Research and Describe Reason and Religious Belief (Essay Sample)

Reason and Religious Belief
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Reason and Religious Belief
Over the past several decades, various religious philosophers have attempted to prove God's existence. As a result, some classic arguments have emerged. Though all these arguments attempt to provide an explanation for god's existence, not all of them are derived from Christian philosophy (Peterson, Hasker, Reichenbach, & Basinger, 2008). Muslim and Jewish philosophers have significantly contributed to the philosophy of religion, particularly on the subject of god’s existence. Both Aristotle and Plato have had great influence on the development of the philosophy of religion. There has been a substantial growth of interest in the philosophy of religion in the recent decades. Each of the common theistic proofs has been refined, revived, and defended again (Peterson et. al. 2008). However, the question as to the success of these arguments remains controversial. The three major philosophical arguments that have attempted to explain the existence of God are ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments.
The Ontological Argument
This argument tries to attest to god’s existence through abstract reasoning. It begins with a revelation of the conception of God. According to ontological theory, part of what we imply when we talk about God is that he is a perfect being (Peterson et. al. 2008). That is the meaning of the word God, in view of this argument. The argument further contends that a god that exists is better than that which does not. Speaking about God as a flawless being hence, indicate that he exists. However, the argument states that if god’s aptness is just a part of the notion of God and if this perfection suggests his existence, then this existence of God is implied by the notion of God. The argument maintains that when we talk about God, then we are talking about a being that is in existence. Saying that God does not exist is, therefore, a contradiction, and in fact, speaking nonsense.
The Cosmological Argument
The cosmological argument is based on the existence of the universe or the world, to that of a being that brought the world into being, and who keeps it in existence. The argument comes appears in two forms; modal and temporal arguments (Peterson et. al. 2008). Temporal Cosmological argument has to do with time, while modal cosmological argument has to do with possibility.
The Modal Cosmological argument arises from contingency. It asserts that since the universe is contingent, that is, might not have existed, there is a need for some clarification of why it existed. The argument suggests that whenever two possibilities exist; there must be something to decide which of the two possibilities achieved (Peterson et. al. 2008) is. Because the universe is provisional, there has to be something or somebody behind its existence. Its existence must have a cause. According to the argument, the only type of being whose presence does not require explanation is a basic or an essential being. It should be a being that had no option but to exist. Therefore, the argument suggests that the ultimate reason behind everything has to be a necessary being like God.
The temporal cosmological argument on the other hand, begins by asserting that the past is predetermined. The argument notes that the notion that the universe has a predetermined past that extends back in time is both scientifically and philosophically problematic (Peterson et. al. 2008). The bottom line is that there exists a point in time when the universe started being in existence. This beginning, the argument notes, was either uncaused or caused. However, since nothing can come from nothing, and an uncaused occurrence is absurd, the universe could not have been uncaused. Rather, it must have been made to exist by someone or something outside it. By this claim, this argument approves one doctrine of Christianity; the element of creation.
The Teleological Argument
The teleological argument is based on the order present in the world and hence the existence a being that brought it into being with a particular purpose in mind. The argument contends that the universe is an extremely complex system and that its scale alone is astonishing (Peterson et. al. 2008). Moreover, the natural laws that control the universe still puzzle scientists even after several decades of study. Teleological argument notes that the universe is a greatly ordered system because it serves a purpose. For instance, it offers accurately the appropriate conditions for the progress and maintenance of life, a highly valuable thing. The remarkable order that exists in the universe makes it unsatisfactory to claim that it is ordered by chance. As a result, it is far much plausible and probable that the present condition and order in the universe was created by a being (God), having life in mind.
Of all the three theistic proofs of god’s existence, Teleological argument is the most convincing and intelligible. Unlike th...