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[논문] THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IN CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (영문) (41)
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PAUL
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2024-04-23 03:20:08, 조회 : 19 |
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Paul Jang
✝✝✝ A DEMONSTRATION OF GOD AND THE ARGUMENTS
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF CHRISTIAN GOD IN CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS (41)
by Dr. Paul B. Jang (Ph.D. Christian Apologetics) (영문) ✝✝✝
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURES:
PHILOSOPHICAL AND THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE
CONCEPTS AND EXISTENCE OF GOD
THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
Rational Arguments
The Value of the Rational Arguments
These rational arguments are not significant to the believers because none of them does believe in the existence of God by explanation of the rational arguments. They believe in the existence of God depending upon the special revelation of God Himself in the Bible, and on the other hand, they also believe in God s existence in their belief which God gave them as a gift.
But we have not to expect that we will believe in the existence of God depending upon the rational arguments because it cannot give us a perfect conviction. In fact, the belief in the existence of God is an object of faith but not a knowledge being able to get through reason.
The theistic rational arguments are considered to be logically invalid. Walter Kaufmann argued, Can we prove God s existence with a valid argument in which God does not appear in any of the premise? (Kaufmann, 1961, 169).
To the weakness of these rational arguments, Berkhof says in negative response as this: If many in our day are willing to stake their faith in the existence of God on such rational arguments, it is to a great extent due to the fact that they refuse to accept the testimony on the Word of God (Berkhof, 1971, 27).
And in evaluating these rational arguments, we should not pass by the fact that it has some important issue to convince unbelievers. Nevertheless, it cannot completely convince the unbelievers to believe in God. Nonetheless, it is no doubt that these rational arguments have some value for believers themselves and for them to explain the existence of God to an unbeliever.
For this point, Berkhof insists as this: Moreover, in using these arguments in an attempt to convince unbelievers, it will be well to bear in mind that none of them can be said to carry absolute conviction. No one did more to discredit them than Kant (Berkhof, 1971, 28).
As a matter of fact, there is a different tendency to the rational argument for the existence of God between the day of Kant and today.
Although it seems that in his days many had discarded them as meaningless in particular, but today they are more significant to both believers and unbelievers. Louis Berkhof continues to say as follows:
Since his day many philosophers and theologians have discarded them as utterly worthless, but to-day they are once more gaining favor and their number is increasing. And the fact that in our day so m any find in them rather satisfying indications of the existence of God, some value for believers themselves, but should be called testimonia rather than arguments. Berkhof, 1971, 28)
And also, they have a great systematic theological and missiological significance. Systematically, they have been teaching about the value of the God s general revelation, and missiologically, they give a chance for the Christians to preach God, the Creator. Berkhof says as follows:
They are important as interpretations of God s general revelation and as exhibiting the reasonableness of belief in a divine Being. Moreover, they can render some service in meeting the adversary. While they do not prove the existence of God beyond the possibility of doubt, so as to compel assent they can be so construed as to establish a strong probability and thereby silence many unbelievers. (Berkohof, 1917, 28)
Limitation of the Arguments
It is impossible to perfectly prove the existence of God through the rational arguments because God is not a rational being but a Spirit. This rational proofs for the existence of God are not generally persuasive to unbeliever. Someone, therefore, insisted that the rational arguments are convincing only when people are already predisposed to believe (Marty, 1964, 209).
Michael Novak, for these proofs, pointed out that the most persuasive force for religion is not rational theology but mystical theology, not the principle of objectivity but subjectivity, not the clear...arguments of Aquinas, Pascal, Kierkegaard, which are found most appealing (Novak, 1965, 105).
Walter Kaufmann insisted Can we prove God s existence with a valid argument in which God does not appear in any of the premises? For clearly if God does not appear in any of the premises, he will not appear in the conclusion either: if did not, the argument would have to be invalid (Kaufmann, 1961, 169). This means that the theistic proofs are psychologically not only unpersuasive to the modern mind, but also they are widely considered to be logically invalid.
In modern reaction to the proofs for the existence of God, it is true that proofs do not always persuade. There are two reasons for them not to be persuaded by the proofs. One is that if the proof for God is successful, it leads a person only to believe the existence of God but does not lead them to believe in God.
This point is the limitations to which the rational arguments cannot lead the unbelievers to believe the existence of God and that God. Nevertheless, this point here is that their lack of persuasion is not necessarily a fault of the rational argument.
This is rather a result of people s own choice. Therefore, in order for someone to be persuaded, there must be a cooperation of the will with the mind.
If one is unwilling to look at a proof, unwilling to accept any proof, unwilling to accept the validity of a proof as applied to God, or unwilling to accept the God the proof concludes, then one will not be persuaded by theistic arguments. On the other hand, person of good will who are seeking the truth will be persuaded by good reasoning. And it is up to the theist to supply these good reasons (Geisler and Corduan, 1988, 88). ❤❤❤
- to be continued -
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선교운동소개
동역자실 