Protestantism

Some doubt or deny the existence of God, the Supreme Being and Creator of the world. The Catholic Church officially teaches that the existence of God can be known by the power of reason. May those who read this article come to be certain of His existence, and learn about His divine nature.

Questions

1. Does God exist?
2. What is God?
3. Who is God?
4. Did God make the world?
5. Did God make man?
6. Does God take interest in human affairs?
7. Why does God permit evil & suffering?
8. Why do I need to worship God?
9. Are all religions equal?

1. Does God exist?

Some say that reason demonstrates that no Supreme Being, God, exists.
Others say that the mind is not able to know whether or not a Supreme Being, God, exists.

On the contrary, responding to the rise of atheism & agnosticism in the 19th century, the Catholic Church officially declared at the Vatican Council that: "God, the source and end of all things, can be known with certainty from the consideration of created things, by the natural power of human reason : ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made."[1]

Though there are truths which God has revealed that exceed the natural power of human reason (and that therefore can only be received by the supernatural power of faith), the fact of the existence of God can be known through reason. We shall proceed to demonstrate this; but first we note that many deny the existence of God not through reason, but through passion (as they do not want God to exist); such as Professor of Philosophy & Law, Thomas Nagel: 

" I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that. " [2]

Some, having denied the existence of the Supreme Being, will seek the cause & principle of things in the smallest beings: particles of matter, forming themselves into diverse substances according to chance collisions; thus having denied the existence of the Supreme Intelligence, they affirm that chance (or chaos) is the foundational principle of the order which we perceive in the universe, allowing them to live chaotically according to their passions, and not according to reason. 

On the contrary, by reason we shall establish the existence of the Supreme Reason, the divine Mind which is the Creator & Source of all minds, from Whom all our intelligence & thought proceeds; so that men, knowing that they were made by reason & intelligence, and not by chance or chaos: may choose to live well in accordance with reason, and so fulfil that right purpose for which they were intelligently made.

...

... We see in the world many objects formed by human intelligence, such as: houses, chairs, books. Now, the house is not aware that it is a house, neither is the chair aware that it is a chair, nor the book that it is a book; but the human intellect perceives the diverse forms of things. Indeed, it was the human intellect that gave these forms to matter: forming the house out of the matter of brick & cement, the chair out of wood & iron nails, the book out of paper & ink. But in addition to those things which have been formed by human intelligence, we see many objects in the world which were not formed by human intelligence, such as: animals, trees, clouds. Now just as the human intellect gave form to houses, chairs, and books : so there must necessarily be an intellect that gave animals, trees, and clouds their forms. This is so, because form cannot be introduced into matter except by intelligence, as matter of itself is blind and cannot distinguish one form from another, or perceive the form it may have; but intelligence, or mind, is that principle by which forms are understood, and one form distinguished from another. Now, as there are forms that exist separate from the human intellect, there must be another intellect which understands and distinguishes them; and, indeed, as the human intellect has not formed itself or caused its own existence, there must be a higher intelligence which has formed it. Now, as we cannot go on to infinity positing a higher and higher intelligence, we must necessarily arrive at the supreme Highest Intelligence, which is Self-Formed and which perceives Itself from all eternity, and which distinguishes and understands all lower forms: this is God.

[1] First Vatican Council, Session 3: Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Chapter 2: On Revelation, §1
[2] Thomas Nagel, The Last Word, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 130-131.

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2. What is God?

3. Who is God?

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. Why do I need to worship God?

Firstly, as a matter of justice.
Secondly, as a matter of human happiness or well-being.

It is first of all a matter of justice:

Just as the child has the duty to honour its parents, so the creature has the duty to honour its Creator. The form of honour that is given to God is called worship or adoration, because it is the highest possible honour that can be given to anyone: it involves completely submitting oneself to God as the Maker and Ruler of all things; adoring Him for His infinite perfections (power, mercy, knowledge, love, etc.); and thanking Him for all His benefits as the Provider of all things and Sustainer of the universe.

