If God exists, then one should live according to His laws. If God does not exist, then what is the foundation of morals, ethics, honesty and charity? God generally refers to one supreme, holy, personal Being, the divine unity of ultimate reality and of ultimate goodness. The atheists usually state that there is insufficient evidence to prove God's existence, but have rarely carried out sufficient research to justify their claim. The muslims usually state that believing in the existence of God is simply blind faith that does not need to be supported. Still others are frightened that exploring the question of God's existence will either make them a believer, thereby "cramping their style", or threaten their existing muslim faith and the foundation on which their life is based. I reject these attitudes as unacceptable. Certainly, the ultimate question of all time is whether God, as described, actually exists and ifso, what He is like. Some believe logic is necessary to substantiate any conclusion. Others believe that faith instead is the only valid way to search for God. Still others believe they have found God through other methods. Let us tackle the rational first. Rational argument seeks to validate or invalidate various propositions using logic and reason applied to fact. Such argument, in its purest form, attempts to definitively link various facts to substantiate relationships between them. This substantiation provides a proof and is often used to determine the truth of various propositions.

In its less pure form, rational argument can be used to provide weight of evidence for a particular proposition. Using deduction and induction, one can formulate a persuasive argument for a particular point of view.

Rational argument can also be used as a tool to argue against certain propositions. For instance, issues concerning blind faith are rejected as having no logical support. Some logical arguments may be rendered invalid by exposing missing links in the logical linkage of facts.

How about the argument for the existence of God from design ?

Look around you and see all the things that man has made. The cup on the desk, carefully designed and manufactured for a particular purpose. Everything in its place, crafted by the mind of man. The cup, the table, the watch - none of these things "just happened" or accidentally materialised. There is purpose and design behind the creation and placement of each and every article.

So too the natural world. Its apparent design is evidence of an intelligent Architect. The intricate human eye, the tremendous complexity of the brain. Design and order can be seen throughout the universe; in the galaxies of billions of stars down to the atomic level.

It is with this apparent order and design in the universe that the Teleological argument for God's existence begins. It has been popular for thousands of years and has been offered by theists as strong evidence for the existence of God.

Socrates, Plato, and Aquinas all supported these well-known arguments. If one found a watch in a field, one would conclude that it was made by a watchmaker because of its obvious design. Similarly, the complex design of the world points to a grand Designer. In fact, the world shows an even greater evidence of design than a watch because of the magnitude of its greatness, the greater complexity and the endless variety of means adapted to ends.

Another argument is based on the principle of entropy. The universe naturally tends towards chaos with a deterioration of order. However, we observe order and a continuance of complexity. In fact, the apparent evolutionary development of animals and plants supports the notion of initial design and planned process.

Finally, the probability of the world just coming into being by chance is so low as to make it unbelievable. There would be a greater chance of the unabridged Coran from an explosion in a printing shop.

The Teleological argument is simple, straightforward and powerful. Even great philosophers who strongly opposed religion, such as Immanuel Kant, regarded the Argument from Design as generally acceptable, even if not logically compulsive.

La suite au prochain numero.

  	                           	Hamza Benamar

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