Category: God

How Cavendish Conceive Nature and Its Key Features

The central argument of Cavendishs philosophy is that all of nature is one material thing. The one material thing, as evidenced lecture 15, is the substance of infinite matter. Cavendish, in an effort to explain materialism, maintained that matter thinks. The thinking matter, as described by Cavendish, is based on the assumption that human mind is hosted in the body. More specifically, the thinking that is supposed to establish our distinctness from other thinking things and the world of extension, including the body, is but a bit of matter in motion (Lecture 14).

Although it might be argued that matter has no motion, but motion cannot be without matter. This is what informed the argument that beings such as living creatures of all sorts will be composed of matter in distinct motion which provides them with unity (Lecture 14). To illustrate this further, when a person travels from one location to another, the mind which is housed in the body partakes of this motion as well. Therefore, the key features can be classified into rational, sensitive and inanimate matter.

How Cavendish Conceive of God

Cavendish viewed God as immaterial and one that exists outside time. In claiming so, Cavendish maintains that no part of nature can conceive the essence of God. As evidenced in Lecture 16, Cavendishs characterization of God revolves around the following elements. Firstly, that God is incomprehensible and, as such, is above nature. Secondly, that God is most powerful  an eternal, infinite, omnipotent, incorporeal, individual, immovable being (Lecture 16).

In addition to this, Cavendish understanding of the existing relationship between God and the one substance is twofold. Firstly, that God is the sole creator of the eternal nature, which explains why it has no beginning or end. Secondly, that God cannot be identified as the creator since He directly makes individual creatures or directly acts in the world of Nature (Lecture 16). It therefore follows that the only way that God can order nature is because He empowered it to partake in his commands. As explicated in Lecture 16 God, the author of nature, has ordered her, so that she cannot work beyond her own nature, that is, beyond matter. More specifically, he made her (nature) self-moving and single whole.

Cavendish and Spinozas Account of God

Cavendish account of God and His relationship to one substance is quite different from Spinozas account. Unlike Cavendish who conceives God as being above nature and the cause of it, Spinoza maintains that God and nature are one and the same  they are one substance. Spinoza argued that if things have nothing in common with one another, one of them cannot be

the cause of the other (Spinoza. n.d). However, these two accounts are somehow the same in the sense that none, both nature and God, could have exited without the other and that God is the cause of all things. The only point of departure in this similarity is that as for Spinoza, God is not a transeunt cause. Overall, both Cavendish and Spinoza account of God tend to challenge rationale for religious practices. For Cavendish, the fact that God is incomprehensible and unknowable can easily make one question if the religious practices are what they are believed to be. On his part, Spinoza challenges Christians need to prayer because they seem to appeal to God to change the way the universe work since God and nature are one.

References

Lecture 14. (PHLB35  Fall 2022). Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy. Observations on Experimental Philosophy.

Lecture 15. (PHLB35  Fall 2022). Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy. Observations on Experimental Philosophy II.

Lecture 16. (PHLB35  Fall 2022). Introduction to Early Modern Philosophy. Observations on Experimental Philosophy III.

Spinoza. (n.d.). The Ethics. Demonstrated in geometric order and divided into five parts, which treat.

The existence of God is one of the more contentious topics in philosophy since it involves the collision of faith and skepticism. Nonetheless, both the proponents of the idea that God exists and those that deny it introduce legitimate claims to support their argument. While the famous dilemma of the coexistence of God and evil represents a peculiar contradiction, it does not deny the existence of God; instead, it points to the inconsistency in the existing narrative and the proper understanding of Gods Plan. Nonetheless, though the dilemma of the problem of evil provides a rather definitive answer, the current range of philosophical perspectives introduces abroad array of interpretations of the subject matter, which does not allow making a conclusive statement.

The current philosophical perspectives on the existence of God are quite numerous and diverse. For instance, according to Theism, the idea that God exists must eb accepted as an axiom. In turn, Atheism posits that god does not exist, referring to the inconsistencies in the current theosophical and theological narratives (Konadu-Adjei, 2021). Agnosticism suggests that Gods existence cannot be proven, whereas Fideism seeks to promote the idea that God exists biased on faith and not factual reasoning (Konadu-Adjei, 2021). Finally, according to the Noncognitivism, the very discourse addressing the existence of God is futile and, therefore, not worth considering (Konadu-Adjei, 2021). The specified philosophical tenets are exceptionally diverse in their nature, allowing for a meaningful conversation on the subject matter.