It is a matter of justice, i.e. a man who refuses to worship God is an unjust man, or criminal. He may not be unjust or criminal in the eyes of the civil law of human society (because not all human societies acknowledge God); but in the eyes of the divine & eternal law, he is. This is because it is an absolutely binding duty for every man to acknowledge and worship His Creator, just as it is for a child to honour its parents; in fact, the duty to honour God is higher than the duty to honour our parents, because God provides even more for us than our parents do, as He sustains our existence every moment and gives us life. The only way one might be excused from the criminal act of refusing to acknowledge and worship God, is if one has seriously impaired intelligence that prevents one from thinking of God in the first place; but the vast majority of men are intelligent enough to know that God exists and to understand their duty to worship Him, as it is written: "Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Rom. 1:20).

As we are rational creatures (i.e. beings which can think), we have the duty to think good thoughts about God, to praise Him for His goodness and thank Him for His benefits; but as we are also animals (i.e. beings which have bodies and the senses), we also have a duty to worship God in a visible way, using our bodies to make visible signs of our interior worship.

Even without faith, man has the duty to worship God, because God can be known and worshipped by our natural human powers. The form of thinking or theology that allows man to know God by his natural reason is called natural theology, and the form of religion where man worship God by his natural powers is called natural religion. This natural form of theology and religion can be seen in ancient texts like the Hymn of Cleanthes.

It is secondly a matter of human happiness or well-being:

As man is a rational creature, he has intellect and will (a mind & a heart). His mind seeks the truth, and his heart seeks the good. As God is the First Truth and the Highest Good, man cannot be satisfied unless he contemplates and loves God: "our hearts are restless till they find rest in You." (St. Augustine).

As God is the Creator of all things, "the Beginning and the End", and gives to all things their order and purpose: man cannot know or fulfil his purpose, unless he acts according to the Mind of God and surrenders to the Will of God. Unless man gives himself to God in this way, he is left without an ultimate purpose in life and will seek to satisfy himself instead with passing material things which cannot possibly satisfy him. The human mind & heart both have a certain desire for the infinite: for the infinite truth and infinite goodness of God.

Furthermore, just as the happiness or well-being of every individual man depends on God, so the happiness or well-being of human society as a whole depends on God: ...

Atheism

Some doubt or deny the existence of God, the Supreme Being and Creator of the world. The Catholic Church officially teaches that the existence of God can be known by the power of reason. May those who read this article come to be certain of His existence, and learn about His divine nature.

Questions

1. Does God exist?
2. What is God?
3. Who is God?
4. Did God make the world?
5. Did God make man?
6. Does God take interest in human affairs?
7. Why does God permit evil & suffering?
8. Why do I need to worship God?
9. Are all religions equal?

1. Does God exist?

Some say that reason demonstrates that no Supreme Being, God, exists.
Others say that the mind is not able to know whether or not a Supreme Being, God, exists.

On the contrary, responding to the rise of atheism & agnosticism in the 19th century, the Catholic Church officially declared at the Vatican Council that: "God, the source and end of all things, can be known with certainty from the consideration of created things, by the natural power of human reason : ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made."[1]

Though there are truths which God has revealed that exceed the natural power of human reason (and that therefore can only be received by the supernatural power of faith), the fact of the existence of God can be known through reason. We shall proceed to demonstrate this; but first we note that many deny the existence of God not through reason, but through passion (as they do not want God to exist); such as Professor of Philosophy & Law, Thomas Nagel: 

" I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that. " [2]

Some, having denied the existence of the Supreme Being, will seek the cause & principle of things in the smallest beings: particles of matter, forming themselves into diverse substances according to chance collisions; thus having denied the existence of the Supreme Intelligence, they affirm that chance (or chaos) is the foundational principle of the order which we perceive in the universe, allowing them to live chaotically according to their passions, and not according to reason. 

On the contrary, by reason we shall establish the existence of the Supreme Reason, the divine Mind which is the Creator & Source of all minds, from Whom all our intelligence & thought proceeds; so that men, knowing that they were made by reason & intelligence, and not by chance or chaos: may choose to live well in accordance with reason, and so fulfil that right purpose for which they were intelligently made.

...

