Aquinas

1
Aquinas Five Proofs

• The Mystery of Creation
• Christian Ed 10

2

Before we walk the path to enlightenment noble
students, please reflect on the following passage
from Paul to the Romans

• "The unseen things of God are visible through His
  
• manifest works."
• Rom. I 20

3
Aquinas was inspired by this passage to examine
Gods works and prove to the skeptics that there
is a God.

•  
• St. Thomas Aquinas argued that there are 5 ways
  to prove the existence of God

4
The First Proof The Prime Mover

• Consider a bouncing ball. How did the ball start
  bouncing? Did it fall and if so what caused it to
  fall? What started all the action?

• According to Aquinas, it is necessary to go back
  to some first mover, which is itself moved by
  nothing---and this all men know as God.

5
The Second Proof The First Cause

• Consider yourself and your family history. You
  came to be because of your parents and your
  parents came to be because of their parents and
  so on. But where does it begin?

• Aquinas explains, if the chain were to go back
  infinitely, there would be no first cause, and
  thus no ultimate effect, nor middle causes, which
  is admittedly false. Hence we must presuppose
  some first
• efficient cause---which all call God.

6
The Third Proof Possibility and Necessity

• Consider things that exist beyond the realm of
  human control. How did trees, animals, mountains,
  stars, and the sun come to exist? What caused
  these things to exist? If it was a mere accident
  what existed before the universe? If nothing,
  then nothing can come from nothing.
• Thus, Aquinas argues, there must be presupposed
  something necessarily existing through its own
  nature, not having a cause elsewhere but being
  itself the cause of the necessary existence of
  other things---which all call God.

7
The Fourth Proof The degrees found in things

• Consider the notion that there are varying
  degrees of love, goodness, and perfection.
  Consider the concept of heat. There are certainly
  varying degrees of heat.
• Aquinas points out, fire, which is the greatest
  heat, is the cause of all heat. The cause of the
  greatest love, goodness, and perfection is who we
  call God.

8
The Fifth Proof The Cosmos

• Examine the natural world around you. Although it
  appears to be chaotic at times, nature is very
  structured. Weather systems, oceans, the solar
  system, time, it all has structure. Who is
  responsible for this structure? Who could have
  designed such a plan?
• Aquinas saw this ordered structure and argued,
  there is something intelligent by which all
  natural things are arranged in accordance with a
  plan---and this we call God.

9
Design of Our Solar System

• The Earth is protected from comets by the large
  outer planets

10
Design of our Earth

• Established a unique continental crust, which
  allows for recycling of minerals through tectonic
  activity.

11

• "Things are in motion, hence there is a first
  mover.
• Things are caused, hence there is a first cause.
• Things exist, hence there is a creator.
• Perfect goodness exists, hence it has a sourcer.
• Things are designed, hence they serve a purpose."
• -- Thomas Aquinas

12
Another Perspective FOR God

• Father Robert Barron
• Why do we believe in God?
• What 3 points does Fr. Barron make?

13
Sometimes you just gotta have. F-A-I-T-H !

• Both Aquinas and Fr. Barron provide a rational
  proof for the existence of God. However, it is
  not enough to simply think you know that God
  exists. You must believe. If you pray to God and
  contemplate on His numerous gifts and works then
  He will reveal Himself to you.
• But it takes time and it is difficult. One of the
  ways God reveals Himself to you is through your
  life because you are part of Gods creative plan.