1. Welcome

2. Existence of God

3. I did not see God!! Gherman S Titov Soviet Cosmonaut

4. In the beginning God created the heavens….. American Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, William Anders

5. What is Truth?

6. TRUTH Universal Objective

7. Does God Exist?

8. Why should I think of God? More consequences for life follow from that one issue (belief in God) than from any other Mortimer Adler Editor, The Great Books of western world

12. Consequences of beliefs (Lenin)

13. Consequences of beliefs (Stalin)

14. Consequences of beliefs (Freud)

15. Can God’s Existence be Proved?  God’s existence cannot be proved in a mathematical or scientific sense.  Physical, Conceptual & Emotional realms  Instead we should ask if belief in God’s existence is reasonable.

16. Evidence for God  The Cosmological Argument  The Teleological Argument  The Axiological Argument

17. 1. Cosmological Argument

18. Cosmological Argument  The universe had a beginning (2 nd law of thermodynamics & Big bang theory)  Anything that had a beginning must have been caused by something else. (Law of Causality & 1 st law of thermodynamics)  Therefore the universe was caused by something else (a Creator).

19. Conclusions of Cosmological argument uThe material universe had a beginning and, therefore, is not eternal u The CAUSE of material universe must be eternal u The CAUSE must be something immaterial, spiritual or supernatural

20. 2. Teleological Argument

21. The Teleological Argument  Argument (William Paley)  Argument based on the design in the Universe and Life.  Argument from Psalms 19:1-4, Psalms 139:14  Watchmaker design.

30. God OR Chance God OR Chance

31. CREATION DESIGN ART ORDER

32. Complex Design in Universe  51 Fine-tuned Parameters to our Galaxy, Solar System, and Planet  distance from the sun  size, temperature, & type of sun  size, axial tilt, rotation speed, moon, & composition of earth  stability of Jupiter and Saturn

33. Complex Design in Universe  Jupiter acts as a comet and asteroid magnet shielding earth from catastrophic collisions.  Our sun is located between spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy where there are fewer stars (less harmful radiation and disruptive gravity) and less gas and dust (we can see the rest of the galaxy and universe  Our sun is located between spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy where there are fewer stars (less harmful radiation and disruptive gravity) and less gas and dust (we can see the rest of the galaxy and universe).

35. God’s Incredible Creatures What does the Bible say about the Creation of Creatures? Gen. 1: 11(1), 12(2), 21(2), 24(2), 25(3) “according to its kind” used 10 times Let’s look at some of these Creatures Any evidence that creatures evolved? Do creatures appear to be designed? By whom? Is Evolution really true? Is God the Designer/Creator of these incredible creatures?

36. The Cheetah Cheetah cat can run at up to 70 mph over a distance of 700 yards or more Cheetah can reach 45 mph in 2 seconds! Cheetah is the fastest land animal

37. The Giraffe Ten ft. high at the shoulder Eight foot neck Seven neck bones Huge heart to deliver blood to the brain Large lungs (8 * human) Slow air intake

38. Eight-Armed Octopus Eight-armed, ink-shooting octopuses Jet-propelled and fast swimmer Shoots ink to create smoke screen and dull a predator Can re-grow an arm if it loses/eats one

39. The Weddell Seal Weddell seals that can remain underwater for 45 minutes Dive to depths of 1500 feet

40. The Archerfish Archerfish that can shoot water 15 feet into the air and hit a bug Mouth at surface Eyes underwater

41. Cicada Insect About 2500 species exist One (magicicada) can live underground for 13 to 17 years Does not bite or sting and not a pest Make a real racket when they emerge

42. Migratory Instincts White-throated warbler Summers in Germany Winters in Africa Parent birds take off for Africa at end of Summer as young birds become more independent Young birds take off a few weeks later, flying instinctively across 1000’s of miles of unfamiliar land and sea to rejoin their parents Brains of birds have inherited knowledge Can tell latitude, longitude and direction by the stars Have “calendar”, clock and navigational data

