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Rational Ground for the Belief in God

The belief in God is a question that has generated many questions among the

philosophers. The conviction for the beliefs is pegged on the acceptance that the real issues are

handled appropriately. Arguments have been raised to support the theological aspects that

support the belief. The supporters of theism have developed arguments that have been in the

forefront of safeguarding the basis for the belief. The rational arguments are classified into three

categories. The categories include the ontological, teleological and cosmological arguments that

have been developed to understand the effects of the aspect of the belief in God. The three

categories have been very significant in understanding the contemporary philosophies that

discuss religion from a special angle. The paper will provide an insight into the rational grounds

that are embraced by the believers in the existence of God despite the presence of evil.

Ontological Arguments

The arguments provide a traditional perspective to the idea of the existence of God. The

arguments are based on the premises that can be isolated from the experience captured in the

world. The arguments are founded on the concept of God and make a conclusion that God exists.

The arguments seek to prove that the nonexistence of God is an impossible phenomenon. The

existence is independent of the fact that evil also exists.

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The proponents of the arguments purport that God is the most powerful being. The

argument is that God exists in both the mind and in reality. The superiority of God is attached to

the aspect of conceivability in both the mind and the reality of life. The logical connection

between the presence of God in the mind and in actual reality concludes the aspect of the

presence of God.

Teleological Arguments

The argument is based on the idea of a deity pegged on the order that is found in nature.

The argument is based on the capability of reflecting the design purpose and intelligence

depicted in the world. The three aspects point to the presence of God.

God is viewed as the designer of the features that constitute nature. The design and

implementation are beyond the capabilities of man thus point to the presence of a unique design

that is superior to the human beings. The complexity of nature itself is important towards

describing the functioning of the appropriate elements that define the capabilities of the human

capabilities.

Cosmological Arguments

The argument is based on the aspect of the metaphysical and empirical elements of the

universe. The idea raises a unique feature that points to the idea of a superior being that controls

the functioning of the universe. The argument is because the features of the universe cover the

aspects that define the actions that exist within the universe. The existence of God is therefore

attached to the categories of the facts that existed before everything else and thus continue to

exist. God is, therefore, the designer of the relations of the people that define the existing

features in the universe.

The Existence of Evil

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The problem of evil is real despite the fact that God still exists. However, the presence of

evil does not point to the aspect of the nonexistence of God. The people themselves at will cause

the first argument points to the fact that the evils have been.

The greatest argument is that the people themselves cause most suffering that human

beings face. God had the choice of creating people that could not commit evil but chose to create

them the way. God enabled the people to make choices on what decisions to make. Human

beings are equipped with the capability of making choices that can be used to govern their

relationships with the people around them.

Nagel's Argument for Atheism against Swinburne's Theodicy

Richard Swinburne emphasizes the aspect of free will that is characterized by the

capability to express free will. Swinburne argues that free will is what leads to the commission of

noble acts. The noble acts refer to the virtues such as forgiveness, self-sacrifice and the need to

be compassionate.

The capability of the human beings to act nobly despite the evils that exist in the society

is important to the success of the human beings. The instantiation of the pleasant feelings would

only prompt the people to improve the existing environments that they occupy. The unpleasant

acts serve to create an opportunity for the people to understand the will of God.

Swinburne asserts that God reserves the responsibility to express compassion towards the

fellow human beings. God is the only being that is perfect from a moral perspective that is made

possible by the capability to withstand the evils of the world. The unpleasant experiences serve

the purpose of creating an environment that is intended to improve the world. The presence of

the various cases of evil ensures that the people serve the purpose of serving God.
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Nagel, on the other hand, asserts that the attributed discrepancy points to the absurd

mismatch that is viewed from the aspect of known evil people are given the opportunity to

express themselves. The mismatch in the lives of the individuals is key to the attainment of the

desired goals of the organization. Nagel asserts that there is no individual that is capable of

meeting the desired goals of humanity.

He believes that there is no individual that can go through suffering for his or her free

will. The aspect of self-love is the biggest acceptance that serves the purpose of retaining the

desired goals of the study. He asserts that the choice of evil is not caused by the desired goals of

the community. The people have the responsibility of accepting the rules of nature and accepting

the desired goals designed to address the arising challenges.

Nagel’s arguments are attempting to negate the assertions placed by Swinburne on the

assertions that God allows for the people to commit evil for improving the world. “An individual

is supposed to behold and share on the glory of God” (Pereboom 8). The arguments are designed

to ignore the aspect of people’s total control of their actions. Nagel believes that God plays no

role and that the people themselves make all the decisions.

All human beings are assigned the responsibility of meeting the desired goals of the

processes. The people’s desires to commit good are guided by the intrinsic good of the need to

have the perfect source of happiness. The possibility of God taking a center stage is therefore not

seen as an important effort that seeks to attain the desired goals.

Sufficiency of Swinburne’s Response

Swinburne attempts to explain the role of evil in shaping the virtues of the world. He

asserts that the aspect of evil is what drives the success of the human life. The organization or the

human society is intended to create a scenario that is built on the capability of meeting the
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desired goals of the organization. The presence of the evils offer the focal point that can be used

in challenging the aspect of theism (Pereboom 24).

The people around the world embrace nobility as the goal that is meant to ensure that the

noble actions are encouraged. The desire to serve Gods purpose is the biggest motivation behind

the aspect of God’s will. The creation of favorable environment is the biggest motivation behind

the people ensuring that the world remains habitable for the diverse population of the human

beings. The problem of evil is meant to ensure that the sufficient efforts are made towards

meeting the desired set of the goals. God has the right of taking any decision that the individual

might have in their minds. The presence of evil does not imply the absence of God in any way.

In conclusion, the assertions made by Swinburne are valid and qualify to be treated as

such. The response that he gives towards the idea of the presence of God is sufficient. He

explains that the human being makes the choice to commit a wrong action and is not in God's

plan to interrupt such thoughts.

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Work Cited

Pereboom, Derk. "Libertarianism and Theological Determinism." Free Will and Theism:

Connections, Contingencies, and Concerns (2016): 112-31.