Despite the fact that the problem of evil point6s out the core inconsistency in the Christian concept of God, the notion of Gods existence cannot be proven or disproven; rather, the existing philosophical theories offer a different interpretation of the subject matter. Therefore, viewing the issue at hand through the philosophical prism should eb seen not as a means of obtaining a definitive answer but, instead, as a way to engage in a meaningful discussion. Thus, the multitude of philosophical perspectives on the existence of God allow forwarding the discussion and introducing new idea into it.

Reference

Konadu-Adjei, C. (2021). The suffering church: Where is God? WestBow Press.

Introduction: Pentheus, the Victim of Bacchanalia

In his famous tragedy The Bakkhai, Euripides brings back the famous story of Pentheus and Dionysos. Although the mythology of the Ancient Greece is full of murder, the story of Pentheuss death is one of the most shocking of all, which already says a lot, given the shocking brutality of Ancient Greek myths.

Thesis statement

Although it is traditionally considered that the key reason behind Pentheuss death was his denial of Dionysos as a god, it can also be argued that Pentheuss non-acceptance of Dionysos was only the factor, while the key reason behind his death was taking the tradition of bacchanalias away from the citizen, as well as his acceptance of a feminine role and the resulting mistakes in political strategy, as well as the fact that Pentheus obviously underestimated the power of the crowd.

The Bakkhai: Summary and Mythological Background

Though the tragic event known as the death of Pentheus, which was later on described by Euripides in his the Bakkhai is notoriously famous all over the world, recalling the key events will help analyzing the reasons behind Pentheuss death more efficiently. Known as the monarch of the Thebes, Pentheus was against bacchanalias as very sinful and indecent events.

After Pentheus captures Dionysos, the latter feels outraged and makes Agave lose her mind and join him. Trying to stop the mother, Pentheus attends the bacchanalia, but his insane mother murders him, thinking he was a lion. As soon as the bacchanalia is over, however, she realizes what she has done and cries. Dionysos turns Agaves father into a dragon and her mother into a snake, exiling Agave and her sisters forever.

The Reasons for Pentheuss Downfall: Where It All Started from

Though the reasons for Pentheuss defeat are obvious, there might be some arguments concerning his own fault in what had happened. Even though Pentheus should have given Dionysos more credit, there are other factors that predetermined Pentheurs downfall.

Pentheuss refusal to accept Dionysos

The given reason for Pentheus downfall seems the most obvious. Indeed, according to the plot of the tragedy, the monarch is murdered by his own mother in the midst of bacchanalia that has got completely out of control:

AGAVE: Men are hunting us! Well fight them with our wands! (Euripides line 1000).

To start with, unless Panthos had prohibited the tradition of bacchanalia and mocked Dionysos, the latter would have not feel the urge to take his revenge on Pentheus; his priestesses and followers would have never become so enraged:

[&] Heres the truth:

Hes a god lightning burned up with his mother as a punishment for her great lie (Euripides lines 358360).

Therefore, the bacchanalia feats would have not become so uncontrollable; in her turn, Pentheuss mother would have not decided to join the protesting Bacchantes and, therefore, would have never gone so insane that she would devour her own son.

Playing a more feminine role: Pentheuss retreat

It could also be argued that the downfall of Pentheus can be explained by the change in his policy as a monarch. If comparing the Pentheus of the first part of the story and the Pentheus that the readers encounter in the final part of the poem, one will see that these two have nothing in common with each other. The Pentheus that the readers see at the start of the poem is strong, powerful and confident:

I have arrested a handful already, theyre tied up now in a public stable (Euripides 336337).

However, the Pentheus that appears in the final part of the poem is weak and doubting, performing a role that can be viewed as much more feminine:

DIONYSOS: [&] hallucination fed his desires. That was how I humiliated him (Euripides 854856).

Such weakness cost Pentheus a life.

When the power of the crowd is underestimated

Another reason for Pentheus to lose not only his throne, but also his life was the fact that he underestimated the power of the crowd. Considering himself above the people who technically were his subjects, he made a huge mistake. Once a crowd is out of control, there is nothing that a single person can do  the crowd will smash the person and continue protesting until it finally gets what it wants:

their voices swelling together, then the whole mountain started to dance for Bakkhos (Euripides lines 995996).

Dionysos, his pride and his inferiority complex

It would be wrong, however, to believe that Dionysos was the only person to blame for what had happened; no matter how weird and irrational his actions might have become, there was still another person who actually had a lot to deal with the bacchanalia.

As long as Dionysos felt that he was underestimated and, in fact, was not considered a legitimate member of the Greek Pantheon, he would feel the urge to take his revenge on the people who were standing in his way. Therefore, Dionysos inferiority complex can also be considered the reason for Pentheuss downfall:

DIONYSOS: But you, Pentheus, can be certain
That the God you call dead 
Is Dionysos, a god so real
Hell make you answer for every
Outrage you do to him (Euripides lines 718722).

