KoGE discussion

• Can the existence of God be known through reason alone:

  • Natural + revealed theology work well together and support eachohter
  • Gain knowledge of truths, revealed theology supplies details of the faith - everyone has access to the natural world
  • revealed theology could be the only means to know God
  • Barth believed natural theology was idolatry
  • human reason could lead us down wrong path
  • when God disclosed himself, then we could know him - Barth
  • Revelation
  • Needs God's commandments as revealed in the Bible
  • too limited to reach an understanding of God
• Is Faith sufficient reason for belief in God's Existence?

  • Dawkins - faith encourages people to be lazy
  • religions avoids dealing with gaps in our knowledge
  • no evidence to support God, no reason to believe in him - faith is an insufficient reason
  • Hume - faith could cloud judgement and it isn't sufficient if it has no evidence
  • balance of probability and past experiences
  • faith builds on knowledge
  • fact we exist shows Gods existence
• Might the Fall have completely removed all natural human knowledge of God?

  • Augustine - The Fall caused a barrier between us and God. Original Sin prevented people from knowing God, approach God through their own methods.
  • Barth - God reveals himself when he wants to, our own attempts of knowing God are futile
  • Finite capacities --> sinful nature
  • neet to try and work towards God - Bible suggests we can
  • Aquinas - God gave us senses and reason for a purpose + revealed knowledge -- revealed knowledge is a guide
  • NEAR THE END OF AQUINAS LIFE - gave up writing about God because it seemed like straw to him, his writings were the most basic of building materials
• Is natural Knowledge of God the same as revealed knowledge of God?

  • God is the source of all that exists - all knowledge has revealed everything
  • natural and revealed have been distinguished against
  • Aquinas - God could reveal truths through our reason
  • Difference between reason and revelation knowledge
  • Beginning of the world could not be known through experience - worked out through reason
• Is belief in God's existence sufficient to put one's trust in him?

  • God's existence is not the same as putting trust in God
  • Existence of God may not have effects on how they conduct their lives
  • God can't be trusted due to evil and suffering
  • Anselm - God exists is necessary existence