The Strand Study Bible

The ontological argument for the existence of God By Anselm of Canterbury (c. AD 1078) Anselm defined God as “that which nothing greater can be conceived,” and then argued that this Being could exist in the mind. He suggested that, if the greatest possible Being exists in the mind, it must also exist in reality ( Gen 1:11 and Heb 11:3 ). Consider Anselm’s following logic: It is possible that a maximally great Being (God) can exist If it is possible that this Being exists, then this Being exists in some possible worlds If this Being exists in some possible worlds, then this Being exists in all possible worlds If this Being exists in all possible worlds, then this Being exists in the actual world If this Being exists in the actual world, then the greatest possible Being (God) exists Austrian mathematician Kurt Godel then took Anselm’s ontological theorem one step further and formalized the following theorem confirming the existence of God: God, by definition, is that for which no greater can be conceived. God exists in the understanding. If God exists in the understanding, we could imagine Him to be greater by existing in reality. Therefore, God must exist. Then, with the help of just one MacBook, two Germans computer gurus (Christoph Benzmuller of Berlin’s Free University and Bruno Woltzenlogel Paleo of the Technical University in Vienna) took Godel’s ontological theorem, applied it to an Apple computer, and with an unprecedented degree of detail and formality with the help of higher-order theorem provers, confirmed Godel’s ontological theorem (proof ) of God’s existence. NOTE – One of the most inspirational books I’ve read was by Mitch Albom called Tuesdays with Morrie . It’s the true story about a wonderful little Jewish teacher/ professor by the name of Morrie Schwartz who gives his take on life after being diagnosed with ALS (The Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In it Albom notes: Now, Morrie, by his own admission, had been an agnostic for many years. But after his diagnosis of ALS, he began to explore. To rethink. He delved into religious teachings. On Tuesday in August 1995, according to my notes, we spoke about this. Morrie told me he once believed that death was cold and final. “You go in the ground and that’s it.” But now he felt differently. What is your concept now, I asked? “I have not settled on one yet…” he said, honest as always. “However, this is too harmonious, grand, and overwhelming a universe to believe that it’s all an accident.” What a thing for a onetime agnostic to say. Too harmonious, grand, and over- whelming a universe to believe that it’s all an accident? This, remember, was when Morrie’s body was an empty husk, when he needed to be washed and groomed, when he needed his nose blown and his bottom wiped. Harmonious? Grand? If he could find the world’s majesty from such a decayed and difficult posture, how hard could it be for the rest of us? 1 FINAL NOTE – Another great read is William Lane Craig’s book called The Absurity of Life Without God .

1 Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie, New York, NY, Broadway Books, 1997,2007. Print.

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