God/arguments for

Overview

This page documents reasonable arguments which have been put forth for the existence of God, and any responses or refutations to them.

The List

Argument from Design

The argument goes:

The universe is so complicated and amazing that it couldn't possibly have arisen out of randomness; it seems to have been carefully designed – therefore there must have been a designer.

Responses

• If God is capable of creating the universe, surely God is also pretty complicated. If God is also complicated, then wouldn't the same reasoning apply to Him, i.e. He must have been designed as well. Who did that?
  • If there is some reasoning whereby God does not need a Designer, then why can't that same reasoning be applied to the universe itself, without having to invoke the existence of an additional entity?
• Counter to "God must be pretty complicated too": Perhaps God is actually quite simple – simple enough that He could have been created by some natural process. While this theory removes the need for yet another Designer, it remains flawed:
  • It still doesn't explain anything any better than existing scientific creation theories (which are based on the available evidence) do, nor does it suggest any tests to try or evidence to look for, much less base itself on any existing evidence
  • It still introduces an unnecessary element, i.e. God; if something simple can create something complex, why does that entity have to be conscious or have any of the other usual definitional attributes of God?
  • A simple God may not be compatible with the beliefs of most religions, and hence would be ruled off-limits by believers.