43. Alaskan Golden Plover Born in Alaska 26 days of incubation After few months, parents fly to Hawaii 4500 Km from Alaska to Hawaii Average weight of bird is 140 grams Put on 70 more grams of weight as fuel

44. Cell Structure Average human body contains 75+ trillion cells

45. Examining the Cell How to examine the cell?

46. The Human Eye Staggering complexity Can’t be explained by step-by-step random mutation and selection

47. Darwin’s Black Box Behe showed that the cell, Darwin’s Black Box, is filled with irreducibly complex molecular machines that could not be built by natural selection

48. Darwin’s Black Box - 2 Over 100 molecular motors are now known to exist inside the cell with very specific analogies to human designed motors.

49. Evolution Cannot Explain More features of God’s incredible creatures: Visual beauty – where from? why? Exhibited by fish deep in the sea Mimicry – how did it develop? One type of organism imitates/mimics another type e.g. spiders disguising as ants (8 legs vs. 6 legs) Angler fish Convergence (similar organs/structures) Sonar systems in bat and porpoise Wing mechanisms “evolved” separately in insects, bats, flying reptiles, birds No evolutionary mechanism can explain this!

50. 3. Axiological Argument

51. The Axiological Argument  Is there a Law Written on Our Hearts?  The argument is based on Morality in human beings.  Moral laws imply a Moral Law Giver.  There is an objective moral law.  Therefore, there is a Moral Law Giver

52. Moral Laws Imply a Moral Lawgiver  Moral Laws are different from natural laws.  Moral laws describe what ought to be.  “human beings all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.” C. S. Lewis –Mere Christianity

53. Summary  Life without God is absurd.  The universe requires a sufficient Cause.  The design of the universe and living things implies a designer.  Our universal sense of right and wrong implies a Law Giver.  Therefore belief in God is reasonable.

54. Belief in God is reasonable and I do believe in God But, what if, God calls you as an ‘ATHEIST’ !!!!

55. Types of Atheists  Dogmatic  Critical  Philosophic  Practical

56. Practical Atheism  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD – Isaiah 31:1  Do not look to the Holy One  Do not seek help from the LORD  Do not rely on Him/ Trust Him

57. Practical Atheism My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jeremiah 2:13

58. Practical Atheism  13Therefore this is what the L ORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard anything like this? A most horrible thing has been done by Virgin Israel. 13  14Does the snow of Lebanon ever vanish from its rocky slopes? Do its cool waters from distant sources ever stop flowing? 14  15Yet my people have forgotten me; they burn incense to worthless idols – Jeremiah 18:13-15 15

59. Why study of doctrine of GOD?

60. Importance of Doctrine of GOD  Psalm 9:10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, L ORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.  Proverbs 18:10 The name of the L ORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe

61. Attributes of God and Acts of God  Attributes of God are those qualities of God that constitute what he is, the very characteristics of his nature  Acts of God are creating, guiding and preserving and his corresponding roles as Creator, Guide, Preserver.

62. Nature of Attributes  The attributes are permanent and intrinsic qualities, which can not be gained or lost.  God’s attributes are essential and inherent dimensions of his nature  His attributes are not our perceptions projected upon him. They are objective characteristics of his nature

63. God’s Being is not a collection of Attributes added together

64. God’s attributes are not additions to His Real Being

65. God’s Love and Justice

66. God’s Love, Justice, Holiness and Wisdom

67. Classification of Attributes  Communicable and Incommunicable  Immanent (Intransitive) and Emanant (transitive)  Absolute and Relative  Natural and Moral

68. Communicable and Incommunicable  Communicable attributes are those qualities of God for which at least a partial counter part can be found in his human creatures e.g. Love, Omnipotence – infinite in God, at least partial form in humans  Incommunicable attributes are those qualities of God for which no counter part is found in humans e.g. Omni presence

69. Immanent and Emanant  Immanent attributes are those qualities which remain within God’s own nature e.g. spirituality  Emanant attributes are those qualities which go out from and operate outside the nature of God, affecting the creation such as mercy which require an object

