Theism

What is reality. What is the explanation of how things are?

Theism is the world view that believes that God Exist. A creator of the Universe that is outside the Universe created all that there is. There are four world views that believe in a creator. Deism and the three mono theist beliefs.... Judaism, Chistianity and Islam. These views are in stark contrast to the world views that fall under Materialism. This is the believe that everything is matter and motion. material items that are pushed around by energy. There is no God, no angels, no afterlife, nothing that is like a soul etc. None of these things are real because none of this is physical or material.

In explaining Theism (General) it can often be understood by contrasting it with materialism. In understanding how things really are, it is not good enough to try and think of what is possible. For example, some have suggested that we are actually not real but are just in a movie in some vat in a laboratory playing out a role for something else. No, We are looking for something that is highly more probable and that in light of the evidence, it is the most reasonable thing to believe that actually represents reality.

Both views (materialism/theism) must be able to explain the most critical things. What are these things? What is the most obvious thing about our existence that needs explaining? There is a thing or reality that needs explaining. Why is there something here in our awareness and observation rather than nothing here? The philosopher Leibniz formalized and explained this question but the average person can reflect on it with common sense as well. There is something that exist and it hasn't always been here. For those that think about these things understand that the universe has not always been here. For a long period of time scientist believed that was true but now there is a vast majority that believe even from a scientific point of view that there was a beginning to the universe. This is mostly agreed upon in the scientific community as well as the metaphysical or philosophical community.

Now what is the best explanation of this fact. If you fall in line with most of the accepted science of the day you believe in the 'big bang" which is simply saying there was a beginning to time, space and matter. Some people on both sides are not comfortable with "big bang cosmology" but that is insignificant for the moment because we are only thinking about the fact that there was a beginning rather than an "always been" scenario. Some answer this big bang problem with the “multiple universe theory.” There is no empirical evidence for this even though there is a bit of math that influenced the idea. it is said that this theory can never be proved and we will never know since there is no evidence.

Was there an ultimate beginning? What caused it? There are basically only two possible answers. Either some thing (designer, creator) caused this entire existence or no thing caused it.

The universe just popped into existence for no reason or purpose or a designer caused it to come into existence with a very possible reason and purpose. Now some will say that gravity played a role in starting everything, but that is some thing that is a part of the material universe. So if no thing caused it, it is more like magic or that something just popped into existence without a cause. Often materialist will say that God is not real and who made God etc., but Theist believe that God is not material and is outside of the known universe. Leibniz went on to explain that there are necessary things and contingent things in the universe. Contingent things are depending on something or someone else for their existence. God is a necessary thing. He exist by necessity as the creator and does not need to depend on anything else for its existence. His nature warrents this status and he is the supreme cause for everything in a universe which is contingent on someone or something for its existence.

Now which is the best explanation. A creator would have to be immensely powerful, smart, be a mind or a personal being, Only agents rather than just events cause this kind of traumatic change. A series of events don't start themself. Someone has to initiate the action. It is frequently said the Big Bang needs a Big Banger.

So the first thing I leaned toward in the decision making process is that it was a better explanation that something big and powerful outside of the known universe is the explanation of why things exist rather than the answer that nothing started everything. I think that is a common sense and solid choice based on the evidence.

The next thing that can be observed about this subject is that the universe is ordered. The physical constants that had to exist when the big bang occurred had to be perfect in order for the chain of events to create a universe as we know it and for life to exist. The number of facts that have to be set in line are ridiculous in the sense that it had to otherwise be rigged. If you flipped a legitimate coin and your outcome out of a thousand flips was always "heads" then you would figure something was wrong or set up in some way. The balances in the universe in the the scientific data are way beyond even this when it comes to the universe coming into existence and having an earth like we have with the ability to sustain life. This is one of the more powerful arguments for Theism referred to as the Fine Tuning argument.

Atheist do not deny the universe appears ordered. In fact there would be no science to even study if we could not depend on this orderliness and even the use of our minds in logic. But the atheist looks at things like the apparent randomness of things such as natural disasters and the horrible things that happen to people often caused by people as a reason that if there was a God, that God would surely not permit such things. Actually this happens to be the “argument of evil” which is one of the best arguments against the existence of God. Over time this argument has not held up as all one must do to combat this argument is provide good reasons that God could have allowed evil in the world.

If we jump passed the "Existence of God" issue and look at the kinds of Theism to choose from we see that the Christian World View teaches that while the universe is highly designed, it at the same time has a broken nature as well. This is the belief that all humans are "sinners" and choose their own wishes rather than their creators directions. This fallenness is the reason for even natural disasters and the entire universe has a broken aspect. If God is the creator he had a choice to create life that worshiped him or create life and give the gift of a "free will" which would account for human evil. Without the choice there can not be a relationship of love between humanity and the creator.

Other Thoughts

Atheist often say that Theist just made up the existence of God. At the same time many atheist believe that there is meaning to life. The point being that without an all powerful God-Creator, there would be no real meaning to life and there would also be not “ground” for what is right and wrong. You can say that there are little meanings of life along the way such as the good deeds you do to help people, but in the end there is no meaning without God because there is no-one to hold evil doers accountable or to reward those that do good. If there was no “ground” source for our understanding of right and wrong then what is wrong with choosing evil. Good and evil just become a personal taste issue rather than an objective truth in society.

There are strong arguments for a design and designer. There are no strong arguments by atheist for “meaning in life.”

Everything except God had a beginning. Even time had a beginning. So God created time and space and matter and God is outside of Time and Space and Matter. Depending on your world view there are strong arguments that God also operates within time, space and matter.

The mono theist story of creation says that a single God created everything. This was in contrast to the ancient stories of creation coming from different cultures which always had multiple Gods in creation. In fact they were all born but not the God Creator in Genesis.

Science goes about explaining what is. But they can never explain why. Science can only explain those things in the natural world but since God is separate from the universe it does not address it but often say it is meaningless.

Science also cannot prove or explain the emergence of life from non-life.

Science cannot explain consciousness. Why are humans and to some extent certain animals “self aware?” How did a creation that was self aware come from a universe that was “non aware?”

So an atheist believes that the universe just popped into existence by itself. That life came from non-life by itself and that consciousness just happened by itself. As I travel on this journey the arguments for God seem much more compelling.

In contrast to each other… The theist must account for the existence of evil and suffering.

The Atheist must account for everything else… that is the universe, life, consciousness, beauty art, love and music.

Does it make sense that a creator would not care for his creation? If the human race cares about right and wrong then it would also make sense that the creator does.

How could humans who care be created by a being who doesn’t care?

An honest response to the problem of evil should be curiosity as to why a creator would allow evil. One should not deny all of the other obvious truths. In the Bible there are many teachings on the problem of evil and how God permits evil but ultimately, He is the only one that could achieve all justice in the universe.