Cosmological Argument
1. Who is considered the author of the Ontological argument?
ANS: Saint Anslem
2. The first 3 “Ways” by St. Thomas Aquinas (to prove the existence of God) are called:
a. argument from design
b. argument from perfection
c. cosmological argument
d. none of the above.
ANS: Cosmological argument
3. Explain the thrid way by Aquinas...which is called the argument from contigency. (2 or 3 sentences)
ANS: Contingency can be explained as the possibility of things that come into being and go out of being. There are things in nature that come into existence and go out of existence. There was a time when nothing existed. But as nothing can come from nothing, so there must exist a being which is not merely possible but necessary from which everything …show more content…
has come into existence. This ‘being’ does not owe its existence to anything, but must exist for anything else to exist.
4. The theory of evolution has gained scientific status as the legitimate theory to explain how life on earth evolved. It does not require that life was caused by an “intelligent designer” T or F
ANS: True
5.
The big bang theory cannot be reconciled with the notion of an intelligent designer. T or F
ANS: True
6. Recent court decisions have disallowed the teaching of “intelligent design” in high school biology classes. What is the reasoning behind this decision? (one or two sentences).
ANS: Court decisions have disallowed the teaching of “Intelligent Design” in high school biology classes, because it is believed to be a form of creationism, a religious theory that can’t be backed up by evidence and proofs. The theory of Intelligent Design states that humans are too complicated to have evolved from random chemical and physical forces.
7. An agnostic is described as a person who has “no position” on whether God exists or not. In other words, it is a position in which the person argues that since it cannot be “proven” either way, the most sensible position is to claim that you neither “believe” or “disbelieve”. In terms of Pascal’s Wager, you could say you aren’t going to make “any bets”. How would Pascal Wager classify you?
Choose one: believer, non-believer, no way to classify you.
ANS: Non-believer
8. In the history of western philosophy, most of the “classical arguments” with respect to the existence of God have tried to show that God does not exist. T or
F
ANS: False
9. In terms of the cosmological argument, the basic premise is that there cannot be…
a. the most perfect being that does not have existence
b. an infinite regress
c. a universe that is only populated with “contingent” beings
d. b and c
ANS: b and c
10. What is the problem of evil? State the basic problem (two or three sentences)…not the possible solutions.
ANS: If God exists and is the Creator, the most powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then how is it possible that there is so much suffering, killing, and horrible things happening in the world?
ANS: Saint Anslem
2. The first 3 “Ways” by St. Thomas Aquinas (to prove the existence of God) are called:
a. argument from design
b. argument from perfection
c. cosmological argument
d. none of the above.
ANS: Cosmological argument
3. Explain the thrid way by Aquinas...which is called the argument from contigency. (2 or 3 sentences)
ANS: Contingency can be explained as the possibility of things that come into being and go out of being. There are things in nature that come into existence and go out of existence. There was a time when nothing existed. But as nothing can come from nothing, so there must exist a being which is not merely possible but necessary from which everything …show more content…
has come into existence. This ‘being’ does not owe its existence to anything, but must exist for anything else to exist.
4. The theory of evolution has gained scientific status as the legitimate theory to explain how life on earth evolved. It does not require that life was caused by an “intelligent designer” T or F
ANS: True
5.
The big bang theory cannot be reconciled with the notion of an intelligent designer. T or F
ANS: True
6. Recent court decisions have disallowed the teaching of “intelligent design” in high school biology classes. What is the reasoning behind this decision? (one or two sentences).
ANS: Court decisions have disallowed the teaching of “Intelligent Design” in high school biology classes, because it is believed to be a form of creationism, a religious theory that can’t be backed up by evidence and proofs. The theory of Intelligent Design states that humans are too complicated to have evolved from random chemical and physical forces.
7. An agnostic is described as a person who has “no position” on whether God exists or not. In other words, it is a position in which the person argues that since it cannot be “proven” either way, the most sensible position is to claim that you neither “believe” or “disbelieve”. In terms of Pascal’s Wager, you could say you aren’t going to make “any bets”. How would Pascal Wager classify you?
Choose one: believer, non-believer, no way to classify you.
ANS: Non-believer
8. In the history of western philosophy, most of the “classical arguments” with respect to the existence of God have tried to show that God does not exist. T or
F
ANS: False
9. In terms of the cosmological argument, the basic premise is that there cannot be…
a. the most perfect being that does not have existence
b. an infinite regress
c. a universe that is only populated with “contingent” beings
d. b and c
ANS: b and c
10. What is the problem of evil? State the basic problem (two or three sentences)…not the possible solutions.
ANS: If God exists and is the Creator, the most powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then how is it possible that there is so much suffering, killing, and horrible things happening in the world?