The Existence of God: The Teleological Argument

The Third Argument: the Teleological.
(Teleological= telos [end, purpose]+logia [science, study]= "the study of purpose." So this argument has to do with the end purpose of things around us, usually the Universe/Nature.)

This probably the most widely known argument out of the ones I have presented. It comes in many-a-shape and form. It is even used in the Bible (Rom. 1:20)! A form of this argument is sometimes called 'The Argument from Design.'

William Paley forms the argument thus:
1. Human artifacts are products of intelligent design.
2. The universe resembles human artifacts.
3. Therefore the universe is a product of intelligent design.
4. But the universe is complex and gigantic, in comparison to human artifacts.
5. Therefore, there probably is a powerful and vastly intelligent designer who created the universe.

Ok. So where to start on this one. Let's start with a quote from an awesome dude named G.K. Chesterton, "So one elephant having a trunk was odd; but all elephants having trunks looked like a plot." So, let's look at the premises:

The first premise: Human artifacts are products of intelligent design.
If it really needs to be said, this is a VERY uncontroversial argument. If it was made by a human, it had some degree of intelligence behind it.

The second premise: The universe resembles human artifacts.
This is where much controversy arises. To say that the universe resembles human artifacts seems somewhat to be subjective and explanations of certain resemblances can be quite convincing, but the fact remains that there are resemblances to the appearance of intelligence behind the universe. The whole argument, I think, resets on this one premise. How do we go and provide support for this premise? Well, I don't think that there is any true way to provide an evidence that is irrefutable (as one of my good friend's always says, 'There are good arguments for really stupid things.'), but I do believe that there are strong evidences that can be provided.

Okay, so the first support I want to provide is from the Fine-Tuning argument (another form of a teleological argument). This argument states that, "the fitness of the universe for life either involves a series of staggering coincidences, or is the result of intelligent design" (taken from here). For example, George Wald, a Nobel Prize winning biologist, said, "When it comes to the origin of life, we have only two possibilities as to how life arose. One is spontaneous generation arising to evolution, the other is a supernatural creative act of God. There is no third possibility." Scientists have been able to determine that in order for life to even have the possibility of arising in the universe, at least 34 parameters must just so, or else our universe would never produce life (or it would be so unlikely that it is considered not possible), more info here.

The third premise: Therefore the universe is a product of intelligent design.

Again, this really depends on if whomever you are talking about accepts the second premise. If they do accept the second premise, then it follows that intelligent design is behind the universe.

The fourth premise: But the universe is complex and gigantic, in comparison to human artifacts.

This follows pretty nicely. I mean, nothing we humans have ever created has even come close to the complexity and size of the universe and nothing we create ever will.

The fifth premise: Therefore, there probably is a powerful and vastly intelligent designer who created the universe.

This is the very logical conclusion of the understanding of these premises. Remember, the strength of this argument relies on premise 2.

Something I want to say here is that while I think this argument is strong, I do not think that it is unbeatable. The strength of the argument for God's existence is not in one argument alone, but rather in all of the arguments together. So, that being said, take this argument and put it together with the others that you have amassed and use them to tell other about Him.

Grace and Peace be with you.