Philosophical arguments for God's existence and probability

Philosophy - Existence of God

Many philosophers over the centuries have addressed the question of the existence of God, with particular focus upon the Christian God. Indeed, some have even suggested the demise of God, even while churches continue to flourish. This issue has in fact taken a prominent position in philosophical argument as early as Plato's time. Today, with religious diversity increasingly tolerated and even celebrated, not only the existence of God, but also the exact nature of this existence, is heatedly debated among philosophers and believers alike. From the perspective of the Christian, there are several arguments that can be held forward for the existence of God, and also to counter arguments against this view. Religious philosophers such as John H. Hick have gone as far as presenting "scientific" arguments for the existence of God in order to provide a more solid basis for today's believer. Others, such as Quinn & Meeker, present strategies that believers can use to justify a specific belief system in the face of increasing religious tolerance and diversity in the world today. Faith is presented with great challenges in a world that is increasingly materialistic and scientifically oriented. This however does not mean that there is no room for faith or indeed that human beings have lost their need for this element in their lives.

The Probability of God

Hick (26) suggests provides some arguments for the probability of God's existence. While the philosopher must acknowledge that preconception and pre-existing faith issues will influence the individual's assessment of whether God is probable or not, it is nonetheless useful to have this as a basis for further argumentation. The author cites Swinburne in the view that it is simpler to explicate an unlimited spiritual force than a limited one - in other words, the existence of God is a simpler belief than believing that he does in fact not exist. The fundamental reason for this is the fact that an unlimited force can absorb all improbability, while a limited force must also include an explication of what limits it, and in what respects it is limited.

This view can be demonstrated by the scientific example of the speed of light. Scientific theories tend to be built upon zero or infinite values unless there is strong evidence to suggest that this should not be the case. In this way, scientists initially believed the speed of light to be infinite until evidence revealed this not to be the case. When applied to theism, the assumption is that an unlimited, infinite divine being is most probable.

Arguments Against the Existence of God

According to Platinga (in Quinn & Meeker 189), one of the most prominent arguments against the existence of God is religious diversity, and the claim to truth of each fundamentalist religion, including Christianity. Indeed, Hick (30) also presents the argument that religion is the fulfillment of a sociological need rather than proof of divine existence. The fact that religion manifests itself in such diverse ways, and also the fact that religious experience is so arbitrary and individualistic, are used to argue against the existence of God.

Both Quinn and Platinga (in Quinn & Meeker) acknowledge the problematic nature of such diversity and also of the acceptance of such diversity for the fundamentalist believer. However, Quinn suggests that one appropriate response could be to simply remain faithful to one's own belief system, as there is no definitive proof that the other viewpoint is correct.

Furthermore, one could argue that religious diversity does in fact do nothing to disprove the existence of God himself, but rather the existence of a homogeneous human society. It could be argued that God has revealed himself in different ways to different societies in order to appeal to the specific nature of the society concerned. Hence religious tolerance is legitimized, while each society is free to worship God as they please. In this way, religious diversity exactly suggests that God does exist rather than the opposite.

The world today has opened not only scientific and technological possibilities, but also an opportunity to more scientifically argue for the existence of God. This provides the modern believer with an exciting array of tools for the fortification of his or her faith.

Sources

Hick, John H. Philosophy of Religion. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1990.

Platinga, a. "Pluralism: A Defense of Religious Exclusivism," in the Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity, K. Meeker and P.Quinn (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2000: 172-192.

Quinn, P. "Toward Thinner Theologies: Hick and Alston on Religious Diversity," in the Philosophical Challenge of Religious Diversity, K. Meeker and P.Quinn (eds.), New York: Oxford University Press, 2000: 226-243.