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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Saint Thomas Aquinas - Pondering the Existence of God

Pondering the Existence of God 

With St. Thomas Aquinas
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Jesuits
NASA and Others

“You have drawn us to yourself, O Lord,
and our heart is unquiet
until it rests in you.”
Saint Augustine of Hippo, Confessions




Whether the existence of God is self-evident?

“A thing can be self-evident in either of two ways: on the one hand, self-evident in itself, though not to us; on the other, self-evident in itself, and to us…....because we do not know the essence of God, [God] is not self-evident to us; but needs to be demonstrated by things that are more known to us, though less known in their nature---namely, by effects.”*

Whether it can be demonstrated that God exists?

“Objection: It seems that the existence of God cannot be demonstrated.”

Yet “ever since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made,” in other words His effects. (Romans 1:20)


Whether God exists?

Objection 1: If God existed, there would be no evil discoverable; but there is evil in the world. Therefore God does not exist.



Reply to Objection 2: Since nature works for a determinate end under the direction of a higher agent, whatever is done by nature must be traced back to God, as to its first cause. So also whatever is done voluntarily must also be traced back to some higher cause other than human reason or will, since these can change or fail; for all things that are changeable and capable of defect must be traced back to an immovable and self-necessary first principle.”

It is certain that the universe does exist and depends on something outside of it for its existence. What is this “something” that the universe depends on for its existence? What is the First Cause or Immovable First Principle?


Thomas Aquinas Five Proofs
for the Existence of God

The Argument of Change or Motion

If there is nothing outside of the universe, then there is nothing to cause the universe to move or change. Yet it does. We experience a universe in motion and changing. Whatever is in motion is moved by something other than itself. Since the universe is in motion it must have been put into motion by something already in motion. What is the “starting point” of the first change? What or who is the “First Mover”?


The Argument of Efficient Cause

“God is infinitely greater than all his works: "You have set your glory above the heavens."(Psalms 8:2) Indeed, God's "greatness is unsearchable". (Psalms 145:3) But because he is the free and sovereign Creator, the first cause of all that exists, God is present to his creatures' inmost being: "In him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) In the words of St. Augustine, God is "higher than my highest and more inward than my innermost self". (CCC #300)

All things have a cause. If all things are caused by other things and there exists no “uncaused being,” then nothing would exist. Yet we do exist. It is not possible for something to be its own cause because that would mean that it existed before itself. Who or what is the “Uncaused First Cause?”


The Argument of Necessary Existence


All things come into existence and out of existence. If all things were capable of not existing, then there was a time when nothing existed. Nothing comes from nothing yet something exists. Who or what is the “Absolute Necessity” which began existence?

“We find in nature things that are possible to be and not to be, since they are found to be generated, and to corrupt, and consequently, they are possible to be and not to be… Therefore, if everything is possible not to be, then at one time there could have been nothing in existence. Now if this were true, even now there would be nothing in existence, because that which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing… every necessary thing either has its necessity caused by another, or not. Now it is impossible to go on to infinity in necessary things which have their necessity caused by another…. Therefore we cannot but postulate the existence of some being having of itself its own necessity, and not receiving it from another, but rather causing in others their necessity. This all men speak of as God.”

The Argument of Uttermost Maximum Perfection

There are values or degrees given to all things, such as hot, hotter, and hottest, or true, truer, and truest. If the maximum perfection of any given value is considered its cause and all things exist in degrees of perfection to other things, then there must exist an uttermost perfect cause. What or who is the “Uttermost Perfect” being who first caused existence?


The Argument for an Intelligent Designer





“Man is made to live in communion with God in whom he finds happiness: When I am completely united to you, there will be no more sorrow or trials; entirely full of you, my life will be complete.” (St. Augustine, Confessions, CCC #45)


O My Lord, thank you, for you have created us so wonderfully to take part in your glorious universe - what an incredible journey you place before us - Pax
*Unreferenced quotes in this blog taken from Summa Theologica, by St. Thomas Aquinas [1947], at 
St. Thomas Aquinas - Francesco Solimena
God Creates The Sun, Moon, and Stars (detail) - Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo
God Creates Adam (detail) - Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo
God Creates Eve (detail) - Sistine Chapel - Michelangelo
Fr. Robert Barron on God and the Problem of Evil
NASA Television's 2010 Season's Greetings ID (A journey through some of Hubble's most beautiful images - ends with a view of a peaceful Earth through the cupola of the International Space Station) Mark R. Hailey, NASA Television's Art Director with piano accompaniment by Michael Chao
Domino Effect
Absolutely Nothing
The Helix Nebula (Eye of God) May 10th 2003 - NASA
Hubble Window to the Universe NASA
EWTN Bookmark - 10-09-2011 - New Proofs of the Existence of God - Doug Keck with Fr Robert Spitzer

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