Knowing God Through Creation

When did you first realize that God exists?

How do you know that God exists?

Read paragraphs 1-3 on page 13

Saint Thomas AquinasRight about now, it would be a really good idea to take a

good hard look at where Faith and Reason cross paths. You see, as Catholics, we know that there is nothing that science can discover that will contradict our faith; our God is the Creator of the whole universe and He is the author of truth. So anything that is true, anything that we can find out about our world, just leads us to know our God more and more.

One of the most wonderful aspects of our Catholic faith is that we have 2,000 years of reflection and teaching on all areas of our faith. One of the most famous teachers we have at our disposal is St. Thomas Aquinas, who just might be one of the most intelligent men to ever walk the earth. St. Thomas came up with five ways that we can prove the existence of God using our reason, without ever having to use the Bible or the Catechism or anything that people who aren't believers wouldn't consider real evidence. So, let's dive in!

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Proofs for the Existence of GodFirst MoverFirst causeNecessary BeingGreatest BeingIntelligent Designer

First MoverAnything moves is moved by another. There

cannot be an infinite series of movers. So there must be a first mover.

Example: For example, a pot will not appear from ball of clay, without the input of a potter! The potential for the pot to be formed from the clay is there, but it requires something external to the clay to work on it to achieve this.

First CauseAnything caused is caused by another. There

cannot be an infinite series of causes. So there must be a first cause.

Example: there would be nothing here, if there was not an original cause of everything. This means that the world and the universe cannot be infinite (i.e. have always existed).

Necessary BeingContingent beings require an already

contingent being to bring them into existence. So there is a necessary being upon which other beings depend for their existence.

Example: God created the world ex nihilo(out-of-nothing).

Greatest BeingWhatever is great to any degree gets its

greatness from that which is the greatest. So there is a greatest being, which is the source of all greatness.

Example:  Now as humans have the capacity for both good and bad deeds, they cannot be the source of goodness. Therefore, the maximum in the genus of morality must be something non-human and not in the world, which leaves us with God as the most perfect being, and the first cause (or source) of all goodness and perfection.

Intelligent DesignerWhatever acts for an end must be directed by

an intelligent being. So the world must have an intelligent designer who directs all things in it.

Example: An arrow only hits the target, because it has been fired by an archer. Thus if nature appears ordered, it must have a guiding hand, God.

Although we can know of God’s existence through reason alone, we can only know about God through revelation, which is passed on to us through the Sacred Scriptures and Sacred Tradition.

Learning about Ourselves through ReasonRead paragraphs 4-7

We are Physical Creatures We are physical creatures.We have bodies.

We have sensesWe can move around and relocateWe can grow and reproduce

We Have SoulsHuman souls have 2 powers:

Intellect Power to understand We can think We can reason We can understand We can guide emotions and have relationships

Free will We have the ability to choose

The Union of Body and SoulThe human person is the union of the body

and soul.Without the soul, the physical body is not

truly a human personExample would be death

The soul leaves the body

RevelationRead paragraphs 8 and 9

RevelationMeans to reveal or remove the veilGod’s way of communicating Himself and His

truths to man.God has revealed Himself through creation

and the written Word (Scripture)Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation- Jesus

is God

Sacred ScriptureGod’s Word is written and passed down

orally.God’s written Word is the Bible, Sacred

Scripture.The Word of God taught by the Apostles and

by doctrine, life, and worship of the Church is Sacred Tradition.

Scripture and Tradition contain all of God’s revelation through history.

MagisteriumTeaching office of the Church

Made of the Pope and bishopsRole is to pass on the fullness of truth and

safegaurd it from error.The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit

FaithSupernatural gift that allows us to believe in

God and His revelationAllows us to recognize and accept the truths

of God revealed in the Church.

How Can We Know Jesus is God?Fulfills the Old Testament propheciesHis miraculous conceptionHe taught with authorityHis miracles confirmed His teachingsHe rose from the dead and ascended to

heaven!

The Blessed TrinityRead paragraphs 10-16

God Proves Existence through Reason10 CommandmentsExistence of GodGod’s presence everywhere

God Proves Existence Through RevelationBlessed Trinity

God is one- We believe in one God, a unity of persons

God is three Divine PersonsThe three Persons are equal and possesses all of

God’s attributes equallyAll three Persons are co-eternal (no beginning and

no end- no one Person existed before another)All three Persons are distinctDifferent works for each Person (Each take a part

in each work) Father- creator Son- Redeemer Holy Spirit- Sanctifier