TY - JOUR
T1 - On God and the Beginning of the Universe
T2 - An Evaluation of Recent Discussions
AU - Loke, Andrew Ter Ern
N1 - Funding Information:
This research is funded by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (project no. EdUHK 18606721).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the author.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Philosophical analysis is of vital importance for addressing the controversies in science and theology. This article evaluates the analyses concerning God and the beginning of the universe offered by a number of philosophers. It is shown that, while Linford is correct in that establishing that physical reality has a finite past is not sufficient for establishing that physical reality had a beginning, the objections which Linford, Schmid, Oberle, and Wielenberg have offered against the Cosmological Argument for the existence of God can be rebutted. The examination of the objections and rebuttals demonstrates how a more careful philosophical analyses of the issues concerning the argument against infinite causal regress, personal identity, timelessness, the definition and reducibility of time, and the causal principle can contribute to the interaction between science and theology.
AB - Philosophical analysis is of vital importance for addressing the controversies in science and theology. This article evaluates the analyses concerning God and the beginning of the universe offered by a number of philosophers. It is shown that, while Linford is correct in that establishing that physical reality has a finite past is not sufficient for establishing that physical reality had a beginning, the objections which Linford, Schmid, Oberle, and Wielenberg have offered against the Cosmological Argument for the existence of God can be rebutted. The examination of the objections and rebuttals demonstrates how a more careful philosophical analyses of the issues concerning the argument against infinite causal regress, personal identity, timelessness, the definition and reducibility of time, and the causal principle can contribute to the interaction between science and theology.
KW - beginning of universe
KW - timelessness
KW - cosmological argument
KW - causal regress
KW - personal identity
KW - causal principle
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150980319&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/rel14030290
DO - 10.3390/rel14030290
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85150980319
SN - 2077-1444
VL - 14
JO - Religions
JF - Religions
IS - 3
M1 - 290
ER -