... We see in the world many objects formed by human intelligence, such as: houses, chairs, books. Now, the house is not aware that it is a house, neither is the chair aware that it is a chair, nor the book that it is a book; but the human intellect perceives the diverse forms of things. Indeed, it was the human intellect that gave these forms to matter: forming the house out of the matter of brick & cement, the chair out of wood & iron nails, the book out of paper & ink. But in addition to those things which have been formed by human intelligence, we see many objects in the world which were not formed by human intelligence, such as: animals, trees, clouds. Now just as the human intellect gave form to houses, chairs, and books : so there must necessarily be an intellect that gave animals, trees, and clouds their forms. This is so, because form cannot be introduced into matter except by intelligence, as matter of itself is blind and cannot distinguish one form from another, or perceive the form it may have; but intelligence, or mind, is that principle by which forms are understood, and one form distinguished from another. Now, as there are forms that exist separate from the human intellect, there must be another intellect which understands and distinguishes them; and, indeed, as the human intellect has not formed itself or caused its own existence, there must be a higher intelligence which has formed it. Now, as we cannot go on to infinity positing a higher and higher intelligence, we must necessarily arrive at the supreme Highest Intelligence, which is Self-Formed and which perceives Itself from all eternity, and which distinguishes and understands all lower forms: this is God.

[1] First Vatican Council, Session 3: Dogmatic Constitution on the Catholic Faith, Chapter 2: On Revelation, §1
[2] Thomas Nagel, The Last Word, Oxford University Press, 1997, pp. 130-131.

[<]

2. What is God?

3. Who is God?

4.

5.

6.

7.

8. Why do I need to worship God?

Firstly, as a matter of justice.
Secondly, as a matter of human happiness or well-being.

It is first of all a matter of justice:

Just as the child has the duty to honour its parents, so the creature has the duty to honour its Creator. The form of honour that is given to God is called worship or adoration, because it is the highest possible honour that can be given to anyone: it involves completely submitting oneself to God as the Maker and Ruler of all things; adoring Him for His infinite perfections (power, mercy, knowledge, love, etc.); and thanking Him for all His benefits as the Provider of all things and Sustainer of the universe.

It is a matter of justice, i.e. a man who refuses to worship God is an unjust man, or criminal. He may not be unjust or criminal in the eyes of the civil law of human society (because not all human societies acknowledge God); but in the eyes of the divine & eternal law, he is. This is because it is an absolutely binding duty for every man to acknowledge and worship His Creator, just as it is for a child to honour its parents; in fact, the duty to honour God is higher than the duty to honour our parents, because God provides even more for us than our parents do, as He sustains our existence every moment and gives us life. The only way one might be excused from the criminal act of refusing to acknowledge and worship God, is if one has seriously impaired intelligence that prevents one from thinking of God in the first place; but the vast majority of men are intelligent enough to know that God exists and to understand their duty to worship Him, as it is written: "Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." (Rom. 1:20).

As we are rational creatures (i.e. beings which can think), we have the duty to think good thoughts about God, to praise Him for His goodness and thank Him for His benefits; but as we are also animals (i.e. beings which have bodies and the senses), we also have a duty to worship God in a visible way, using our bodies to make visible signs of our interior worship.

Even without faith, man has the duty to worship God, because God can be known and worshipped by our natural human powers. The form of thinking or theology that allows man to know God by his natural reason is called natural theology, and the form of religion where man worship God by his natural powers is called natural religion. This natural form of theology and religion can be seen in ancient texts like the Hymn of Cleanthes.

It is secondly a matter of human happiness or well-being:

As man is a rational creature, he has intellect and will (a mind & a heart). His mind seeks the truth, and his heart seeks the good. As God is the First Truth and the Highest Good, man cannot be satisfied unless he contemplates and loves God: "our hearts are restless till they find rest in You." (St. Augustine).

As God is the Creator of all things, "the Beginning and the End", and gives to all things their order and purpose: man cannot know or fulfil his purpose, unless he acts according to the Mind of God and surrenders to the Will of God. Unless man gives himself to God in this way, he is left without an ultimate purpose in life and will seek to satisfy himself instead with passing material things which cannot possibly satisfy him. The human mind & heart both have a certain desire for the infinite: for the infinite truth and infinite goodness of God.

Furthermore, just as the happiness or well-being of every individual man depends on God, so the happiness or well-being of human society as a whole depends on God: ...