Indeed, if Dionysos had not felt the urge to prove his divinity, he would have never gone so far as to make Pentheuss mother kill her own son. The more power one has, the more responsible one becomes, realizing that his powers can be the source of not only justice, but also grief and sorrow if used irresponsibly. Therefore, Dionysos obviously lacked self-assurance and responsibility, which cost Pentheus his life.

Discussion: Picking the Most Legitimate Reason

When defining the point at which Pentheuss fate becomes obvious, one must admit that Pentheus died because of his refusal to accept Dionysos as a god. If Pentheus did not prohibit bacchanalias, he would have stayed alive and would not have had been torn limb to limb to the enraged bacchantes. However, unless Dionysos would not have felt the urge to establish himself as a god, there would have been no conflict between him and Dionysos, which means that the inferiority complex of the latter serves as a prerequisite to the tragedy.

Conclusion: Pentheus and His Untimely Death

Though it is generally accepted that Pentheus was murdered by his mother as a result of his refusal to accept Dionysos, it can also be claimed with certainty that the cause of Pentheuss death was prohibiting the bacchanalian feasts to honor Dionysos. On the one hand, it is clear that Pentheuss stubbornness led to his tragic and untimely death.

On the other hand, it would be a mistake to think that the denial of Dionysos was the only reason for Pentheuss downfall. Also caused by the politics that Pentheus preferred to rule the land, the moods that were brewing among the Dionysoss adepts, and many other reasons, this death is a graphic example of an unreasonable policy that lacked wisdom and caution. That said, the death of Pentheus still remains one of the most notorious monarch deaths in the Greek mythology.

Works Cited

Euripides. Bakkhai. Classical Tragedy, Greek and Roman. Ed. Robert W. Corrigan. New York, NY: Applause Theater and Cinema Books, 1990. Print. 367431.

Love is central to many ancient myths, as it is generally described as an extremely powerful force that can help gods and mortals to overcome various hardships, find peace of mind, settle down, and live happily with their loved ones. Eros is the Greek god of love, whose Roman equivalent is Cupid. There are various contradicting myths concerning the origins of Eros, his supernatural powers, and his place in the hierarchy of gods. Nevertheless, the deity was very popular, as it was worshiped in most ancient greek city-states and later in Ancient Rome.

Originally, Eros was considered to be one of the primordial gods, alongside Gaia, Tartarus, Erebus, Hemera, and Nyx. Parmenides, one of the pre-Socratic philosophers, even claims that Eros was the first god to ever exist. Nevertheless, the first generation of gods was typically not given human characteristics. Therefore, when a growing need to describe the formation and the power of love in detail became obvious, Eros was granted a different biography that could allow for the description of his own feelings and passion. That is why in later myths, he is described as the son of Aphrodite and Ares. Moreover, over time the love story of Eros and Psyche became one of the most admired myths in both Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

Ancient Greeks realized that love was an umbrella term for a wide range of strong feelings, from simple pleasure to interpersonal affection and virtue. Therefore, the fact that numerous stories featuring Eros contradict each other proves that the ancient Greeks and the ancient Romans had difficulties defining it. The variety of Eross biographies helps realize the evolution of the concept from one of the most vigorous powers that create the world to a strong, beautiful emotion that makes human souls so beautiful.

Introduction

The novel The God of Small Things was written by Roy Arundhati. It features the story of two Indian twins that happened during their childhood, and how love laws destroyed their lives. The rules state how one ought to love, how much one should love as well as people who they ought to fall in love with.

Generally, the book describes how peoples lives and behavior may be affected by some minor things. This paper discusses the novel The God of Small Things, which mainly focuses on love laws people apply to, thus they are responsible for their enforcement. The guilty as well as punishment for breaking them are the main issues described in the story.

Love is a force that cannot be controlled by law. It is so powerful that it cannot be influenced or adhere to some social code of conduct. The book highlights different love stories that can be said to touch the biological, family, erotic spheres as well as issue of hope. However, the novel mainly focuses on taboo and forbidden love.

Writer of the novel considers breaking the laws of love a taboo in the Indian Community. Such an action leads to serious punishment to those who break it. Generally, according to the novel, love laws are rules and traditions set in the Indian community that are aimed at restoring Indian love culture despite increasing globalization. It also focuses on ensuring that the community restores its culture and traditions.

These laws were established to guide children and young adults according to the expectations of the society and with whom they ought to have fallen in love, how much they were expected to love such people and how they should have loved the people they claimed to be in love with ( Kline 370).

These rules or laws of love were applicable to all the people in the society irrespective of sex or age. However, it mainly focused on young adults and teenagers who had a dream of marrying and/or were in search for a marriage spouse. It was applicable to people with blood relations.

