Why Islam is true - Lesson Three-God Exists

I attended Why Islam Class in person this week.

• Yes
• No

How is everything in the universe different from Allah?

• The universe exists necessarily and Allah exists contingently.
• The universe exists contingently and Allah exists necessarily.
• The universe exists necessarily through Allah existing necessarily.

What is meant by the term “contingent” in this lesson?

• Something is contingent when it depends on something else to make it the way it is.
• Something is contingent when it helps other things become necessary.
• Something is contingent when it is permanent in relation to other things.

Who thinks that the universe is dependent/contingent?

• Religious scholars
• Scientists
• Everyone

What is meant by the term “necessary” in this lesson?

• It doesn’t need many things to make it how it is.
• It doesn’t need anything to make it how it is.
• It doesn’t need unnecessary things to make it the way that it is.

The Argument From Contingency

After the interaction in the coffee shop, you keep in contact with your colleagues and meet up every now and then to discuss religion. After bumping into Aldrich the Atheist and Nathan the Christian in the cafeteria, the three of you start talking about different perspectives on religion.

Pick the most appropriate answer to Aldrich and Nathan’s questions

2:1 Aldrich the Atheist says “To me, this doesn’t make sense. You're saying that God has made everything. But then who made God?” Nathan starts looking uncomfortable and slightly sheepish. What do you reply?

• The contingency of the universe is evidence for the existence of someone who was not made by anything else. That’s God. And that’s why no one made God. God exists necessarily and everything in the universe depends on Him for existence and to make it the way it is.
• That’s not how it works. Who made God? I don’t know what you mean. There is only one God.
• That’s not how it works. God isn’t made. He makes everything else. It’s like saying who made the universe. It’s just there.

Nathan joins in now, “Yes that’s correct. Every Christian believes that God is the Supreme Being, like all monotheistic religions." How should you respond?

• You should stay silent, because Muslims and Christians are both against the atheist who doesn’t believe in any type of god here.
• You should affirm that God is the Supreme Being in which Muslims and Christians believe.
• Say "What you are affirming is not just a Supreme Being (who may be contingent or necessary), but a Necessary Being. Since Christians believe that Jesus was God in the form of a man, they cannot believe in the necessary Being that Muslims believe in."
• Option 4

Aldrich the Atheist processes this and then responds by saying, “This stuff about needing something to create the universe is old nonsense. It’s not based on any evidence. Science knows about the laws of nature now. We don’t need to believe in a God because we have science!” Nathan jumps in straight away, “Atheists just make science their version of a religion–can't you see that?” How do you add to this exchange?

• “That’s right. You guys throw logic aside and believe anything a scientist says. They are like your clergy and Dawkins is your pope!”
• “Science only explains contingent things, like the shining of the sun or the growth of plants. The Argument from Contingency shows that God creates all the contingent things science finds out about.”
• “I think that the truth is probably in the middle. Science knows so many things about the universe, but it’s not the role of science to know about God.”

Aldrich sits up at your answer. He looks at you confidently and says, “Who says the universe is contingent? This is the way religious people talk–all words and no proof.” Nathan the Christian looks a bit sheepish here. What will you reply?

• “Where is your proof that the universe is not contingent? Why do I have to prove that they are contingent?”
• “Well we can agree to differ, there may be a case for both sides but they lead to very different conclusions.”
• “Because if it wasn't contingent we wouldn’t need explanations for it. We’d just say the sun shines because that’s what it does and that we don’t need any explanations for it. That would make science impossible.”

Aldrich the Atheist looks more puzzled and says, “Look, it's really simple. The sun makes the plants grow. That’s what photosynthesis is all about. Things happen because of the laws of nature. What’s the matter with you? Haven’t you studied even basic science!?” What will you reply to this?

• "Yes I have studied science. But the the growth of plants is contingent. The chlorophyll is related to sunlight becoming carbohydrates. And all of these things are contingent. No contingent thing can make another contingent thing happen. If you think about the long line of leaning people, without something holding them up at the end, they would all fall down. There needs to be something that is exists necessarily, not contingently, to support that. That thing is God.”
• “Yes I have studied science. But the growth of plants has been made by something more powerful than the laws of nature. Science is only there to discover what God has put in place through the laws of nature. The laws of nature may dictate what happens in the universe, but God can overpower them whenever He wants.”
• “Yes I have studied science. It looks like your argument is really strong so I can see why you think that. It makes it seem like the world, the universe even, is only material. But think beyond that. Think about things that science cannot explain. Think about what happens when we die. Think about miracles. Science and religion can exist together, and they do in Islam. But we have to realize that science cannot explain anything other than material things, and religion explains spiritual truths.”