Friday, January 11, 2013

Evidence of God - Prologue

God has been a topic since man first developed cognition and language.  Genetic studies have even indicated the presence of the VMAT2, labeled the "God gene."

It is not news that man has always looked to the skies for answers about himself, the world, good, evil and what is after life.  The result of this inquiry are the many religious beliefs found throughout the globe.

Each of these beliefs has its idea of what God is.  Some believe God to be a plurality of gods.  Others believe God is part of the universe, while others believe God is outside of space and time but somehow interacts with this realm.  There are even those who believe everything is God.  Despite the differences in definitions and designations for God, the common denominator remains: God.


  • This being or entity is believed to be the primal cause of all that is seen and unseen.  
  • God is believed to be all good, yet allows evil.  
  • God also knows all, yet man is free to make his own choices which determine a particular outcome.  
  • God is all-powerful, but can He out perform Himself?     


The concept of God is so intriguing that even philosophers of all regions have spent time contemplating what this being is.  Western Philosophers saw this being as a Logos (Word) or Mind.  African Philosophers saw God as being more natural than supernatural.  Nevertheless, the attributes of God seem to be universal.  Most religions share commonality regarding what God is.  Even physics uses the term God to describe certain properties.    

So does God exist?

I posit that God does exist.  Evidence shows the likelihood that all was created by an intelligent, conscious agent rather than by an unconscious unintelligent agent.  Many physicists believe this as well.  However, some believe God to be a mere "artist" rather than a Father who cares for His living creatures.  They struggle accepting the definitions of God posited by the many religions of the world.  

So where is the Evidence?

  • First:   We have to define what evidence is.  Atheists often use the demand for falsifiable evidence of God in an attempt to present theism as a false premise that lacks substance.  
  • Second: Evidence must be within the realm man exists.  No theist can present a 3D animated being before an atheist and say that being is God.  God manifests Himself to whoever He wants.  No theist has the ability to summon God in this fashion.  Therefore, asking for this type of evidence is ridiculous and ignorant.  It is like demanding to have Abraham Lincoln appear before you in order for you to believe he even existed.    
  • Third: Man cannot fully understand God.  What we know of God is via reason and revelation (if you're a Jew or Catholic).  According to the Jews and Catholics, God revealed Himself to man.  Catholics believe Jesus Christ was God incarnated and at the same time the Son of God.  Despite this, God cannot truly be understood.  If God could be understood, then He ceases to be God because how can the finite mind absorb infinity?  
  • Fourth:  Evidence for God has always come from philosophy, religion and science.  The evidence that the aforementioned provide are limited because the human mind is limited.  Therefore, any evidence does not alter the reality of God.  Evidence in this regard can only show that God does exist.  It cannot present God before one's eyes anymore than a physicist can present dark matter before someone.  



  • Evidence by definition is a piece of data or information that supports a hypothesis or conclusion.  
  • In a court of law, evidence can be motive, the allowance of contingency, or a tangible hard artifact.  
  • In philosophy, evidence can be be empirical or based on propositions using prior knowledge.  
  • Psychology relies on evidence via the observation of behavior and how the mind processes stimuli.  
  • Physics uses Models and Theorems which are based on mathematical evidence.  This is how we are able to tell the composition of far away celestial bodies. We cannot go there and gather samples.
  • Personal experience is also a form of evidence.  Witness accounts are extremely important in many aspects in life.  In courts, a witness can make or break a case.  A witness can choose a perpetrator in a line up at the precinct.  A patient's personal experience is what medical doctors and psychologists used in order to diagnose patients since they do not have access to introspection.  

In a series of blog postings, I will be presenting evidence for God and will be updating it as more is learned.  I will begin by presenting the proofs that have been circulated for thousands of years.  From philosophers, to Church intellectuals such as Augustine, Aquinas, Anselm etc; I will reintroduce their arguments for those who are not familiar with them. I will then add some recent evidence as well as my own while I transitioned from the illusion of atheism to reality in Catholicism.

I hope this extensive work will serve to acquaint those who do not believe in God for whatever reason, or for those who do believe, but need a little push to believe more strongly.    


 





                 

1 comment:

  1. I look forward to these series of posts and what they will bring. May your will be strong, your reasons be many and mighty, and your conviction as high as claimed. I will follow these postings, and I will rebut them, support them, and study them, tread fairly, and speak thoroughly.

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