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Second Argument for God’s Existence

Patty: Very good guys. Now, we have the second argument for God. Apolonio, you have the floor.

Apolonio: My second argument does not prove God’s existence, but refutes atheism. Since I have given one argument, I believe it is best now to refute atheism. My main argument is this: there is no argument for atheism.

Jackie: Huh?

Apolonio: Jackie, do you believe atheism is true?

Jackie: Of course I do.

Apolonio: Prove it.

Jackie: Prove a universal negative?

Apolonio: Yes.

Jackie: You think you are very smart. Well, I have prepared for this. And you are not going to nail me again!

Apolonio: Hopefully, you won’t nail yourself.

Patty: You guys are really teenagers, I can tell you that.

Apolonio: Let me hear your arguments Jackie.

Jackie: First of all, I don’t know why you shifted the burden of proof. My first argument is the famous “problem of evil.” Since God has the power to prevent evil but chooses not to even though He wants to, then there is no such thing as an all-good and all-powerful God. Great way to refute your first argument, eh?

Apolonio: Actually, the problem of evil proves God exists.

Jackie: Refute my argument first before you prove God exists with my argument.

Apolonio: Sure thing. Can I be Socrates?

Jackie: Sure. Try to nail me. Are you going to be a lawyer or something?

Apolonio: Maybe a Canon Lawyer, I’m not sure. How do you know evil exists?

Jackie: Because there is such thing as rape, murder, etc.

Apolonio: Are those evil?

Jackie: Of course they are.

Apolonio: Why?

Jackie: As a student of Philosophy, you should know this. Rape, for example, is evil because it takes away the dignity of people.

Apolonio: So?

Jackie: What do you mean so?

Apolonio: Who said that taking away the dignity of people is evil?

Jackie: Our conscience.

Apolonio: And what does our conscience do?

Jackie: It tells us what is right and wrong for one.

Apolonio: And where does this moral law come from?

Jackie: Very funny. That still does not prove God exists.
Apolonio: Oh yes it does. It tells us the law comes from something. It did not come from evolution because animals never thought of anything like this and they do not know what is right and wrong.

Jackie: That means we are smart animals.

Apolonio: And where the heck would you get “smart animals” out of nowhere? I don’t see a connection from evolution on how “smart animals” became so smart that they would give food to the poor and “turn the other cheek.” If you don’t get it yet, all I am saying is that there would be no such thing as evil if there were no God unless you can connect evil and God somehow.

Jackie: If that were so, then why would God not prevent evil?

Apolonio: First of all, I don’t have to. Second, the answer is more theological. Even though my answer is not appealing to you, my refutation of your argument still stands.

Jackie: Suuuure.

Apolonio: My answer is that God lets us have free will. He does not interfere with our free will. For example, if a person has a powerful eye, and closes it, the eye is still powerful but since he closed it, he cannot see. Closing the eye is free will. God made us with free will and He would not interfere with it.

Jackie: Um, that means that you are not powerful enough to see.

Apolonio: Not at all. The powerful eye is still there.

Jackie: Um no, that means you are not powerful enough to see through your eyes.
Apolonio: <sigh>

Patty: OK. I personally have no problem talking about the problem of evil, but I believe Apolonio does. He still has homework to do. Jackie, do you want to go on with your other arguments or shift the burden of proof?

Jackie: I will shift the burden of proof now.

Apolonio: That doesn’t make sense. I just proved God exists in two ways.

Jackie: Um, no you haven’t.

Apolonio: Yes I did. Perfection and the problem of evil.

Jackie: Um, OK.

Apolonio: Let me just make it short just in case you missed it. Since there is evil, then there has to be goodness. Therefore there is good and evil. Good and evil comes from the law, which God has made.

Jackie: Since you are being a baby, I will prove atheism is true again.

Apolonio: If you can, go ahead.

Jackie: The second proof of atheism is that God is a human invention.

Apolonio: I am just a beginner of Philosophy, but isn’t that attempting to prove a universal negative?

Jackie: No, Mr. Beginner.

Apolonio: Sorry.

Jackie: God does not exist because God is an invention. That’s my whole argument.

Apolonio: Nice logic.

Jackie: Thank you.
Apolonio: God is not a figment of an imagination. God is a Being and Santa Clause is a figment of imagination. I believe you can tell the difference when it is a figment of imagination or not.
Jackie: God is a myth, period.

Apolonio: Any proof?

Jackie: Sure. If you look at history, there are a lot of made up things, such as Greek Mythology.

Apolonio: Greek mythology isn’t all myths.

Jackie: So there is a Zeus?

Apolonio: No. One of the true things of mythology is morality. The Greeks knew that there were supernatural beings. They had common sense to believe in that.

Jackie: But they are not on par with Christianity?

Apolonio: Of course not. But that doesn’t make them all false. They made mistakes such as belief in many gods, but that just proves that they knew there is such a thing as a supernatural thing. And to get back to the Santa Clause, it isn’t all false either. Santa Clause is an invention of the mind that says he gives goodness and happiness to people. Having the thought of giving goodness and happiness to people means there is such a thing that brings us goodness and happiness. Of course, that Being is God. However, the person Santa Clause is false.

Jackie: So you pick and choose what is true and what is not?

Apolonio: No I do not. We know that Santa Clause is made up and we know that Greek mythology is made up. Common sense tells us that.

Jackie: Common sense told the Greeks of polytheism.

Apolonio: It doesn’t make them right. But they did have the common sense of a supernatural thing. And we are getting into a specific religion. We can argue which is the true religion after we have proven that God exists.
Jackie: Fine by me. But you are still picking and choosing what is right for you.

Patty: It is getting dark. Let us stop for today. Tomorrow, we discuss more evidences for God, and why Christianity is the true religion.
Apolonio: Fine by me.

Jackie: Me too. <sneeze>

Apolonio: God bless you

By: Apolonio Latar