cosmological argument

• What core concept underlies the Cosmological Argument?

  Everything in the universe has a cause
• Who is credited with developing the classic formulation of the Cosmological Argument?

  St Thomas Aquinas
• In which book did Aquinas outline his classic Cosmological Argument?

  Summa Theologica
• What is the central idea behind Aquinas' Way of Motion?

  There must be a first mover
• According to Aquinas' Way of Motion, what is the first mover?

  God
• What is the core concept of Aquinas' Way of Causation?

  There must be a first cause
• In Aquinas' Way of Causation, what is identified as the first cause?

  God
• What is the main idea behind Aquinas' Way of Contingency?

  There must be a non-contingent being
• According to Aquinas' Way of Contingency, what is the non-contingent being?

  God
• What is the basic premise of the modern form of the Cosmological Argument?

  The universe must have a cause
• In the modern Cosmological Argument, what is often proposed as the cause of the universe?

  God
• Why is the Cosmological Argument significant within Catholic theology?

  It shows God as the First Cause
• According to the Cosmological Argument, what roles does God play in the universe?

  First Cause, Unmoved Mover, Non-contingent Being
• How do Catholics conceptualize God's relationship to the universe?

  God is the source of all being
• According to Catholic doctrine, what are attributes of God in relation to the universe?

  Infinite and eternal
• What is a common atheist critique of the Cosmological Argument?

  God should need a cause too
• How do some non-religious individuals explain the existence of the universe?

  The universe could be eternal
• Why do Catholics generally reject the idea that the universe 'just happened'?

  The universe is too complex and ordered
• What does the Catechism express about the magnitude of God's greatness?

  God's greatness is unsearchable
• According to the Catechism, where does God's greatness extend?

  Far above the heavens