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God Can Be Rational Without Proof For God's Existence

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In this paper, Plantinga argues that believing in God can be rational without proofs of God’s existence. Natural theology is “the attempt to prove or demonstrate the existence of God” has a long history (49). Some Christians and mostly in the Reformed and Calvinist times rejected natural theology. One question was raised from this view: Why would Christians reject the attempts on proving God’s existence?
There are two Reformed theologians on natural theology, one being John Calvin, and another being Herman Bavinck. On Plantinga's account, Plantinga listed the four beliefs that are highlighted from Bavinck and Calvin. First, Bavinck claimed arguments and proofs are not the source of a Christian’s faith on the existence of God (50). Secondly, …show more content…

Some foundationalists in such like Aquinas, for the belief to be self-evident or “evident to the senses” (56). This means if one observes things around us, we as humans can seek out what is the truth and false. Such example like that was provided: “(1) There is a tree before me; (2) I am wearing shoes; (3) that tree’s leaves are yellow” (56). Others much like Descartes requires the senses to be certain in some ways. From the first three claims, it requires more cautious claims that they should be about mental life. “(4) It seems to me that I see a tree; (5) I seem to see something green or, as Professor Chisholm puts it; (6) I am appeared greenly to” (57). While classical foundationalism demands upon foundational beliefs, it is the opposite for weak foundationalism, thus the demands are weaker. However, Aquinas and Descartes tends to accept weak foundationalism, as they see Reformed thinkers as “rejecting classical foundationalism” (57), but they added certain conditions to become more valid as a basicality.
What remains is the Reformed rejection on one’s belief in God as a properly basic belief. Calvin claims that one does not need arguments to know God’s existence, since one can accept God as basic, whether believe on the basis of other propositions or not. Plantinga concluded that “one who takes belief in God as basic can also know that God exists” (58). Thus, believing

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