Just Looking What Evidence is there for the Existence of God? Just Looking A cautionary note Could you prove that you love someone ? Probably not but you know that you do! Just Looking An argument from logic Arguments from looking at the world around us The argument from experience The argument from revelation Just Looking The Ontological Argument from Greek for to be , so concerned with being God s definition entails his existence What is the better gift: virtual roses.. or the real thing? Just Looking God is that than which nothing greater can be thought the concept of God exists in the understanding God is a possible being if God exists only in the mind and is only a possible being, then if he existed in reality he would have been greater if so, God is a being than which a greater can be thought which is impossible! Anselm ( ) The Ontological Argument Just Looking Thomas Aquinass Five Ways 1. Everything is changing but something must have caused it. 2. Every effect must have a cause 3. Things come into existence, and cease to exist. There must be a cause. 4. Excellence must come from perfection 5. The harmony of things suggests design. This all must be God! Just Looking The Cosmological Argument cosmos - the world or universe based on what can be seen concept of contingency - dependent on something that may or may not happen Just Looking The Argument from Design The Teleological Argument William Paley ( ) In crossing a heath, suppose I pitched my foot against a stone I might possibly answer that it had lain there for ever But suppose I found a watch upon the ground I should hardly think of the answer which I had given before when we come to inspect the watch we perceive that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose Natural Theology Just Looking The Argument from Beauty Just Looking The Argument from Experience Just Looking The Argument from Revelation Just Looking Does Philosophy offer Proof of the Existence of God? No - but some more recent philosophers have argued that there is a demonstrable weight of probability that makes belief in God an intellectually defensible claim Just Looking Pascals wager You believe there is no god, and you find youre right You believe there is no god, and you find youre wrong You believe there is a god, and you find youre wrong You believe there is a god, and you find youre right Nothing lost Lose, big-time Win, big-time