Why I Dont Believe in God free essay sample

Why I Do Not Believe in God In this paper, I will formally and philosophically discuss the arguments posed by Thomas Aquinas and use my own personal opinions and experiences to explain my disagreements with Aquinas and why I do not believe in the existence of God. Whether or not God exists is an argument that has been ongoing since some of the earliest philosophers took it up hundreds of years ago. Many philosophers have stated arguments on this topic, from Thomas Aquinas to David Hume to St. Anselm. To this day, it is one of, if not the most, debated topics. St. Thomas Aquinas is a noted philosopher known for his empirical arguments for the existence of God. Though Aquinas posed many arguments in favor of this, I will discuss and explain the teleological argument. This argument is built upon the idea that many things in the world which we live exhibit order and standards. We will write a custom essay sample on Why I Dont Believe in God or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Aquinas asserts that where there is a high order such as these, there must be a superior designer or creator who established and enforces such an order. According to Aquinas, this is whom we refer to as God. My issues with Aquinas argument most closely follow those of David Hume, the later philosopher who criticized Aquinas assertions. If God were a perfect creator, he would want to create a perfect world for his creatures to live in. An omnibenevolent God would not want evil to exist, and yet it does through both evil actions of people and natural evils such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters. Additionally, many natural laws exist that can have negative effects on mankind still exist (such as falling from the effects of gravity), and we are exposed to these effects despite supposedly having a God who is omnibenevolent and mnipotent. In addition, it does not seem to make sense that God would not create every creature perfectly, rather than have some be superior than others. Though I was raised in a Christian household and attended church frequently while growing up, my beliefs have shifted as I have grown older because I have not experienced God firsthand or in a very direct way. Recently, I was not sure exactly what my stance on Gods existence was. When I learned of and researched David Humes refutation of Aquinas argument, it solidified my thoughts. I agree most directly with Humes point of a perfect God not creating a perfect world and the kind of pain and suffering this imposes. I myself, and myriad others, have had loved ones pass away after lengthy battles with cancer or other deadly, tormenting diseases. From personal experience, it makes one question the existence of a higher power because it does not seem right that a God who is supposed to love his creations so much would put them through such trials and tribulations. It is not sensical, and is frustrating to those whom, like me, have been in the situation. In brief summation, I do not believe in the existence of God. My own personal experiences in addition to David Humes well-reasoned philosophical argument have led to this conclusion. Thomas Aquinas argument for Gods existence falls short with me in that a perfect creator should not allow such bad things to occur on Earth that do † wars, famines, disease, murder and other crimes, etc. A God such as the one discussed in this argument that is supposedly omnipotent and omnibenevolent especially should not allow these things to happen, and yet we as a world tace them daily.