Download Get the summary handout (PDF)

Three Proofs for God
The Testimony from Existence, Intelligence, and Morality
Cosmological Proof
The cosmological proof is an argument
from existence – why we have
something rather than nothing at all. It
can be stated in this manner



Everything that begins to exist must
have a cause.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore, the universe has a
cause.
The fact that everything that begins
must have a cause is acknowledged by
both believers in God and unbelievers
alike. Even David Hume, an ardent
skeptic, said: “I never asserted so
absurd a proposition as that anything
might arise without a cause.”
What’s the proof the universe had a
beginning? Consider the following:





The 2nd law of thermodynamics –
the universe, a closed isolated
system, is running out of usable
energy and therefore is not eternal.
The universe is expanding, a fact
proven by the Hubble telescope – it
had a beginning.
The radiation echo discovered by
Bell Labs scientists in the 1900’s –
the afterglow of the Big Bang.
Huge ripples in the galaxies – proof
of the Big Bang.
Einstein’s theory of relativity –
necessitates a beginning to the
universe.
All evidence points to the universe
having a beginning and not being
eternal; therefore, the only other eternal
being that is possible is God.
Teleological Proof
The teleological proof (teleos –
Greek for “end goal” or design) says
the universe and earth exhibits
marks of intelligence. It can be
stated in this manner:



Moral Proof
The moral proof states that absolute
moral laws exist, and that only an
absolute moral law giver could be
behind them:

Every complex design has a
designer.
The universe exhibits a complex
design.
Therefore, the universe has a
designer.


Moral laws imply a moral law
giver
There is an absolute moral law
Therefore, there is an absolute
moral law giver
There are two types of causes: (1)
natural and (2) intelligent. A smooth
stone in a stream would be an
example of the first, while an
arrowhead is an example of the
second.
Without unchanging, objective moral
laws, everything descends into a
matter of opinion and becomes
emotive (e.g. “I don’t like rape” vs.
“Rape is morally wrong”). As C. S.
Lewis said, “A man does not call a
line crooked unless he has some idea
of a straight line.”
Three evidences for a design to the
universe are:
Evidences of an absolute moral law
include:





The anthropic principle – 122
cosmological constants that, if
altered in any way, would cause
all life on earth to cease. This
world is “just right” and precisely
configured for life.
Irreducible complexity – many
organisms are irreducible
complex and could not have
evolved.
Specified complexity – entities
such as DNA exhibit
engineering and information,
mathematically identical to a
language – and no language
has ever arisen outside of
intelligence.


Morals transcend cultures
Morality is not relative – who
wishes their spouse to be
relatively faithful to them instead
of absolutely faithful?
Without God and the moral law,
there can be no delineation
between good and evil, so
ultimately, there is no good or evil
(as atheist Richard Dawkins has
admitted).
There is a difference between
morals (what people are doing)
and ethics (what people ought to
do).
A Natural or Supernatural Cause to all we know? Reason, science, and logic point to the latter.
Copyright © Confident Christians, 2008
www.confidentchristians.org