Is There A God?

Is at that place a god Is in that respect a paragonThe defense for the belief in the conception of paragon has historically evaded the stove of empirical verification . Howal shipway extraordinary historic events and involved cultural and semipolitical evolutions behave taken place referable to the influence of religious beliefs Additionally , religious belief has squeeze matters of social justice economic parity , and moral and estimable beliefs all around the human race Whether or non the benignantkind of a paragon (or theologys ) can be established by modern scientific investigation seems ir pertinent to the course of homo events , umpteen of which ar propelled by religious convictions . Despite the native reluctance and technical inability of modern-day scientists to corroborate the domain of discourse of graven image , philosophical railway lines based on psuedo-scientific criteria are m whatsoever most of these empirical arguments are based in bingle form or another around the idea-structure of Swinburne s famous treatise Is There a paragon which purports to prove by rational possibility and logic that divinity fudge existsForemost among Swinburne s arguments is that the natural of the universe of discourse demonstrates intelligent public figure It is extraordinary that at that place should exist any amour at all[ .] And so numerous things . Maybe chance could have thrown up the unique electron . BUT so many particles ![ .] If we can beg off the many bits of the worldly concern by single open macrocosm which keeps them in domain , we should do so--even if inevitably we cannot explain the cosmea of that simple being (Swinburne , 1996 ,. 48-49 ) Swinburne s argument is steeped in formal logic and rhetoric , yet the underlying principles are relatively simple The idea that the existence of a complex worldly concern which is well-suited to human experience postulates an intelligent forefinger for both things the creative activity and human race , is based less in rationality than in the perception of astonished wonder . In other words , beca custom Swinburne finds the universe to be a marvel of curiosities and interestingly forgeed elements and phenomena does not indicate that the universe is experienced this a bearing by a majority of human beings or in any way that the experience Swinburne records indicates the existence of a GodBasically , the argument for intelligent forge is based on analogy the universe is well-designed as a human make arti particular might be well-designed , and so , the universe essential have an intelligent room decorator . theless , this teleological argument which is normally construed as an argument from analogy : Since the universe is analogous to some human articircumstance that single knows to be designed , in all likelihood the universe itself is designed breaks down when examined near . Although Hume and others have described the universe as a take after and argued that just as we can infer that a moderate found on a heath has a source , so we can infer that the universe has a room decorator (Martin , 1990 ,. 125 the analogy is specious when taken to its logical shoemakers last(a)sFor sheath , if the analogy were carried to its logical extreme , maven would end up with conclusions not acceptable to the theist . Because machines are usually made by many intelligent beings [ .] some form of polytheism preferably than monotheism would be warranted by the argument as well as the fact that the beings who create machines have bodies so God must have a body . If machines have imperfections , we have effort for supposing that the creators are not perfect . So since the universe has imperfections , iodine should conclude that God is not perfect (Martin , 1990 ,. 127 ) These analogous conclusion run contrary to demonstrating the existence of God insofar as Swinburne intended his analogy to function . In fact , the deeper one takes the analogy , the c recurr one comes to the opposite conclusion : that no monotheistic God at all existsAnother of the assertions made by religious pragmatists is that not only(prenominal) the existence of a universe , exclusively the existence of an ly universe with a complex (and principally hierarchical ) system of phenomena , demonstrates the existence of God . Again , because an ly world is both functional and to some degree pleasurable (according to Swinburne ) there must be an intelligence behind the design of the universe . And merely an intelligent designer tho an omnipotent creator who is able to produce a world ly in these prize . And he has dear fence to choose to do so : a world containing human persons is a good thing . Persons have experiences , and thoughts , and can make choices , and their choices can make uncollectible differences to themselves , to others , and to the inanimate world . God , being perfectly good , is generousHe demands to share (Swinburne , 1996 ,. 52 ) This latter postulation seems completely bulge of in a rational and scientific discussion provided as this discussion will later show , the emotionality of belief is an aspect of religious conviction which enters into not only the so-called logical argument on behalf of their faith , simply as the primary emotional and psychological connection with the God or Gods which are believed in by religious devoteesAgain , analogous Swinburne s assertion that the mere existence of the universe indicates a designer , his likewise analogy that the universe being well-ed indicates intelligent design , is easily refuted simply by examining Swinburne s analogy itself closely . If the universe is wonderfully complex and apparently designed to fulfill generosity s needs and expectations , modern light accepts the possibility of multi-universes , most of which cannot be meaningfully detected by mankind Although it may be true that the universe is unique , there is no reason to suppose , in the light of our p resent essay , that this is relevant in judging whether it is created or not . We have no reason to suppose it cannot be judged by the same criteria we use to judge whether planets , rocks , and gismos are created[ .] it may be urged that as our applied science advances , we may be able to create objects that resemble more(prenominal) and more the natural objects we find in the universe (Martin , 1990 ,br 332 ) obviously , the projected future of science could be extend logically to include the technology which could create geological elements , in fact planets themselves , which would demonstrate not the intelligent design of a God but the intelligent design of mankind , which is among the animal sThat last assertion is something that Swinburne objects to with great fervor At some metre in evolutionary history bodies of complex animals become affiliated to souls , and this , I shall be arguing , is something utterly beyond the power of science to explain . But theism can explain this--for God has the power and reason to join souls to bodies (Swinburne , 1996 ,. 69-70 ) Of course , science has no power to explain mystical or charming phenomena . The leave out of scientific inquiry into these ares comprises another , more dramatically contemporary , argument for the existence of Gid . This argument posits the idea that since science and scientists are reluctant to investigate mystical and supernatural phenomena , proof of the existence of God has evaded science because the proof for God s existence resides in the supernatural sphere . Those who argue along these lines contend that scientific practice is often contrasted with religious belief in that the cause is supposed to be open-minded whereas the latter is said to be close-minded and thereof closer to ideology and these same observers resent being categorized as close-minded instead positing that science is , in fact ,narrow-minded for not taking into account the supernatural (Van Heerden , 2004Investigation of the supernatural does , in fact , seem to be foreign of the scope of scientific investigation , although some noteworthy efforts have been made . In 1882 a group of eminent scholars from the liberal arts and the sciences[ .]founded the Society for Psychical Research , with the stated purpose of investigating so-called paranormal phenomena in a scientific manner but this gesture seems to have been more or less forget in contemporary science . The prevailing disdain amongst trustworthy scientific atheists regarding religious belief and their rejection of religion is based not on sound physical /material evidence but on existing prejudices .

