This leads to the famous objection that he uses the existence of God to establish his doctrine of clear and distinct ideas, and that he uses his doctrine of clear and distinct ideas to establish the existence of God: his argument is circular. It seems that Descartes says that firstly “I am certain that God exists only because I am certain of whatever I clearly and distinctly perceive” but secondly
The ontological argument is further defined as analytic, which means when you look at the word (which in this case is God) and you already know what it means. In Proslogion, St Anselm uses a phrase to define God. This phrase is “that than which a greater cannot be thought”. He uses this phrase because he believes God to be the greatest being ever, and the being which the best at absolutely everything. Also he believes that if you asked someone who doesn’t believe in God what their definition of God was, then it would also be something along the lines of this.
Calvin’s idea of predestination suggests that some people are God’s ‘elect’ and that, after death, these ‘elect’ will join God in heaven. Believers in predestination claim that our actions, whether ‘elect’ or ‘damned’, are predestined or decided by God; meaning that we have very little, if any at all, free will in our decision making or actions. This theory of predestination often leads people to believe in a God ‘who favours some but not all of his creation’, which would be intrinsically linked to miracles in the sense that, regardless of what we do, God has already decided whether he will interact with the world or perform a miracle. Miracles, in this sense, are seen not as unsystematic breaches of natural law but rather as the eternal intention of God for the world. For this reason, people who agree with Calvin in believing in predestination often find it difficult to understand why miracles aren’t common occurrences.
Genesis 1-2 can show us that God is all-powerful and all-loving. As far as Genesis 1-2 goes, it is more important to understand the scripture, rather than prove it to be factual. “Although popular images of controversy continue to exemplify the supposed hostility of Christianity to new scientific theories, studies have shown that Christianity has often nurtured and encouraged scientific endeavor, while at other times the two have co-existed without either tension or attempts at harmonization” (Ferngren, 2). Genesis 1-2 is the cause of much unnecessary tension between the religious and scientific communities. The writers of Genesis 1-2 wrote it in a way that presents the Earth’s creation as a factual account of God creating the heavens and the Earth.
Can the conception of God simply be universally acknowledged and accepted by everyone, everywhere? If there is conception of God, then the idea of God should exist. The initial presentation states, “you who grant understanding to faith, grant that, insofar as you know it is useful for me, I may understand that you exist as we believe you exist, and that you are what we believe you to be.”(Encountering the Real Faith and Philosophical Enquiry; “Anselms Ontological Argument” – St. Anselm, pg. 139). It is always difficult to understand and comprehend for anything to exist realistically.
According to St. Anselm in his ontological argument, he describes God as an idea or concept of which nothing greater can be conceived (Living Issues in Philosophy, page 388). In this he guides thought by arguing “If the most perfect being existed only in thought and not in reality, then it would not really be the most perfect being. One that exists in the mind and in reality would be more perfect.” Anselm concludes his theory with “no one who understands what God is; can conceive that God does not exist. (A. J. Hoober). Existence is a part of perfection.
Summary In the book, Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity, Entwistle examines two disciplines that share an interest in how human beings function. He goes in depth about the worldviews, models of integration, and philosophical foundations that shape the relationship between psychology and theology. Both disciplines are very helpful in understanding human beings and can be integrated as long as the methodologies and fundamental teachings do not contradict each other. Whether we find the truth through psychology or the Bible “all truth is God’s truth, so that where and however truth is discovered, its author is God” (Entwistle, 2010 p.13). Many people would not agree that Christianity and theology cannot be integrated, but in actuality it can.
Anselm was a renowned Christian Bishop, who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is also credited with being one of the first Christian Theologians to try and prove that God existed, as opposed to just trying to pick apart any argument made by none Christian groups. The argument for which is his best known is known as “The Ontological Argument,” in which he attempts to prove that God exists. Arranged more like a prayer than a philosophical work, the argument attempts to logically prove that God must exist. Anselm was attempting to prove that god existed “a priori,” or through reason alone.
Opinion Paper on St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica In the three Summa Theologica readings, Thomas Aquinas makes arguments about the existence of god, whether it can be demonstrated that god exists, and finally, whether the existence of god can be self-evident. In all three of these stories, Aquinas shows both the yes and no sides of the arguments. In one of the readings about whether God exists, Aquinas shows five reasons behind why he believes God does exist. I definitely agree with some of Aquinas’ arguments, but there are also some that just do not seem to be backed up completely. In the Whether God Exists article, Mr. Aquinas states, “The existence of God can be proved in five ways”(1).
Paul Tillich argues against the literal theologians and the social scientists as well. He says that “religion has rediscovered its true place in man’s spiritual life, namely, in its depth, out of which it gives substance, ultimate meaning, judgment and creative courage to all functions of the human spirit.” (Tillich 9) In my opinion and it may be clouded by my religion, which is Christianity, is that God does exist and one will not