Student
Instructor
Course
Date
Rational Ground for the Belief in God
The belief in God is a question that has
generated many questions among the philosophers. The conviction for the beliefs
is pegged on the acceptance that the real issues are handled appropriately.
Arguments have been raised to support the theological aspects that support the
belief. The supporters of theism have developed arguments that have been in the
forefront of safeguarding the basis for the belief. The rational arguments are
classified into three categories. The categories include the ontological,
teleological and cosmological arguments that have been developed to understand
the effects of the aspect of the belief in God. The three categories have been
very significant in understanding the contemporary philosophies that discuss
religion from a special angle. The paper will provide an insight into the rational
grounds that are embraced by the believers in the existence of God despite the presence
of evil.
Ontological Arguments
The arguments provide a traditional
perspective to the idea of the existence of God. The arguments are based on the
premises that can be isolated from the experience captured in the world. The arguments
are founded on the concept of God and make a conclusion that God exists. The
arguments seek to prove that the nonexistence of God is an impossible
phenomenon. The existence is independent of the fact that evil also exists.
The proponents of the arguments purport
that God is the most powerful being. The argument is that God exists in both
the mind and in reality. The superiority of God is attached to the aspect of
conceivability in both the mind and the reality of life. The logical connection
between the presence of God in the mind and in actual reality concludes the
aspect of the presence of God.
Teleological Arguments
The argument is based on the idea of a deity
pegged on the order that is found in nature. The argument is based on the capability
of reflecting the design purpose and intelligence depicted in the world. The
three aspects point to the presence of God.
God is viewed as the designer of the
features that constitute nature. The design and implementation are beyond the capabilities
of man thus point to the presence of a unique design that is superior to the
human beings. The complexity of nature itself is important towards describing
the functioning of the appropriate elements that define the capabilities of the
human capabilities.
Cosmological Arguments
The argument is based on the aspect of the
metaphysical and empirical elements of the universe. The idea raises a unique
feature that points to the idea of a superior being that controls the functioning
of the universe. The argument is because the features of the universe cover the
aspects that define the actions that exist within the universe. The existence
of God is therefore attached to the categories of the facts that existed before
everything else and thus continue to exist. God is, therefore, the designer of
the relations of the people that define the existing features in the universe.
The Existence of Evil
The problem of evil is real despite the
fact that God still exists. However, the presence of evil does not point to the
aspect of the nonexistence of God. The people themselves at will cause the
first argument points to the fact that the evils have been.
The greatest argument is that the people
themselves cause most suffering that human beings face. God had the choice of
creating people that could not commit evil but chose to create them the way.
God enabled the people to make choices on what decisions to make. Human beings
are equipped with the capability of making choices that can be used to govern
their relationships with the people around them.
Nagel's Argument for Atheism against Swinburne's
Theodicy
Richard Swinburne emphasizes the aspect of
free will that is characterized by the capability to express free will.
Swinburne argues that free will is what leads to the commission of noble acts.
The noble acts refer to the virtues such as forgiveness, self-sacrifice and the
need to be compassionate.
The capability of the human beings to act
nobly despite the evils that exist in the society is important to the success
of the human beings. The instantiation of the pleasant feelings would only
prompt the people to improve the existing environments that they occupy. The unpleasant
acts serve to create an opportunity for the people to understand the will of God.
Swinburne asserts that God reserves the
responsibility to express compassion towards the fellow human beings. God is
the only being that is perfect from a moral perspective that is made possible
by the capability to withstand the evils of the world. The unpleasant
experiences serve the purpose of creating an environment that is intended to improve
the world. The presence of the various cases of evil ensures that the people
serve the purpose of serving God.
Nagel, on the other hand, asserts that the attributed
discrepancy points to the absurd mismatch that is viewed from the aspect of
known evil people are given the opportunity to express themselves. The mismatch
in the lives of the individuals is key to the attainment of the desired goals
of the organization. Nagel asserts that there is no individual that is capable
of meeting the desired goals of humanity.
He believes that there is no individual
that can go through suffering for his or her free will. The aspect of self-love
is the biggest acceptance that serves the purpose of retaining the desired goals
of the study. He asserts that the choice of evil is not caused by the desired
goals of the community. The people have the responsibility of accepting the
rules of nature and accepting the desired goals designed to address the arising
challenges.
Nagel’s arguments are attempting to negate
the assertions placed by Swinburne on the assertions that God allows for the people
to commit evil for improving the world. “An individual is supposed to behold
and share on the glory of God” (Pereboom 8). The arguments are designed to
ignore the aspect of people’s total control of their actions. Nagel believes
that God plays no role and that the people themselves make all the decisions.
All human beings are assigned the
responsibility of meeting the desired goals of the processes. The people’s desires
to commit good are guided by the intrinsic good of the need to have the perfect
source of happiness. The possibility of God taking a center stage is therefore
not seen as an important effort that seeks to attain the desired goals.
Sufficiency of Swinburne’s Response
Swinburne attempts to explain the role of
evil in shaping the virtues of the world. He asserts that the aspect of evil is
what drives the success of the human life. The organization or the human
society is intended to create a scenario that is built on the capability of
meeting the desired goals of the organization. The presence of the evils offer
the focal point that can be used in challenging the aspect of theism (Pereboom
24).
The people around the world embrace
nobility as the goal that is meant to ensure that the noble actions are
encouraged. The desire to serve Gods purpose is the biggest motivation behind
the aspect of God’s will. The creation of favorable environment is the biggest
motivation behind the people ensuring that the world remains habitable for the
diverse population of the human beings. The problem of evil is meant to ensure
that the sufficient efforts are made towards meeting the desired set of the
goals. God has the right of taking any decision that the individual might have
in their minds. The presence of evil does not imply the absence of God in any
way.
In conclusion, the assertions made by
Swinburne are valid and qualify to be treated as such. The response that he
gives towards the idea of the presence of God is sufficient. He explains that
the human being makes the choice to commit a wrong action and is not in God's
plan to interrupt such thoughts.
Pereboom, Derk. "Libertarianism and Theological
Determinism." Free Will and Theism: Connections, Contingencies,
and Concerns (2016): 112-31.
No comments:
Post a Comment