70. Absolute and Relative  Absolute attributes are those he has in himself, and has always possessed, independently of the objects of his creation e.g. Infinity  Relative attributes are those manifested through his relationship to other subjects and inanimate objects. The relative attributes are the absolute attributes applied to situations involving created objects e.g. eternity and omnipresence

71. Natural and Moral  Moral attributes (goodness attributes) are those which in human context would relate to the concept of rightness (as opposed to wrongness) e.g. Holiness, love, mercy, faithfulness  Natural attributes (greatness attributes) are the non moral superlatives of God e.g. knowledge and power

72. Attributes of greatness  Spirituality  Personality  Life  Infinity  Constancy

73. Attributes of goodness  Moral Purity –Holiness, Righteousness, Justice  Integrity –Genuineness, Veracity, Faithfulness  Love –Benevolence, Grace, Mercy, Persistence

74. Attributes of God  God is SPIRIT (John 4:24) –Does not have the limitations involved with physical body –Not limited to a particular geographical/spatial location (Jn 4:21, Acts 17:24) –He is not destructible as is material nature –Anthropomorphisms, Theophany – express truth about God through human analogies –God’s spirituality was a counter to the practice of idolatry and of nature worship

75. Attributes of God  God is personal –Individual being, self consciousness –Will –Capable of feeling –Choosing –Reciprocal relationship

76. Attributes of God  God is personal –God has name –Names that the personal God assumes refers primarily to his relationship with persons – his concerns with directing and shaping the lives..

77. Names of God  I AM  EL  Elohim  El Elijon – ‘the most high God’ Gen 14:18  El Shaddai – ‘the Almighty God’  El Olam – ‘the Everlasting God’

78. Compound Names of God  Jehovah – Elohim  Jehovah – Jireh  Jehovah – Rapha  Jehovah – Nissi  Jehovah – Shalom  Jehovah – Raah  Jehovah – Tsidkenu  Jehovah – Saboah  Jehovah – Shammah  Adonai – Jehovah

79. Attributes of God  God is personal –Because God is a person, he can be approached. –Relationship is not merely one way. He is living and reciprocating –To be treated as a being…idea of God is not some thing to be used, solve our problems and meet our needs –God is an end in himselfnot a means to an end –He is of value to us for what he is in himself, not merely for what he does –Exod 20:3 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of Egypt….you shall have no other Gods before me

80. Attributes of God  God is LIFE –Exod 3:14 I AM –Jeremiah 10:10 …the living God –God does not derive his life from any external sources –The continuation of God’s existence does not depend anything outside of him –God relates to us but by his choice not because he is compelled by some need

81. God is Infinite  Finite objects have a location. Greatness is measured by how much space they occupy. With God whereness (location) is not applicable. God brought space and time into being (Acts 17:24-25)  God’s Infinity – there is no place where he cannot be found. Tension between Immanence of God (God is every where) and his transcendence (he is not anywhere) – Jer 23:23

82. God is Infinite  God is infinite in relation to time Ps 90:1-2  God is time less – he does not grow or develop. He is aware of that events occur in particular order  Implications – Elijah –Beware of sacred connotations to certain places

83. God is Infinite  God is infinite with respect to objects of knowledge –Ps 147:5, Proverbs 15:3, Mathew 10:29, Heb 4:13  God’s infinity in relation to as the omnipotence of God –Gen 17:1, Jeremiah 32:15. Mathew 19:26

84. Holiness  There are 2 aspects to God’s Holiness 1. His uniqueness 2. His absolute purity

85. Holiness  Holiness – His uniqueness –Exodus 15:11 –1 Samuel 2:2 –Isaiah 57:15 –Isaiah 6:1-4  Objects and places associated with him –Exodus 3,19,26:33

86. Holiness  Holiness – His absolute purity –Habakkuk 1:13 –James 1:13 –Job 34:12  Biblical writers repeatedly emphasize that believers are to be like God

87. Thank you