These laws aimed at controlling marriage between people of the same biological parents. Laws are adopted to control certain aspects, but adherence to these rules depends on the law enforcers. Love laws were concerned in family matters and enforced by the elders in the society, especially by elderly family members, such as parents, among others. Parents were to ensure that their children were not allowed to love each other because it was considered a taboo in the Indian community (Batra and Messier 112).

Love laws were applicable to biological relatives, such as a brother and a sister. Therefore, biological partners were guilty of breaking love laws in case they married each other or engaged in intimate activities. The laws were observed in the society, and those found guilty of breaking the rules were severely punished because it was considered a taboo in the Indian community (Kline 370). Breaking of the love laws is one of the worst taboos, and its punishment is severe.

For instance, Velutha was banished because of breaking the love law, while Ammu was locked up in her room. Furthermore, in another incident from the book, Vellya was willing to kill his biological son because he discovered that he had been associating with the touchable class yet they belonged to the untouchable class in the society. Therefore, breaking the love laws could lead to death penalty or banishment (Batra and Messier 118).

Works Cited

Batra, Nandita and Vartan P Messier. Transgression and Taboo Critical Essays. Puerto Rico: Caribbean Chapter Publications. 2005, Print.

Kline, Donna C. The Laws of Love: A Legal Guide for Couples. Blue House Press, 2007. Print.

Introduction

The novel The God of Small Things was written by Roy Arundhati. It features the story of two Indian twins that happened during their childhood, and how love laws destroyed their lives. The rules state how one ought to love, how much one should love as well as people who they ought to fall in love with.

Generally, the book describes how peoples lives and behavior may be affected by some minor things. This paper discusses the novel The God of Small Things, which mainly focuses on love laws people apply to, thus they are responsible for their enforcement. The guilty as well as punishment for breaking them are the main issues described in the story.

Love is a force that cannot be controlled by law. It is so powerful that it cannot be influenced or adhere to some social code of conduct. The book highlights different love stories that can be said to touch the biological, family, erotic spheres as well as issue of hope. However, the novel mainly focuses on taboo and forbidden love.

Writer of the novel considers breaking the laws of love a taboo in the Indian Community. Such an action leads to serious punishment to those who break it. Generally, according to the novel, love laws are rules and traditions set in the Indian community that are aimed at restoring Indian love culture despite increasing globalization. It also focuses on ensuring that the community restores its culture and traditions.

These laws were established to guide children and young adults according to the expectations of the society and with whom they ought to have fallen in love, how much they were expected to love such people and how they should have loved the people they claimed to be in love with ( Kline 370).

These rules or laws of love were applicable to all the people in the society irrespective of sex or age. However, it mainly focused on young adults and teenagers who had a dream of marrying and/or were in search for a marriage spouse. It was applicable to people with blood relations.

These laws aimed at controlling marriage between people of the same biological parents. Laws are adopted to control certain aspects, but adherence to these rules depends on the law enforcers. Love laws were concerned in family matters and enforced by the elders in the society, especially by elderly family members, such as parents, among others. Parents were to ensure that their children were not allowed to love each other because it was considered a taboo in the Indian community (Batra and Messier 112).

Love laws were applicable to biological relatives, such as a brother and a sister. Therefore, biological partners were guilty of breaking love laws in case they married each other or engaged in intimate activities. The laws were observed in the society, and those found guilty of breaking the rules were severely punished because it was considered a taboo in the Indian community (Kline 370). Breaking of the love laws is one of the worst taboos, and its punishment is severe.

For instance, Velutha was banished because of breaking the love law, while Ammu was locked up in her room. Furthermore, in another incident from the book, Vellya was willing to kill his biological son because he discovered that he had been associating with the touchable class yet they belonged to the untouchable class in the society. Therefore, breaking the love laws could lead to death penalty or banishment (Batra and Messier 118).

Works Cited

Batra, Nandita and Vartan P Messier. Transgression and Taboo Critical Essays. Puerto Rico: Caribbean Chapter Publications. 2005, Print.

Kline, Donna C. The Laws of Love: A Legal Guide for Couples. Blue House Press, 2007. Print.

