Theosophical Independence Vol. 8 - 2   April  2009



Does God Exist?

  The problem of proving the existence of God is not only a philosophical and theological question, it is also a crucial psychological and scientific inquiry. The demonstration of the existence of God impacts upon our spiritual, moral, and practical day-to-day lives. If it can be proved that God exists, then the relationship between ourselves, the manifested universe of beings, and God must be understood. It is the central question of a human life and the chief issue in the history of human thought.

  Nevertheless, it is very difficult to prove the existence of God on the basis of intellectual reason and the evidence of the physical senses - the usual way we demonstrate that something exists or solve a philosophical and scientific problem.  In fact, since there is so much uncertainty about the existence of God, many people solve the problem by resorting to faith, or rather what may be called “blind belief” since such solutions are devoid of irrefutable logic or unassailable scientific evidence.  The only alternatives to this mind-numbing solution is to honestly declare our uncertainty and proclaim ourselves to be agnostics, or we can pursue a solution based on sound reasoning and the best evidence at hand - a reasoned faith that has the potential to lead to direct God-wisdom.

  The first task in attempting to solve this problem is to define what we mean by the word “God.” There are generally two ways we define God. The first option is the “theistic” position. Those who ascribe to this definition and belief are in the habit of calling those who don’t believe in a theistic deity atheists. The other option is the “pantheistic” position which is characteristic of several Western mystical traditions and Eastern religious systems. According to the “pantheistic” conception, God is everywhere and everything. Nature and God are one. God is not separate from the manifested universe. This noble conception has been misunderstood by some to mean that every stone or tree in nature is a god or the One God.  The true pantheistic idea has been taught for ages. Its understanding depends on what is meant by nature, as we shall see.

  The theism of monotheistic religions, those ascribing to the existence of One Supreme Being, generally has the following features: God is separate from the universe and is the creator of the universe; God is a being who is omnipotent (all-powerful), eternal, omnipresent (infinite) and omni-benevolent (perfectly good). This Supreme Being, often referred to as He, can act, love, create and establish a relationship with human beings. although there is not a complete unified conception of this One God, these are the key features of the theistic solution.

  Before considering the classical arguments in defense of the theistic position, we will first acknowledge three obvious objections. The first objection is an ontological one that challenges the very existence of such a Being. No matter how perfect and large a conception of God one can imagine, that conception is inevitably different from the concept conceived in the mind of another human being. Even if there were general consenses on the conception of that Supreme Being, such a Being could not exist and at the same time be omnipresent since the existence of a being requires limitation in space.   Being can be limitless and
everywhere, but not a being. God may be infinite, eternal, omnipresent, being or be-ness, but not a being in reality.

  The other two objections to the theistic position challenge the omniscient, omnipotent and omni-benevolent characteristics of the One Supreme Being. The most powerful objection to the existence of an all-knowing, all-powerful and all-good Supreme Being is the problem of evil. The logical objection is that if God is all good then that God must do everything in his power to prevent innocent people from suffering unnecessary evil. If God is all powerful then there are no limits to what He can do. If God is all-knowing then no innocent being suffers without God being aware of it. Logically this requires that God must prevent all innocent beings from suffering unnecessary evil. This is not compatible with what we can see every day, therefore such a God cannot exist. The evidential objection is that even if it were logically possible for such a God to exist because human beings do have genuine free-will, it is highly improbable and irrational to believe that such a God exists who would allow so much evil and suffering to take place.

  There are five classical arguments in defense of theism. Briefly they are as follows: the argument based on the religious experience of unity with the cosmos; the cosmological argument based on the principle that for everything that exists there must be an explanation of why it exists and God is that explanation; the design argument which states that the large variety of plants and animals carefully arranged and organized are mostly designed by an intelligent designer and this intelligent designer is God; the ontological argument suggests that the idea of God is the idea of a greatest possible being, in other words it is not possible to think a being greater than God; and the utilitarian argument is that it is more practical and useful to believe that God exists than to believe that He does not exist. None of these arguments are entirely successful, and the scientific objections notwithstanding no general universal answer seems to emerge from this approach.

  Can we approach this problem from the perspective of theosophical independence? Can an answer be found within the human being rather than depending on external authorities?  “Man’s Spirit proves God’s Spirit.” Prove the existence of the Divine Spirit in Man and you will have proved by example and inference the existence of God.

  Is there evident within the human being that which is limitless, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent? The nature of God is surrounded in darkness, but it can be perceived through spiritual intuition and through the spiritual senses. The nature of the God within is the highest goal in the search for spiritual knowledge.

  The God within, which we will call the Higher Self since there is nothing in our nature higher, more enduring and real, perceives all change but is unchanging. It is that which perceives in all the changing aspects of the waking and dreaming states of consciousness; which perceives all the changing aspects of personality and physical existence and is therefore greater and more real than any temporary condition of the physical body, emotional and mental state of our being. From that center extend your awareness outward and inward in all directions - forward and backward in time.

  There is no imaginable point in space or endless duration from which that Self with its power to perceive, know and initiate action is absent.  The Self within is omnipresent, eternal, limitless, changeless, omnipotent and omniscient.  The Absolute Deity, the God which represents the true Pantheistic idea, cannot be less than the God within, or the  immortal, eternal, infinite, omnipresent Nature called Space.  Deity is One with and inseparable from that eternal nature and the True Self - our God within.

     “Theosophical Independence”  is produced monthly by Associates of The United Lodge of Theosophists in Philadelphia located at 1917 Walnut Street,   Philadelphia, PA  19103.   The contents of this newsletter are provided freely and anonymously.  It may be reproduced without permission.