THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

THE TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

• This argument is named Teleological

Argument, the term comes from the Greek
word “TELOS” which means design,
purpose or goal etc. The Teleological
argument goes like this;

“Every design had a designer;

The universe has highly complex design,
Therefore, the universe had a designer.”
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

• This is the oldest and the most popular of

all arguments for the existence of God. It
infers an intelligent designer of the
universe. It discerns evidence of purposeful
adaptation of the word “TELEO.”
• Ancient Greek philosopher were impressed
with the order that pervades the cosmos
and many of them ascribed that order to the
work of an intelligent mind who fashioned
the universe.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Plato and Aristotle

• Plato’s academy lavished extensive time
and thought on the study of astronomy
because he believed it a science who
would awaken man to divine destiny.
• Aristotle on the other hand, personally
studied heaven, gazed the sky and asked
the question; “what is the cause of all of
these?” He concluded that the cause was a
divine intelligence.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Plato and Aristotle • Aristotle proceeded to argue that there

must be a First “Unmoved Mover” which is
God; a living, intelligent, incorporeal,
eternal and most-good being who is the
source of order in the cosmos.
• Hence, from earliest times, even when men
were wholly removed from biblical
revelation, have concluded on the basis of
design in the universe, that a divine mind
must have existed.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) • This is his fifth argument, man observe in

nature that all things operate towards some
end (purpose), even those things that lack
consciousness.
• Aquinas reasons, that lack of
consciousness would be impossible
towards achieving a goal unless it is under
the direction of someone with
consciousness and intelligence.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) • He implicitly confirmed the validity of the

Teleological Argument when he marveled
at the design of our Solar system, he
wrote; “The most beautiful of the sun,
planets and comets, could only proceed
from the counsels and dominion of an
intelligent and powerful being.” (Newton,
1687).
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

William Paley (1743-1805)

• He made the argument famous by his
common-sense assertion of the existence
of God that leads us to an intelligent
designer aka “watchmaker analogy.”
• Even though we don’t know how it was
made or why was it there– still God
reveals only what is necessary for us to
know.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
INTELLIGENT DESIGN

William Paley (1743-1805)

• Scientists later discovered that the universe
is specifically tweaked to enable life on
earth—planet with scores of improbable and
interdependent life supporting condition
that make it a tiny oasis in a vast and hostile
universe.
• These highly precise and interdependent
condition is called “anthropic constant” aka
“Anthropic Principle.” It simply refers to the
mounting evidence that the universe is
“finely tuned”(designed) to support human
life here on earth.
APOLLO 13
THE FINE-TUNING PRINCIPLE AND
THE APOLLO 13
• April 13, 1970, Commander Jim Lovell blasted
out the earth to the moon, when after 55 hrs.
and 54 mins. an explosion took place, and the
bang has blasted the 12 x 6 ft. panel fuel and
the antenna. The O2 supply of the space craft
depleted from 20-60%. More than that the
craft’s sensor was also affected– 2 of the 3
fuel cells are dead and the 3rd is diminishing
rapidly.
• On earth, oxygen comprises 21% of the
atmosphere. If it reaches 25%, fire will spark
spontaneously. If it reach 15% all life forms
will suffocate. The astronaut must find a way
to maintain the right level of oxygen in their
ship.
THE FINE-TUNING PRINCIPLE AND
THE APOLLO 13
• The explosion also created shortage of
electricity and H2O. On Apollo 13, H2O and
electricity are produced by combining O2
with H2 in the fuel cell. Without O2 there will
be no way to form air, H2O and power. And
since they’re inside the vacuum of space,
there is no source of oxygen outside the
shuttle.
• The decision is to go back to earth but there
isn’t enough fuel. And they need to sustain
themselves with O2 for 48 hrs. They need to
conserve H2O, O2 and electricity. So they
shut down all system including heat, they
consume only 1 small cup of H2O/ day.
THE FINE-TUNING PRINCIPLE AND
THE APOLLO 13
• All 3 astronauts began to dehydrate– this
makes concentration more difficult. As the
craft sling back to earth, the O2 that is
being consumed lesser and the C2O begins
to increase in a dangerous level in the ship.
They will poison themselves by their own
breath. So, they were instructed (via radio)
to do an improvised filters.
THE FINE-TUNING PRINCIPLE AND
APOLLO 13

