Arguments for and against the existence of God can be placed under separate headings, with valid counter-arguments in each case. This answer is not intended to be entirely exhaustive for either case.
Arguments for the existence of GodThe most common argument of the existence of God is that The Bible tells us so. In turn, the Bible is true because it is the word of God. This is called a circular argument because each assumption relies on the truth of the other.
Some say that the beauty and complexity of nature is proof of the existence of God, the creator of the world, although this would equally be proof of the existence of any other creator god: for example Ahura Mazda, Brahma, Nun or Ptah. Scientists are not impressed by this argument, because they see evolutionary reasons for the beauty and complexity of nature.
Some say that God is real because they see miracles in the Bible, and miracles are still performed to this very day. The early Christians acknowledged the miracles of the pagan gods, in return for pagan recognition of their miracles. But even many biblical scholars today recognise that the biblical miracles did not really happen. And when modern miracles are placed under close scrutiny, they always seem to cease to be so miraculous.
Arguments against the existence of GodIt is difficult to disprove the existence of God because it is almost always impossible to prove a negative. Although all the arguments for the existence of God can be refuted, this merely means that there is no proof for his existence.
If the primary proof for the existence of God is in the Bible, then perhaps the proof of his non-existence is also there. When we examine the Bible carefully, we find that monotheistic beliefs only arose during the reign of King Josiah in the seventh century BCE. If there is only one God, the people of Israel and Judah were worshipping other, false gods prior to this time.
Certainly Yahweh (or 'Jehovah') had long been worshipped before the seventh century, but only, it seems, in the southern kingdom of Judah. Biblical scholars have examined the earliest books of the Bible and established that one author, associated with Judah, used the name Yahweh for an anthropomorphic God with human characteristics, who made promises and covenants with his chosen people. An author of other early material in the Bible, who was associated with the northern kingdom of Israel, used the name Elohim for a more transcendent God who required obedience and was feared by his people. In later times, Yahweh and Elohim were acknowledged as exactly the same God, but this may not have been the case in the early centuries of the first millennium BCE. It is improbable to the point of proving the contrary, that Jews would eventually worship the one true God, when their ancestors had always worshipped many gods, and that even the God of today seems to have evolved in the minds of the Hebrew people from two different Gods.
One of the arguments for the existence of God, which points out that ethics are without absolutes apart from God
The belief that God's existence is provable is known as theism, particularly in its philosophical forms such as classical theism, which posits that rational arguments and evidence can demonstrate God's existence. This includes various arguments like the cosmological, teleological, and moral arguments. Proponents assert that through observation of the universe, moral truths, or the existence of consciousness, one can logically infer the existence of a divine being.
Evidence for the existence of a higher power, such as God, can include philosophical arguments like the cosmological argument, teleological argument, and moral argument. These arguments suggest that the complexity of the universe, the order and design in nature, and the existence of objective moral values point towards the existence of a higher power. Additionally, personal experiences, historical accounts, and religious texts are often cited as evidence for the existence of God.
The nature of God varies depending on religious beliefs. In monotheistic religions like Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, God is seen as an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving creator of the universe. In polytheistic religions, there are multiple gods with different attributes and domains. The existence of God is a matter of faith and belief, with arguments for and against the existence of God developed throughout history by philosophers and theologians.
Some arguments against the immortality of the soul include the lack of empirical evidence to support its existence, the idea that consciousness is a product of the brain and therefore tied to physical existence, and the concept that the soul's immortality may conflict with the laws of nature and physics.
God
One of the arguments for the existence of God, which points out that ethics are without absolutes apart from God
The five ways of reason are the arguments of motion, causes, possibility, degress of perfection, and governance. These arguments were made by St. Thomas Aquanis which proposed that the existence of God can be demonstrated through reason.
Special pleading is a logical fallacy where someone applies different standards or rules to a particular situation, often to support their own argument. In the context of arguments for the existence of God, special pleading can occur when believers use different criteria or exceptions to justify their belief in God, while not applying the same standards to other beliefs or claims. This can weaken the overall credibility of the argument for God's existence.
They convince people that the theist doesn't know how to form a logical argument.
Most philosophers would say that it is impossible to disprove the existence of god(s), because it is usually not possible absolutely to prove a negative. It can only be proventhat God is highly improbable. As in all arguments about existence or non-existence, the responsibility to provide the proof falls on those who claim that God does exist. In almost two thousand years of Christian argument fo the existence of God, that proof has not been forthcoming.
The two main arguments against scientism are that it limits human knowledge by disregarding other forms of understanding, such as philosophy and art, and that it can lead to a reductionist view of the world, ignoring the complexities of human experience and existence.