Introduction

When studying philosophy, one will inevitably come across Thomas Aquinas and his five arguments for the existence of a higher being, such as God. His justifications for the existence of a higher being were developed to offer a firm basis for the conviction that a God does, in fact, exist. Utilizing his well-known 5 ways, Aquinas tries to demonstrate the presence of God. They assist in proving the existence of God to not just those of religious background but also those who were at first dubious about the contentious subject (Roszak and Huzarek 743). In addition, many persons who identify as religious, irrespective of the faith they embrace, want to center their beliefs on Aquinas teachings. They embrace his writings because they offer more rational proof of Gods presence than other peoples words or texts like the Bible or the Quran, which assert the existence of various gods and godlike entities. It is simple to comprehend why most religious adherents want to utilize Thomas Aquinas ideas to support the existence of their gods after carefully examining his works. Therefore, Thomas Aquinas developed The Five Ways to demonstrate the presence of God. Each Way has a unique approach to using examples from the natural world to demonstrate Gods existence. Every argument makes an effort to illustrate an effect using cause and consequence. The effects are relatively simple, and current science may make some compelling cases for why they exist. The Five Ways, however, was a very effective technique when Thomas Aquinas developed it. Therefore, this paper considers St. Thomas Aquinass five ways to assess his arguments, reasoning, and the nature of his God.

Briefly: The Five Ways

Thomas initial approach entails evidence of the exercise. According to Thomas, the premise that anything that moves requires a motor proves the existence of a god who is a stationary motor. A sound cause idea is present in the second approach. The constellation of causes and consequences we observe in the world must originate somewhere for it to have logic. Consequently, a deity who is the root cause exists. The third method demonstrates that not all existing things are due to themselves. However, if everything was unintentional, none of these circumstances could have co-occurred, making action impossible. The required entity, God, must account for all things. The fourth method displays that everything has a degree. Noble and not noble, for instance, are more or less accurate (Schoot). Hence, such a measure implies an ultimate presence as a metric of all these relative measures. The fifth method asserts that God is the leading creator or architect because of how things behave in the world.

Aquinass Arguments

Most Successful Arguments

God is referred to as the Prime Mover in the first definition. Aquinas: Since fire only heats supposedly heated wood in diverse ways, it is difficult to determine what is actually hot. Therefore, a thing cannot be both the mover and the item being moved simultaneously; that is, it cannot move itself. Science has established beyond a shadow of a doubt that most, if not all, objects are in motion. The object under motion is as a result of another motion; all things are motionless unless they are in potentiality to another entity in motion; while an entity moves to the degree, it is in action, according to the concept of motion (Fogelin 305). This premise is still valid because motion only transforms anything from possibility to reality (Swinburne). However, something must be an entity in a state of actuality to decrease anything from potentiality to existence. For example, anything that is genuinely hot, like fire, can make wood, and anything that is potentially hot can be hot, causing it to move and change. Because of this, it is not conceivable for this situation to exist concurrently in potentiality and reality in similar yet differing ways.

The hot cannot simultaneously be presumably hot, but instead concurrently hypothetically cold is true in reality (Swinburne 18). This notion renders it unlikely for an object to be both the mover and the object being moved, that is, to have the power to reposition itself similarly and to the same degree. This way focuses on the truth that each moving entity must be susceptible to motion by another. When one entity in motion causes another to become that object in motion, the second item in motion should then be caused to become that object in motion by yet another (third) item in motion, and so on. Besides, because the succeeding movers only move to the degree that they are subject to a motion by the prime mover, the movement of this network cannot be regarded as infinite because there would be no adequate explanation for the first mover and, as a result, no other mover. Reaching God, the initial mover and the only one who can move anything, is made possible by this premise (Flew and Kenny).

Least Successful Argument

According to Aquinas fourth method of demonstrating the existence of God, the Absolute Being serves as a standard for evaluating all other attributes. It is obtained through the classification of items. The existence of advancements in items, such as going from less genuine to more accurate or from less honorable to more nobility, is mentioned in a fourth way. This type of hierarchy suggests that a superior being is at the root of existence, in this instance, God. This defense of Aquinas five propositions is thought to be the least successful of the five. First, even though a yardstick is necessary before talking about less or more, there is no basis for this measure to be an actual one. This notion is true, especially when current information is taken into account. Hence, ideals like truth, noble, and good are essentially evaluated differently throughout various historical periods and cultures. For instance, western cultures view polygamy negatively or dishonorably because it is considered a crime. However, Muslim civilizations allow polygamy and even promote it in some circumstances, mainly when multiple men die due to war or diseases (Schoot 39). As a result, ranking the various social standards hierarchically would be unworkable. This perspective rejects God as the Absolute Being because there is no clear gradation present.

Critical Analysis of Aquinass Position

Aquinas made significant claims that supported the presence of God. The philosopher observed that everything in the world seemed to be in motion in the first argument. It is accurate to say that things do not just occur in the universe. There is no possible way for us to start moving immediately. We can only identify God as the reason for our being, as there must be a foundation for our movement. The items we see should be attributed to Gods cause. The only evidence that God exists should be the notion that we can close and open our eyes. The second argument uses causality to demonstrate that there must have been an antecedent source for the sequence of causes (Kenny 38). The causal effect is supported by scientists subscribing to some concepts, such as the big bang theory. Even if a single, massive physical blast formed the entire world, there had to be a reason behind it. If the physical occurrence can be explained, Gods presence is the sole explanation for the nonphysical experience.

