Buddy Storm

i apologize in advance for this being so long. Please read so we can have a discussion.

It is objected (1) that Goddoes not exist, because if one of two contradictory things isinfinite, the other will be totally destroyed; that it is impliedin the name God that there is a certain infinite goodness: ifthen God existed, no evil would be found. But evil is found inthe world; therefore it is objected that God does not exist. Again,that what can be accomplished through a less number of principleswill not be accomplished through more. It is objected that allthings that appear on the earth can be accounted for through otherprinciples, without supposing that God exists, since what is naturalcan be traced to a natural principle, and what proceeds from aproposition can be traced to the human reason or will. Thereforethat there is no necessity to suppose that God exists. But asagainst this note what is said of the person of God (Exod. III.,14) I am that I am. Conclusion. There must be found in the natureof things one first immovable Being, a primary cause, necessarilyexisting, not created; existing the most widely, good, even thebest possible; the first ruler through the intellect, and theultimate end of all things, which is God. I answer that it can be proved in five ways that God exists.

The first and plainest is the method that proceeds fromthe point of view of motion. It is certain and in accord withexperience, that things on earth undergo change. Now, everythingthat is moved is moved by something; nothing, indeed, is changed,except it is changed to something which it is in potentiality.Moreover, anything moves in accordance with something actuallyexisting; change itself, is nothing else than to bring forth somethingfrom potentiality into actuality. Now, nothing can be broughtfrom potentiality to actual existence except through somethingactually existing: thus heat in action, as fire, makes fire-wood,which is hot in potentiality, to be hot actually, and throughthis process, changes itself. The same thing cannot at the sametime be actually and potentially the same thing, but only in regardto different things. What is actually hot cannot be at the sametime potentially hot, but it is possible for it at the same timeto be potentially cold. It is impossible, then, that anythingshould be both mover and the thing moved, in regard to the samething and in the same way, or that it should move itself. Everything,therefore, is moved by something else. If, then, that by whichit is moved, is also moved, this must be moved by something stilldifferent, and this, again, by something else. But this processcannot go on to infinity because there would not be any firstmover, nor, because of this fact, anything else in motion, asthe succeeding things would not move except because of what ismoved by the first mover, just as a stick is not moved exceptthrough what is moved from the hand. Therefore it is necessaryto go back to some first mover, which is itself moved by nothing---andthis all men know as God. The second proof is from the nature of the efficient cause.We find in our experience that there is a chain of causes: noris it found possible for anything to be the efficient cause ofitself, since it would have to exist before itself, which is impossible.Nor in the case of efficient causes can the chain go back indefinitely,because in all chains of efficient causes, the first is the causeof the middle, and these of the last, whether they be one or many.If the cause is removed, the effect is removed. Hence if thereis not a first cause, there will not be a last, nor a middle.But if the chain were to go back infinitely, there would be nofirst cause, and thus no ultimate effect, nor middle causes, whichis admittedly false. Hence we must presuppose some first efficientcause---which all call God. The third proof is taken from the natures of the merelypossible and necessary. We find that certain things either mayor may not exist, since they are found to come into being andbe destroyed, and in consequence potentially, either existentor non-existent. But it is impossible for all things that areof this character to exist eternally, because what may not exist,at length will not. If, then, all things were merely possible(mere accidents), eventually nothing among things would exist.If this is true, even now there would be nothing, because whatdoes not exist, does not take its beginning except through somethingthat does exist. If then nothing existed, it would be impossiblefor anything to begin, and there would now be nothing existing,which is admittedly false. Hence not all things are mere accidents,but there must be one necessarily existing being. Now every necessarything either has a cause of its necessary existence, or has not.In the case of necessary things that have a cause for their necessaryexistence, the chain of causes cannot go back infinitely, justas not in the case of efficient causes, as proved. Hence theremust be presupposed something necessarily existing through itsown nature, not having a cause elsewhere but being itself thecause of the necessary existence of other things---which all callGod. The fourth proof arises from the degrees that are foundin things. For there is found a greater and a less degree of goodness,truth, nobility, and the like. But more or less are terms spokenof various things as they approach in diverse ways toward somethingthat is the greatest, just as in the case of hotter (more hot)which approaches nearer the greatest heat. There exists thereforesomething that is the truest, and best, and most noble, and inconsequence, the greatest being. For what are the greatest truthsare the greatest beings, as is said in the Metaphysics Bk. II.2. What moreover is the greatest in its way, in another way isthe cause of all things of its own kind (or genus); thus fire,which is the greatest heat, is the cause of all heat, as is saidin the same book (cf. Plato and Aristotle). Therefore there existssomething that is the cause of the existence of all things andof the goodness and of every perfection whatsoever---and thiswe call God. The fifth proof arises from the ordering of things forwe see that some things which lack reason, such as natural bodies,are operated in accordance with a plan. It appears from this thatthey are operated always or the more frequently in this same waythe closer they follow what is the Highest; whence it is clearthat they do not arrive at the result by chance but because ofa purpose. The things, moreover, that do not have intelligencedo not tend toward a result unless directed by some one knowingand intelligent; just as an arrow is sent by an archer. Thereforethere is something intelligent by which all natural things arearranged in accordance with a plan---and this we call God.

In response to the first objection, then, I reply what Augustinesays; that since God is entirely good, He would permit evil toexist in His works only if He were so good and omnipotent thatHe might bring forth good even from the evil. It therefore pertainsto the infinite goodness of God that he permits evil to existand from this brings forth good.

I will later!! For now, god exists PERIOD lol

i believe it

God does exist. There's is a higher power. No doubt.  May not have physically seen him, but I know there's a higher power.