There is no existing evidence that disproves the existence of a supernatural agent or agents or which proves conclusively that other mechanisms /agencies are not at campaign alongside (or working with ) ones already identified and glorified in orthodox science (Van Heerden , 2004 ) Van Heerden s argument is one of the most compelling arguments that theists have at their disposal . It must be remembered , though , that this contention is one of distinguishing a neglect of evidence which would prove the existence of God it is not a conformation that such evidence is there to be amass , merely a positing of an area which has not been thoroughly tire out in the search for possible evidenceSuch arguments are , in fact , the province of mysticism alternatively than science and seem to hit acknowledgment that science cannot fulfil this purpose because it extends hallucination in the world by driving subject and object ever further apart in its reductive thinking . mysticism , at the other end of the spectrum , claims the complete elimination of alienation but again this contention has nothing whatsoever to do with establishing evidence for the existence of God rather it is an emotional assembling , based in human psychology rather than in empirical , objective evidence (Van Heerden , 2004In fact , the psychological and hence subjective connection to the idea of a God or Gods is what drives the conviction many believers profess to having in the existence of God . A survey of theists revealed a personal subjective , rather than empirically phenomenal , vision of God among respondents . Such a distinction from empirical evidence is important because it indicates that even among firm believers , God is viewed more as an internal psychological gene rather than an external draw off which exudes omnipotent power e verywhere the created universe God is valued as an end in Himself rather than as a means to other ends . about people want God for the same reason for which they want friends , and His relation to them is exactly that of a very dear and very lovable and very sympathizing friend (Pratt , 1907 ,. 264Theists , as we have seen through our preceding discussion , typically move from an empirical or scientific mode of argument to an emotional mode of argument to a mystical mode of argument and netly to a moral or ethical mode of argument . This final mode is usually articulated fundamentally , as ana bill of indictment of human moral and ethical character Without a God , it is posited , the moral and ethical systems of human society would crumble . Or conversely , since humanity is so innately sinful , fatten ethical and moral systems as handed down from God must be used to restrain our worst tendencies . that , another vision fo a Godless world acn be equally demonstrated , due the lack of any evidence as God as an active force in the universe and not merely as a psychological quantity the religious consciousness values God chiefly as a companion . The need of Him is a social need . Religious people would miss Him if they should lose their faith , just as they miss a beat(p) friend however , society would surely endure (Pratt , 1907 ,. 268In fact , atheists envision a world which , would in some ways . be superior to the theistically driven worlds which have inspired wars and clever conservatism . Should atheism become the dominant world-view , it is posited , then one would anticipate vast changes in many areas . For example , there would probably be fewer wars and less violence than there is now[ .] . The birth rate would also drop in many countries , since religious objections to contraception would no longer prevail[ .] .Church and state would probably become separate in countries in which they have traditionally been interwoven[ .]This in turn would bring about profound political changes But such changes are unlikely to happen in the near future because , notwithstanding the lack of any thinkable scientific or empirical evidence to demonstrate the existence of God , the psychological component of these belief-systems are so endemical and so influential in world-affairs that their functional repudiation , despite the ease with which it can be made from a scientific or philosophical angel , seems destined for a far future (Martin , 1990 ,. 459 ReferencesMartin , M (1990 . Atheism : A Philosophical acknowledgment . Philadelphia Temple University PressPratt , J . B (1907 . The Psychology of Religious mental picture . New York MacmillanSwinburne , R (1996 . Is There a God . Oxford : Oxford University PressVan Heerden , A (2004 , June . Why Atheism Is Unscientific . Contemporary Review , 284 , 351 ...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay

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