The third justification for existence leads to God. The presence of objects in the universe is sufficient evidence that something that does not go away appears to exist there. All entities that exist must have a reason for existing. Even when some of our lives perish, the cause, which is supposed to be everlasting, nonetheless keeps an eye on all of them. All beings that can exist today could not have done so without God, who is the wellspring of all beings. There must be an account for why not all entities are identical in the fourth proof, founded on ethics and the goodness of things (Roszak and Huzarek 747). One may see that some things are intrinsically excellent and some that one might consider wrong. Someone of the highest good must have chosen what is good and what is not (Kenny 88). One could argue that God is ethical in all respects and that it is up to him to establish what is right and wrong. All things in the universe serve a function, as was the focus of the previous discourse. Even if some entities in the environment can be said to lack intellect, it is evident that they have a specific function and were put in existence for that function. Even though they may not be sentient, these things demonstrate the presence of God.

Conclusion

The Five Ways of Thomas Aquinas to Prove the Existence of God have been briefly articulated in this paper, along with the most and least successful arguments. This papers most compelling argument for Gods existence is The First Way: God, the Prime Mover. On the other hand, the ultimate being of God has been deemed the least compelling argument for Gods existence in this paper. The five-part Aquinas proof offers a strong case for the existence of God. The philosopher asserts that a close examination of nature can ultimately convince one of Gods existence. Starting with the motion problem, we know that natural entities move but do not comprehend what causes them to move. Scientists have attempted to elucidate the motions origin, but they have been unable to do so without also attempting to explain the motions causative factors. The mystery surrounding the origin of these events is perplexing due to its inexplicability. There must have been a difficult to comprehend cause that remains to watch over all creation. God may have created natural objects to support life. The premise that everything was made distinctively indicates that God must have had a reason for doing it. It is accurate that God is required for our presence because he is well aware of human needs. Regarding goodness and intent, it is clear that there are distinctions among natural objects and that these distinctions serve a role. Possibly, God did not make objects without thinking about how they might benefit the world. Therefore, evidence that God exists can be found in nature and in how particular things work.

Works Cited

Flew, Antony, and Anthony Kenny. The Five Ways: St. Thomas Aquinas Proofs of Gods Existence. The Philosophical Review 80.3 (1971): 411. Print.

Fogelin, Robert J. Philosophical Interpretations. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.

Kenny, Anthony. The Five Ways: St Thomas Aquinas Proofs of Gods Existence. Vo. Routledge, 2014. Web.

Roszak, Piotr, and Tomasz Huzarek. Seeing God. Thomas Aquinas on Divine Presence in the World. Bogoslovni Vestnik 79.3 (2019): 739-49. Print.

Schoot, Henk J.M. Thomas Aquinas on Human Beings as Image of God. European Journal for the Study of Thomas Aquinas 38.1 (2020): 33-46. Print.

Swinburne, Richard, and Mirosaw Szatkowski. What kind of necessary being could God be?. Ontological proofs today 50 (2012): 345.

Transcendentalists believed in knowing God on a personal level, watering down the idea that there was no need for an intermediary in understanding God and the spiritual world. To cement their beliefs, transcendentalists embraced idealism, where they focused on nature and opposed materialism. Transcendentalists were inspired by many sources, including Platonism, Neo-Platonism, and Persian scriptures. The transcendentalist movement refused to acknowledge any supreme power beyond their abilities. Instead, they took a strong stand that each person had the right to make their own decisions and draw their lines between the world, fellow human beings, and God.

Among the leading proponents of the movement, Ralph Emerson once banished the biblical teaching and records of Jesuss great miracles. He claimed that Jesus was a great man in his days, but despite performing great miracles, he claimed that Jesus was not God (Francis, 2018). Transcendentalists believe that God is not a strict judge as the bible depicts him; neither does he distanced himself from transcendentalists, but his authority and existence can be manifested through nature. God can be well understood as a supernatural spirit through observing natural processes like breathing free air and the unending power of divinity filled on earth. According to their understanding, people are better and more at liberty when they are self-reliant and free from authority. In their view on God, societies and institutions like Christianity and other religions were created to corrupt the purity of individuals and deny them their independence.

In conclusion, transcendentalists do not dismiss the existence of God. Instead, they view God as a supreme being who does not focus on a single person but views God as a being manifested in nature. They value all of Gods creation, man, animals, and nature in general and believe that man should be self-reliant since that was how God intended when he created man. Due to the free will given to man, there should not be a medium to connect man to God.

