Introduction
Historically philosophers religious people, atheists and other interested parties have developed numerous argument about the existence of God, basing their arguments on ideologies and presuppositions. However, the argument is presumed to majorly between religious people who believe in the existence of God and atheists who believe there is no God. For contemporary atheists, their justifications for non-existence of God is based on lack of evidence for his existence. Although there is no evidence for the existence of God according to atheists, there are numerous proofs of existence of a supernatural being (Gutting, 2012). This has been due to lack of explanation from science, philosophers and academicians for major issues involving the creation and life in general.
God and the Ontological Foundation of Morality
In this article, Morriston, (2012) adopts a moral argument in championing the argument about the existence of God. In his argument, Morriston claims that God forms the basic foundation of reality and morality. The article adopts three basic objectives, with the first aiming at the interpretation of the ontological foundations of morality. The second objective creates an objection to the first objective while the third objective exposes the weaknesses of Morriston’s claims stating that, without God, morality would be illusory and groundless. Therefore, this paper seeks to explore the existence of God, basing the argument on the ontological foundations of morality. In addition, other perspectives of existence of God will also be presented in support of his existence.
The adoption of moral values in explaining the existence of God included adoption of religious peoples' perspectives of moral standing as well as those of atheists’. Christians and Atheists agree that love is good as it ensures morality and justice in the society. However, the ontological grounds of love and moral values differ across religious people and atheists. For example, in all religions, God is perceived as the ultimate standard of goodness moral value and love. However, atheist ground their moral values, love and goodness as naturally existing insisting that they are not grounded in God. According to atheists, moral values justice and love exists naturally with no further foundations, which claims are dismissed by Morriston. His argument is based on the perception that God supervenes all goodness, love and justice refuting atheists claim that moral values exist naturally (Morriston, 2012).
According to various philosophers the majority of atheist arguments are not justified and are based on presuppositions about reality. For example, the assumption that justice naturally exists is a presupposition that cannot be justified. Moral values exist as properties among people rather than abstractions as assumed by atheists. The atheist moral values unintelligently float without any justifications due to lack of adequate foundation. Although Craig recognizes that moral values such as love, justice and goodness are personal properties that exist in individuals, he fails to explain whether such values are existence in a Godless universe. The argument that goodness in individuals, is non-natural also presents God as a non-natural being and the moral attributes are non-natural.
However, moral values are constituted on commands, and the basis of grounding them on a good God provides an adequate source of such command. Therefore, God’s moral attributes are the ultimate standards of moral values such as love, justice and goodness. Hence, atheist non-grounded basis of moral values and standings also lack a source of commands. In all religions, God is perceived as a source of inspiration, love, justice and goodness among all other moral values. This provides a proof that God exists refuting the claims by atheists that God does not exist.
An analysis of this article by Craig indicates that moral values are based on God, hence refuting the claims by atheists that they naturally exist. Based on various holy books such as Quran, Bible and Hinduism holy books God is a source of love and justice among other moral values in the society. Therefore, one can conclusively refute the presuppositions of atheists that moral values are natural properties among people. The lack of foundation for atheist argument provides baseless claims that God does not exist, hence a proof that God exists. There must be a supernatural being behind good morals such as love, justice and goodness.
However, various other philosophers, atheists and other interested parties pose questions such as how cruelty and other evil things and acts happen if there is a good God. However, this has been countered by the argument that God lets people pass through some tribulations, cruelty and evil prevent more afflictions from happening to them. There are various other arguments and presuppositions that have been forwarded by atheists in their disbelief, in the existence of God (Viamonte & Viamonte, 2012). However, lack of grounded arguments in support of their argument refutes their claims on non-existence of God.
For example, scientists, academicians and philosophers acknowledge that the world did not just come into existence hence there was a beginning. These philosophers, scientists and academicians, lack knowledge of what happened during creation. Therefore, the belief that there was a supernatural being behind the creation provides proof to believe that God exists. The argument presented by Craig also provides a good argument for the existence of God. It provides an explanation behind the basis of moral values that ensure good coexistence among people.
References
Gutting, G. (2012, March 22). Does It Matter Whether God Exists? Retrieved August 12, 2013,
Morriston, W. (2012). God and the ontological foundation of morality. Journal of Religious
Studies , 15-34.
Viamonte, M., & Viamonte, M. (2012). God Exists!: Scientific Considerations in Defense of
God. New York: iUniverse.
