Religious Expierence

An experience within a religious context from something beyond the person having the experience.

Direct communication from God, for example, Moses and the burning bush.

Indirect communication from God, for example, The Bible, truths are realised after a period of reflection.

The cosmological argument attempts to prove that God exists by showing that there cannot be an infinite number of regressions of causes to things that exist. It states that there must be a final uncaused-cause of all things. This uncaused-cause is asserted to God. This is sometimes called the 1st Cause Argument.

The teleological argument is the second traditional argument for the existence of God. William Paley's 'watch' argument stated that looking into the inside of a watch with all of its intricate parts, which work together so complexly, must deduce that this piece of machinery has a creator since it is too complex to just come to be. Therefore, because the world is so complex, there must have been a creator for it - God.

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his enternal power and diety, has been clearly percieved in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse"

Italian (1225-1274)

Gives 5 arguments for the existence of God.

1. The unmoved mover

2. The uncaused causer (The Cosmological Argument)

3. Possibiliy of perfection

4. Degrees of perfection

5. 'Intelligence Design' (The Teleological Argument)

Unusual - Greater power must be involved - supernatural

Not possible for a 'God' to intervene in that way - coincedence - no other explanation...yet.

- Subjective

- You can't prove it