm, an island is a land that is in an ocean which exceeds all domains due to its fertility. Therefore, the things inside it are not necessary. An island is hard to discover its existence due to the impossibility and difficulties referred to as the lost island that it exists in veracity. Furthermore, the people who hear it as it is described comprehend what he says. Anselm suggests that the supreme being, which is higher than anything else, cannot be perceived to be, as it exists guaranteed reality grounds, and could not exist at all.

Saint Aquinas proves God's existence in five ways, similar to those of Aristotle's urgings for the Chief Mover. Some of the arguments that proved God's existence is; he argued that everything that occurs in the universe relies on the other for existence. Nevertheless, for the universe to exist, there is ultimate certainty that it is essential and independent. Aquinas believes that the definitive truth is God (Chaffee, 366). Aquinas gives three designs of the argument, whereby he compares the concepts of contingency, causality, and motion. Aquinas suggests in his argument that there is a directive of valid causes.

Moreover, there is no such case whereby a thing is found to be the competent cause of its existence. All the valid causes assume order, and the efficient causes cannot go to immensity. Aquinas believes that the first causes of all things are the common causes and also the causes of the ultimate cause. If there is no first cause among useful sources, then the ultimate cause will not exist, nor the in-between cause. Aquinas finally critiques that the first efficient cause of everything in God, thus it proves His existence.

Apparently, following Aquinas' argument, God's existence considering his proves on nature, which he suggested can or cannot be because they are generated. However, it is impossible for existence and non-existence at the same time. Moreover, the philosopher puts it clear that if everything is likely not to be, then there could be nothing that exists at all (Kenny 57). Kenny continues to argue that if at one point, nothing existed, then it would be possible for something to exist before all existed. Hence, not every being is conceivable; thus, there must be an essential being than all. He urges that all necessary things have an obligation initiated by another thing or not. Thus it is intolerable to enter eternity in essential things which have their obligation initiated by other things, as it has been proven in affection to effectual causes.

Objection

Gaunilo also relates God's existence to that of an island somewhere in the ocean as it is difficult or rather impossible to discover that which does not occur hence compared to related to the lost island. People say that the island has immeasurable wealth and riches of all manners but has no inhabitant or owner (Chaffee, 360). The island is also more excellent than any other island country that exists. Gaunilo critiques that no island is of that kind as it is not proved to exist. He says that there is no doubt that there was an island that is more excellent than all domains since someone has no uncertainty in the sympathetic nature. As there is no island in people's understandings that is more excellent then, the island that is understood to be more admirable will not possess such qualities.

Conclusion

Following Saint Aquinas's arguments on God's existence, I can connote that God exists as a cause of nature, asserting the beliefs that we have to be believers since God is just a vital perfection of nature hence poses a challenge to both the atheists and religious adherents. Moreover, instilling religious concepts in individuals has become a threat to its believers since it is difficult to prove the existence of nature or rather its perfection. However, theologians and philosophers in Christian settings have disagreed with each other on what they think is true or false about God with the use of different rationales (Chaffee, 364). The consciousness to search for God's existence was a concern of the feudal philosophers, who were obsessed with the Greek's idea that the universe was governed the order of nature through the beliefs of the Judeo-Christians indicates that the universe was created and ruled by an all-knowing, all-powerful God. This paper explains why I believe in the existence of God. The decision will be upon the reader to read and justify to their logical cohesion and accuracy (Alexander, 2019).These prove lies on the human perception of God as a supreme being.

Works Cited

Alexander, George. "St. Thomas & the Native Judeo-Dravidian Malankara Nasrani Church-A Brief Overview." Thomas & the Native Judeo-Dravidian Malankara Nasrani Church-A Brief Overview (February 07, 2019) (2019).

Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. New Advent Inc, 1996-97.(online) http://www.newadvent.orgChaffee, John. Thinking critically. Cengage Learning, 2014.

Dr.Morris, Tom. Philosophy For Dummies. Foster City, California: IDG Books Worldwide Inc, 1999.

Kenny, Anthony. Five Ways: St Thomas Aquinas Vo. Routledge, 2014.

Varner, Gary. Introduction to Philosophy(online) http://snaefell.tamu.edu/~gary/intro/