References

Francis, R. (2018). Nature versus history. In Transcendental Utopias (pp. 1-34). Cornell University Press.

The distinction between Gods natural and supernatural knowledge and between grace and nature has been the subject of intense debate among Catholic theologians. Many believe that where God is, there is no place for wildlife and scientific knowledge; it can be known only through faith. However, after analyzing the literature on this topic, the conclusion arises that the presence of God is mediated by nature.

The first proof of the connection between God and nature is that its creator is necessary for the universe to exist, and it is not enough to create matter out of nothing. The process of its development is also subject to certain laws. Without natural laws, matter at creation would be in a state of chaos; its particles would float in black outer space without any electrical or chemical connection between themselves. However, even after creation, the universe exists in an orderly and organized manner, and this must have a basis on the corresponding mathematical equations discovered by scientists, where numerical values reflect their exact strength when planning all matter in the Universe.

A little more gravity would lead to the instability of stars like our Sun  those of them that are 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, they would burn up too quickly. But if the force of attraction were a little less, then only a small luminary would be formed, weighing only 0.8 of the mass of our Sun, which would exclude the existence of heavy elements necessary for the origin of life. But even without going into such complex examples, it is enough for the reader to know that the Universe is based on precise mathematical laws, not on accidents, and the structure of the Universe provides additional scientific evidence of the Creators reality.

In a broad sense, Catholicisms interpretation of ecology and the natural environment coincides with the generally accepted one. Ecology is the doctrine of the home, which is the world; since man develops this science for the sake of man, it should have as its subject the diverse and necessary conditions of human existence in this home. According to the modern Catholic concept, the house is given to man by the Creator and given to him for further civilizational activities for the reasonable transformation of the natural environment. Unfortunately, man caused a lot of negative consequences with his civilizational activity. Enriching the natural environment with many things that do not exist in nature, he simultaneously deprived it of its original harmony and primordial elements necessary for life: clean water, clean air, uninfected soil, etc. These elements determine a persons normal life as a species, the quality of his existence on Earth.

Thomas Aquinas, an indisputable authority for modern Catholic philosophers, interpreted all the laws of the world as specific manifestations of one divine law in the work Summa theology. He acts as the will of God and is eternal and unchangeable, just like God himself. All created beings obey this law or right. However, mans attitude to eternal law is quite special. As a rational being, he must first know what the divine right requires of him and act in accordance with its requirements. Due to the presence of consciousness and the ability to cognize, a person reads the eternal right of God written in his nature (St. Thomas Aquinas, chapters 1-9). Actually, this right, objective but conscious and perceived by the subject, acts as a natural right  the God-given order of existence and development of the material world and man.

Moreover, the creation of nature by the Creator is described in detail in the scriptures themselves. Thus, God first created the sky and the earth, then saw the light and created darkness. Consequently, it became known as day and night, and there was a changeability of the time of day. Man is the only creature on earth that God has desired for his own sake. Of all material beings, only man can know and love his Creator. Man is called by knowledge and loves to participate in the life of God. He was created for this purpose, and this is the basis of his dignity (Old Testament). Consequently, man is created as a part of nature, proving the continuous connection between reality and the Creator.

Moreover, human nature has some divine qualities: example, compassion, kindness, love, mercy, the desire to help your neighbor, and sacrifice. The Bible teaches us that we must preserve and, if possible, multiply our positive character traits to become closer to God. Our qualities responsible for conscience, morality, and morality are given primarily by God. Furthermore, all these qualities are inextricably linked with human nature. Therefore, we can conclude that God has a direct relationship with nature and reality.

It is known that Jesus had the ability to heal other people. The Gospel of Matthew describes in detail how Jesus performs miracles of healing and gives people food for survival. Therefore, God is aware of the problems of mortal people, thirst, hunger, and diseases (An Overview of Matthew). This is another proof of Gods involvement in human nature and reality and recognizes the Almighty as the creator of all processes on planet Earth, including the work of the human body.

By way of conclusion, it is important to note once again that various religious teachings describe the continuous connection of nature with God. Moreover, the divine principle is in every person since all people are created in the divine image and likeness. Examples provide proof of this statement from the Gospel of Matthew, the Old Testament, and the work of Thomas Aquinas.

References

Old Testament. Genesis 1-4. The Creation of the World. St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Contra Gentiles. An Overview of Matthew. The Bible Project.

