Part Seven: The Cosmological Argument Demonstrates God Exists and Is the God Revealed in Scripture
Probably the best philosophical argument for God’s existence is the Kalam cosmological argument. Although it has been around for centuries, the cosmological argument has taken on additional weight due to scientific discoveries in recent decades that have corroborated the argument. Put as a syllogism, the argument goes like this:
Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
The universe began to exist.
Therefore, the universe has a cause.
I’ll present the cosmological argument in two ways. In this blog post, I’ll put it philosophically, corroborated by scientific evidence that supports it. In next week’s blog, I’ll explain how to use it in casual encounters; that is, not so much as a philosophical argument for God’s existence but as a practical application when speaking with atheists.
Premise One: Whatever Begins to Exist Has a Cause
When we observe nature, we see that everything is contingent upon something else for its existence. If it exists, it’s the effect of a cause. Moreover, the cause is always greater than the effect. For example, wind and water cause erosions; pressures under the earth’s crust cause a volcanic eruption; intense heat from the sun causes glaciers to melt, and so on.
Premise Two: The Universe Began to Exist
It was once assumed the universe was infinite—it always existed. However, big bang cosmology and the 1st & 2nd laws of thermodynamics have demonstrated the universe had a beginning—it is not finite. Therefore, an initiating First Cause created the cosmos, or nothing subsequent could exist.
Conclusion: Therefore, the Universe Has a Cause
Building on these two premises, we can conclude that the universe had a cause. Furthermore, that cause must exist outside and independent of the universe—apart from natural processes. Moreover, it must be self-existing or uncaused and not bound by time and space. Since an effect cannot be greater than its cause, this “First Cause” must be greater than the universe it created.
But What is the “First Cause?”
At this point, we have only demonstrated the existence of a First Cause, which we can legitimately refer to as God. However, we still need to demonstrate that God is the God of Scripture. This will be the subject of blog nine, which I’ll post in two weeks. But first, in part eight next week. I will suggest a simpler and more practical way to apply the cosmological argument, especially in ordinary witnessing encounters. This will be the topic of next week’s blog post. ©