Bishop Barron on Why Do We Believe in God?

Summary

The transcript explores various approaches to understanding the existence of God. One is the 'argument from desire,' which suggests that humans' endless pursuit of truth, goodness, and justice implies a deeper, transcendent source—God. Another approach links science and religion, positing that the intelligibility of the universe indicates a divine intelligence behind creation. Lastly, the 'argument from contingency' highlights that the world exists without necessity, pointing to God as the ultimate source. These reflections aim to show how human experiences and the universe itself suggest the presence of a greater divine reality.

Takeaways

• 🤔 Human desire for truth, goodness, and justice suggests a longing for something beyond this world.
• 🔍 The argument from desire implies that if we desire something beyond this world, we must already have some knowledge of it.
• 🙏 God is not just another good or just thing in the world but is the essence of truth, goodness, and justice itself.
• 🌌 God is not found within the cosmos but is the creative source of everything that exists.
• 🔬 Science and religion both assume that the world is intelligible, meaning it can be understood and has meaning.
• 🧠 The world’s intelligibility suggests it has been ‘thought into being’ by a higher intelligence, which is God.
• 🌍 The argument from contingency posits that the world exists but does not have to, pointing to a necessary being—God.
• 💡 Everything in the world is contingent and fleeting, requiring a grounding in something that necessarily exists—God.
• 👶 Dorothy Day’s experience of overwhelming gratitude highlights the sense that some feelings and experiences point to something beyond this world, which is God.
• 🙌 The proper response to the existence of the world and life is gratitude towards God, the creator.

Q & A

What is the 'argument from desire' as presented in the transcript?

The argument from desire suggests that humans have an inherent desire for truth, goodness, and justice. Even when we experience these things in the world, we remain unsatisfied. This indicates that we are seeking something beyond the world, which implies that we already know it. This 'something' is God—truth, goodness, and justice itself.

Why does the speaker argue that 'we can't desire what we don't know'?

The speaker suggests that humans cannot desire something they have no knowledge of. Since we desire things like ultimate truth, goodness, and justice that transcend the world, this implies that we already have an innate knowledge of God, who embodies these concepts.

How does the speaker describe God in relation to truth, goodness, and justice?

The speaker explains that God is not just one more true, good, or just thing in the world but rather the source of truth, goodness, and justice itself. God is the ultimate reality that seizes the minds and wills of those who seek these ideals.

What does the story of the Russian cosmonauts illustrate?

The story of the Russian cosmonauts illustrates the misunderstanding that God can be found as a physical entity within the cosmos. The speaker explains that God is not part of the cosmos but is the creative source of everything within it.

How does the second approach connect religion and science?

The second approach argues that both religion and science assume that the world is intelligible, meaning it can be understood. This intelligibility, or meaningfulness, of the world suggests that it was 'thought into being' by an intelligence—God. This brings religion and science together through the idea that the world’s reason and order stem from a divine mind.

Why is the universality of the world's meaningfulness important in the speaker's argument?

The universality of the world’s meaningfulness is important because it suggests that the world has been created with reason and purpose. The speaker argues that this intelligibility implies that it was 'thought into being' by God, an ultimate intelligence.

What is the 'argument from contingency' as mentioned in the transcript?

The argument from contingency states that everything in the world exists but does not necessarily have to exist. Since the world is fleeting and dependent, there must be something outside of the world that necessarily exists and sustains it—this something is God.

How did Dorothy Day’s experience relate to the 'argument from contingency'?

Dorothy Day experienced an overwhelming sense of gratitude while holding her child, a gratitude so immense that it couldn’t be directed at anything in the world. This sense of profound thankfulness led her to recognize the existence of God, the one who created her, her child, and everything in existence.

What point does the speaker make about gratitude in relation to God?

The speaker highlights that a deep sense of gratitude, like the one Dorothy Day experienced, points to the existence of God. This gratitude cannot be adequately directed toward anything in the world, implying that it is directed toward God, the creator of all.

What does the speaker mean by saying 'When you're seeking God, the most important thing to realize is that you've already been found by God'?

The speaker means that the very act of seeking God indicates that God has already initiated a relationship with you. The desire for truth, goodness, and justice that drives one to seek God is itself a sign that God has already reached out and 'found' you.