The 60-Second Aquinas
Lesson
A Rational Man's Approach to God
Aquinas Lesson for June 25, 1998
Here’s a trick. Let’s prove the existence of God in less than 200 words!
An atheist once told me that in order for man to believe in God, he must go against his rational nature. Since he was created as a rational being, it is irrational to think that God would force man to go against that nature. In other words, since we can’t prove God’s existence, He doesn’t exist.
Aquinas said, we can prove He exists. We just can’t draw any pictures.
The existence of God can be demonstrated by what we know as rational beings, but we cannot know the essence of God – that is, what He looks like.
Here’s how it works. As rational beings, we know that all things are caused by something – the idea of cause and effect. Well, something came first. That first cause was uncaused, and we call that uncaused cause God.
Aquinas also discussed God as the Prime Mover – that which existed first and set everything into motion.
And he used reason to prove the existence of God in three other ways, but this is supposed to be a short lesson.
How about that! 194 words.
(For a more detailed explanation on this subject, please see the six articles written On the Existence of God.)
Explanation of The 60-Second Aquinas Lesson