• Like that small space craft, earth will result

also in a big problem as well. Scientists
thought that there was a design in order to
create a “narrow envelop” for life-
supporting condition here on earth.
• Any slight deviation of any one of
environmental and physical factor
(constants) will prevent man from existence.
Like the Apollo 13, these constants are
interdependent– small change might affect
the other and could prevent or destroy the
conditions necessary for life.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT

• These modernized arguments and

theories came about moving from
probabilities to certainties which is easier
to get right and to defend.
• Therefore, it is but right that life would
have evolved differently if it happened
differently. But that is totally different
since it really happened differently in the
first place.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT

• Atheists, though accepted the “Big Bang”

theory of life etc. maintained that in order
for evolution and life to occur– there is a
need for a “precisely right set of laws” in
order for life to exist but there are three
theories on this;
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT

1. PHYSICAL NECESSITY
• Basically, this can’t be true because the
constants and quantities are independent
on the laws of nature (ie. law of entropy,
balance between matter and anti-matter,
etc.). All this quantities will fall into an
extra-ordinarily narrow life-permitting
range, and whenever these constants and
quantities be altered by even a hair’s
breadth and life permitting balance would
destroy and life would not exist.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT

1. PHYSICAL NECESSITY
• If the atomic weak force or the force of
gravity will be altered by even as little as
one part of 10 to 100 1/100 power the life
in the universe would not exist.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT

2. CHANCE
• The odds in Fine-Tuning due to chance or
by accident are so incomprehensively
great that they can’t just be reasonably
face that the probability of all the
constants and quantities would fall by
chance alone into the narrow life-
permitting range is vanishingly small.
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE FINE-TUNING ARGUMENT

3. DESIGN
• There must be an intelligent design in
order for life to exists, this implies the
existence of a designer. This is so due to
the fact of the incomprehensive precision
for the existence of an intelligent
interactive life in this universe.
• Rather than it just happen by accident (ie.
distance of the earth form the sun, gravity,
electromagnetism, principle of
quantization etc.)
https://youtu.be/POhJhNBNUUQ
THE SUITABILITY OF LIFE ON EARTH
THE SUITABILITY FOR LIFE TO EXIST ON EARTH IS A STRONG
TESTIMONY TO THE EXISTENCE OF A CREATOR
THE UNIVERSE GIVES TESTIMONY
THAT GOD IS HER CREATOR

“When I look at your heavens, the work

of your fingers, the moon and the stars
that you have established; what are human
beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them”
-Psalm 8:3-4
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN HEAVEN

“Lift up your eyes on high, and see

who has created these things, who brings
out their host by number; He calls them
all by name, by the greatness of His might
and the strength of His power;
not one is missing.”
-Isaiah 40:26
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN HEAVEN

“The heavens declare

the glory of God, and the sky above
proclaims his handiwork.”
-Psalm 9:1
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN HEAVEN

“You alone are the Lord;

You have made heaven, the heaven of
heavens, with all their host. The earth
and everything on it, the seas and all
that is in them, and You preserve them
all. the host of heaven worships You…”
-Nehemiah 9:6
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN HEAVEN

“But now ask the beasts, and they will

teach you; and the birds of the air, and they
will tell you; or speak to the earth,
and it will teach you; and the fish of the
sea will explain to you. who among all
these does not know that the hand of the
Lord has done this,”
-Job 12:7-10
 “…Paul & Barnabas said these...
men, why are you doing these things?
we also are men with the same nature as
you, and preach to you that you should
turn from these useless things to the
living God…”
-Acts 14:15-17
THE TESTIMONY FROM ATMOSPHERE
THE TESTIMONY FROM THE ATMOSPHERE

• The atmosphere of the earth serves a

protective blanket to shield us from deadly
radiation. If the radiation reached the earth,
it would be impossible for humankind to
exist.
THE TESTIMONY FROM THE ATMOSPHERE

• In addition, our atmosphere is just thick

enough to protect the earth from some 20
million meteors that enter it daily.
THE TESTIMONY FROM THE ATMOSPHERE

• These meteors, which travel at speeds of

about 30 miles per second, would
otherwise strike the earth with such
impact that all life would be endangered.
ATMOSPHERE IS PERFECT TO SUSTAIN LIFE
THE COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE IS
PERFECT TO SUSTAIN LIFE

• The composition of the atmosphere is

about 78 parts nitrogen and 21 parts
oxygen. Too much nitrogen in the
atmosphere would slow down all functions
of the body so that death would finally
result.
THE COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE IS
PERFECT TO SUSTAIN LIFE

• On the other hand, too much oxygen would

also be harmful since it would increase the
activities of the body to such a pace that
life could not last that long.
THE COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE IS
PERFECT TO SUSTAIN LIFE

