Why should I believe in a god?

[SalamKhan]

Patiently and carefully read the following, and contemplate it well.

The intellect must first understand the definition of God before it could recognise the doctrine of God as revealed to mankind through whatever means.

The judgement of the intellect is related to three things; necessary, impossible, and possible.

That which is necessary, the mind cannot conceive its non-existence.

That which is impossible, the mind cannot conceive its existence.

That which is possible, the mind can equally conceive its existence and non-existence.

If something has come into existence after previously not existing, but had the possibility of not coming into existence, this is called contingency. The contingent nature of the universe is proof for the existence of a necessary cause. The contingency of the universe can be proven by the fact that everything in it changes, and any change cannot be necessary, the contingency of the universe can also be proven by the fact that we are currently here at the present moment, for an eternal and beginningless universe would mean it would take an infinite amount of time to reach the present moment, which is impossible and evidently not the case.

The universe could have easily not existed, just as easily as it came into existence. Imagine a balance with two scales in which the existence of the universe is weighed on one side, and the non existence of the universe weighed on the other side; both would weigh the same. However, the fact that the universe came into existence shows that there must have been something which applied pressure on one side for the existence of the universe to outweigh the non-existence of the universe. The source of this cause must also be necessary, for a contingent source leads to an infinite regress of contingent causes, which shares the same problem of a beginningless and eternal universe as mentioned previously. This necessary source must also be without beginning and without end, and must be dissimilar to all contingent things. This same entity must be attributed with life, knowledge, power and will; for without these, the universe would not come into existence, and it is impossible for this entity to be attributed with death, ignorance, incapability and compulsion.

This same entity must also be one, for if one god could bring the universe into existence without the need of the other gods, then the others are not necessary, but if the god is in need of the others, then that god is incapable of bringing the universe into existence and not necessary, something necessary cannot be in need otherwise by definition it cannot be necessary, and something necessary must be needed otherwise by definition it is not necessary; so either one is necessary or none are necessary, which is impossible and thus a multiplicity of necessary beings or polytheism, is impossible.

So we established that the necessary being must have the attributes of existence and oneness, and the necessary being must also have the attributes of self subsistence, pre-eternality, endurance, dissimilarity to contingent things, life, knowledge, power, will, etc.

This, in brief is the rational foundation for Islamic Monotheism.

May Allah guide you to the truth and the straight path and may He protect us from misguidance, and may Allah raise the rank of His blessed Prophet and Messenger Muhammad (S).

 

[eddie_too]

because the alternative is absurd and lacks any reasonable evidence to support it.

 

[PJM]

little g in this case, any god will do. Is there a reasonable answer this question?

Please consider this very carefully:

Your question is a good one.

ASK: Did you choose what you’re wearing today? {Or did you dress yourself this morning?}

If you did I can show evidence of God to you.

The Bible has existed for nearly 2,000 years, and we believe it to be the Inspired WORD of God.

In its 1st book:
Genesis, 1: 26 & 27 we are taught that we are made in the image & likeness of God.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them

The Gospel {Meaning the “GOOD News”} of John 4: 23-24, tells us that {our} God is: … “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God is a “Spiritual Reality”

Q: So if God is a Spirit and man is made in His Image; how can that be? “Man” is human

**[1] In all of the Universes BILLIONS of stars, galaxies and planets, only ONE can be proven to be able to support ALL of the Life-Forms that we are aware of. Planet Earth

[2] On Planet Earth with its hundreds of MILLIONS of different living things; only ONE, only Man can choose to love or hate, only Man, can rationalize.

[3] In order for Man to be able to love, hate & rationalize require in an absolute sense:

A mind {not meaning our brain}

A Intellect {not meaning “I.Q.} &

A Freewill**

[4] Each of these attributes, are like God: Spiritual realities & immortal. Meaning that they can’t be killed & don’t die.

[5] If you’re doubtful? Define for me your “FREEWILL” What is its size, weight, color & shape?

It can’t be done but only a foolish person would assert that it does not exist.

[6] Science tells us that like things originate from other “like-things.”

[7] So these “Spiritual Realities” have to have a source, other than our parents, who transmit our physical attributes; but cannot transmit “spiritual {invisible} things”.

[8} further evidence of a Power, a Source greater than man is evidenced in the Natural Laws: Motion, gravity for example. Then there are the Sun & the Moon both which play essential roles in sustaining Earths life forms. With many BILLIONS of stars and planets the odds that they exist in the forms NECESSARY to sustain life, and then BE in OUR Galaxy is many BILLIONS to One. {Impossible!} By luck or coincidence.

[8] Then add to this the Moral Laws: Good and evil too have to have a source, an origin. Because this Power, this Source that WE CHOOSE to identify as our God is Good, we can know that Goodness {LOVE} comes from God; while hate exist permitted by God, so man can freely choose good or evil.

St. Thomas Aquinas:
The Existence of God can be proved in five ways.

Aquinas: Five Ways to Prove that God exists -- The Arguments GOOGLE THIS

** Argument from Motion**

1. Our senses prove that some things are in motion.
2. Things move when potential motion becomes actual motion.
3. Only an actual motion can convert a potential motion into an actual motion.
4. Nothing can be at once in both actuality and potentiality in the same respect (i.e., if both actual and potential, it is actual in one respect and potential in another).
5. Therefore nothing can move itself.
6. Therefore each thing in motion is moved by something else.
7. The sequence of motion cannot extend ad infinitum.
8. Therefore it is necessary to arrive at a first mover, put in motion by no other; and this everyone understands to be God.

** Argument from Efficient Causes**

1. We perceive a series of efficient causes of things in the world.
2. Nothing exists prior to itself.
3. Therefore nothing [in the world of things we perceive] is the efficient cause of itself.
4. If a previous efficient cause does not exist, neither does the thing that results (the effect).
5. Therefore if the first thing in a series does not exist, nothing in the series exists.
6. If the series of efficient causes extends ad infinitum into the past, for then there would be no things existing now.
7. That is plainly false (i.e., there are things existing now that came about through efficient causes).
8. Therefore efficient causes do not extend ad infinitum into the past.
9. Therefore it is necessary to admit a first efficient cause, to which everyone gives the name of God.

** Argument from Possibility and Necessity (Reductio argument**)

1. We find in nature things that are possible to be and not to be, that come into being and go out of being i.e., contingent beings.
2. Assume that every being is a contingent being.
3. For each contingent being, there is a time it does not exist.
4. Therefore it is impossible for these always to exist.
5. Therefore there could have been a time when no things existed.
6. Therefore at that time there would have been nothing to bring the currently existing contingent beings into existence.
7. Therefore, nothing would be in existence now.
8. We have reached an absurd result from assuming that every being is a contingent being.
9. Therefore not every being is a contingent being.
10. Therefore some being exists of its own necessity, and does not receive its existence from another being, but rather causes them. This all men speak of as God.

GOD Bless and guide you,

Patrick