Introduction

The Attributes of God and Communion with God are my chosen biblical doctrines. The main character of the biblical God is a powerful, invisible force that directs the course of history and intervenes in the lives of people on earth. Many people see this as evidence of an all-powerful, loving deity who cares about humans and their salvation. Communion with God narrative is about the first man, Adam, who was created by God in his own image. When Adam sinned, he separated himself from God, and all of creation was affected. However, through Jesus Christs sacrifice on the cross, humans can be reconciled and restored to fellowship with God. Communion story is a reminder that the bible books are not separate but rather united under one overarching redemption story. The Attributes of God and Communion with God demonstrate Gods love for humans during creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.

The Attributes of God and Communion with God

There are many different attributes of God that are discussed in the biblical narrative. Some of these include his omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. These attributes have implications for understanding the unity of the Bible books. For example, because God is omniscient, He knows all things past, present, and future. This means that He is able to unify the disparate stories and events recorded in Scripture into one coherent whole (Etzel & Small, 2016). In addition, because God is omnipotent, He has the power to bring about His will and purposes in spite of any opposition. This can give us hope that even when things seem hopeless or out of control, God is still sovereign and in charge.

The Attributes of God are found throughout the Bibles narrative, which unfolds through creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. In creation, we see that God is majestic and eternal (Psalm 90:2), omnipotent and omniscient (Genesis 18:14), righteous and just (Deuteronomy 32:4), kind and merciful (Psalm 103:8), gracious and slow to anger (Exodus 34:6). In the fall, we see that sin entered the world through Adam and Eves disobedience to God, which resulted in their separation from Him (Pink, 2019). This introduced suffering, pain, death, and corruption into the world.

The Attributes of God are revealed through the biblical narrative as it unfolds from Redemption to Restoration. For example, in the story of Adam and Eve, we see Gods character as one who is willing to forgive and redeem sinners (Pink, 2019). This is seen in the way that He provides a way for them to be clothed and covered despite their sin. In the story of Noah, we see Gods character as one who is willing to give second chances. Even though Noah was righteous and found favor in Gods sight, he still faced destruction along with the rest of mankind. Through Noahs faithfulness, God saved him and his family through the flood (Pink, 2019). This shows us that God is always willing to extend mercy toward those who are repentant.

The biblical story of communion with God unfolds throughout the narrative of Creation and Fall. In the beginning, when God created the world and man, there was perfect harmony between humans and their Creator; but then came sin, and with it, separation from God (Ene, 2021). The man was no longer able to live in close communion with his Maker, and life on earth became a struggle. Through Jesus Christs intervention, mankind has been offered reconciliation and once again can come into fellowship with God. This happens through faith in Jesus as our Savior; we are saved by grace alone through faith in Him (Etzel & Small, 2016). And when we receive him as our Lord and Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit who enables us to have communion with God Himself.

Moreover, communion with God also unfolds through redemption and restoration. The word communion comes from the Latin communio, which means sharing or participation (Summerhays, 2020). Christians believe that through Christ, they can have a personal relationship with God. This mutual sharing and communication between God and believers is based on principles found throughout Scripture. The biblical narrative of redemption teaches that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We are designed for fellowship with Him, but our sinful nature, prone to rebelliousness, breaks that communion. Because of our sinfulness, we are cut off from his presence (Isaiah 59:2). Due to his greatness, he gave us his only son to die for us, which cleansed our sins by restoring the good relationship between man and God.

In the book of Exodus, Moses encounters God in a burning bush. God commissions Moses to lead the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt and into Canaan, the land he promised them. After leading the Israelites across the Red Sea and through the wilderness, Moses arrives at Mount Sinai (Ene, 2021). There, God reveals his law to Moses and makes a covenant with the people of Israel. Moses mediates between God and his people, conveying Gods will and bringing about reconciliation when they stray from him. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites finally enter Canaan but quickly fall into idolatry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, through communing with God and the attributes of God, we learn that his love for humans is unwavering from creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Concerning Gods attributes, he is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, just, righteous, merciful, kind, slow of anger, and gracious. All the qualities are seen during the creation, but after mans disobedience to God, he introduced suffering to man; he later forgave the man. Regarding communing with God narrative, after the man sinned against his Maker, thus drifting their relationship. He still offers his only son Jesus Christ; he reconciles with the man. During the Israelites deliverance, they went against Gods laws, but through Mosess mediation, they were pardoned and reached the promised land.

References

Ene, I. (2021). Religion-The discipline of restoring communion between people. European Journal of Social Science Education and Research, 8(1), 79-87. Web.

Etzel, G., & Small, R. (2016). Everyday theology. B&H Academic.

Pink, A. W. (2019). The attributes of God. General Press.

Summerhays, P. J. (2020). Diocesan synod: Event of communion and action of governance for the archdiocese of San Francisco. The Catholic University of America.