• It is highly unlikely that this could have

been developed by accident, since most
accidents in chemistry usually result in
explosions.
• This is especially true of nitrogen which is
the basic ingredient of practically every
explosive!
EARTH IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE
EARTH IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE

• The physical size of the earth is just right

to support life as we know it. If the earth
were as small as the moon, its gravity
would only be 1/6 its present force and
unable to hold either atmosphere or
water.
EARTH IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE

• If our earth were increased to the size of

the sun, while retaining its present density,
gravity would increase by 150 times.
• This would increase atmospheric pressure
to over a ton per square inch. Life would
be virtually impossible under such
conditions.
EARTH IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE

• If its diameter were doubled, the force of

gravity would be doubled, and the
atmosphere would be so compressed that
its pressure would increased from 15 to 30
pounds per square inch. This would
seriously affect all life.
EARTH IS JUST THE RIGHT SIZE

• If the rotation of our earth had been 1/10

its present rate, the length of our days and
nights would have been increased 10
times.
THE MOON IS JUST RIGHT FROM ITS
DISTANCE FROM EARTH
THE MOON IS JUST RIGHT FORM ITS
DISTANCE FROM EARTH

• The moon is about 239,000 miles away

from earth. If it were only 50,000 miles
away the tides, which are now harmless,
would completely submerge the
continents twice a day.
THE MOON IS JUST RIGHT FORM ITS
DISTANCE FROM EARTH

• Though the moon is only relatively close

to earth, its surface temperature varies
each 15 lunar days from a high of 214
degrees Fahrenheit above zero, to a low
of 243 below zero.
NATURE TESTIFIES OF GOD’S EXISTENCE

“The heavens declare

the glory of God, and the sky above
proclaims his handiwork.”
-Psalm 9:1
 B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN

Richard Swinburne
• Christian probabilist argued that even if
there is another possible explanation for
the universe, we should go with the
explanation that is most likely to be true.
• He conclude that it is simply more
probable that God designed the world
than that it came about through the pure
chance of evolutionary process.
 B.TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN

William Paley (1743-1805) • Paley makes his case for the existence of
God known as the “Argument by
Analogy.” This form of inductive argument
which invites us to consider a state of
affair he used as the “watchmaker
analogy.”
• He concluded that when somebody found
a watch in a forest, the idea would
immediately conclude that it did not just
pop up from nowhere, but the common
conclusion will be that the watch was
invented by someone for a purpose-- an
intelligent watch-maker.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN

• The argument by analogy would

conclude;
a. car a car mechanic/inventor
b. watch a watchmaker
c. world a creator-designer God

• Paley argued that this world couldn’t just

happened by accident- there has to be a
designer.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN

• Dis-analogy is the attempt to counter the

argument to prove that such analogy
doesn’t work like the complexity human
body compared to a mechanical thing as a
watch (ie. the organs in the body that
doesn’t have a purpose ).
• Paley’s response was “just because one
doesn’t know the purpose, it doesn’t
mean that there isn’t one.” This ultimate
designer sees the world and everything in
it and planned its purpose.
B. TELEOLOGICAL ARGUMENT
THE INTELLIGENT DESIGN

• He further explained that human bodies

are purposeful and from there he
concludes that the purpose had been put
there by an intelligent creator.
• Naturalist and evolutionist also argued
that human bodies came to have
complexities and functionalities by natural
selection and random mutation—aka
evolution.
WHAT HUMAN DISCERNED ABOUT GOD BY
IN CONSIDERING CREATION

“We have only to see a few letters

of the alphabet spelling our name in the
sand to recognize at once the work of an
intelligent agent. How much more likely,
then is the existence of an intelligent
Creator behind the human DNA, the
colossal biological database that contains
no fewer than 3.5 billion "letters”-- the
longest "word" yet discovered?"
-Dr. John Lennox
 HUMAN DNA

MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNANANANANANANNANANANANNANANANANANNANANANANANANANAN
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN OUR BODIES

“So, the Lord said to him,

‘who has made man's mouth? or who
makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the
blind? Have not I, the Lord?”
-Exodus 4:11
FOOTPRINTS OF GOD IN OUR BODY

“I will praise You, for I am fearfully and

wonderfully made; marvelous are Your
works, and that my soul knows very well.”
-Psalms 139:14
 THE ULTIMATE DESIGNER CREATED THE
MASTERPIECE AS HIS ETERNAL TREASURE