Judaism & the Cosmological Argument (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B) : Revision Note

What is the cosmological argument for the existence of the Almighty?

• The Cosmological Argument is an important argument for the existence of God

• It focuses on the idea that everything in the universe has a cause

  • Because the universe itself exists, there must be a first cause, and this first cause is believed to be God

• Judaism teaches that this is a strong argument to support the existence of a God

  • Judaism teaches that everything that exists in the universe has been caused by something else

    • For example, if a tree grows, it’s because of seeds, sunlight, water, etc. and if you trace everything back, it seems like each thing is caused by something else

  • If everything has a cause, then the universe must have a cause too

  • There must have been something that started everything, something that wasn’t caused by anything else

    • Judaism teaches that this ‘first cause’ is God

    • God is thought to be the uncaused cause, meaning he has no beginning and does not depend on anything else for existence

    • He must have started everything in the universe

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The cosmological argument

• Judaism teaches this argument because of the nature of God identified in Jewish scripture

• The idea that everything has a cause is reflected in the Torah’s description of creation

  • In Genesis, God is seen as the initial cause of everything, and God’s creation of the world is the first cause that began everything else

• Jewish teaching accepts the need for a ‘First Cause’ 

  • God is seen as the eternal, uncaused being

  • This supports the belief that God is the first cause who created everything from nothing (ex nihilo)

  • This argument is based on the idea that God is a necessary being

  • This aligns with Jewish teachings that God is eternal, self-sufficient, and beyond time and space

    • In the Torah, God is described as the eternal one who existed before the creation of the world, showing that God’s existence is not contingent on anything else

  • This argument is also dependent upon the idea that creation came from nothing

    • Judaism teaches that God created the universe out of nothing, demonstrating his power as the first cause

    • The opening verse of Genesis (In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth) supports this idea that God is the ultimate cause who brought the world into being without relying on anything that already existed

What does the Cosmological Argument show about the nature of the Almighty?

• The Cosmological Argument demonstrates the nature of God in many ways

  • Firstly, the idea that in Judaism, God is seen as eternal, uncaused and exists independently

    • This aligns with Jewish teachings, as God is described as eternal in the Torah

    • In the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), God is acknowledged as the one and only eternal being, with no beginning or end

  • God is also viewed as necessary or self-sufficient because he does not rely on anything or anyone for his existence

    • In the first chapter of Genesis, God is the Creator who brings everything into being, showing that he is the source of all existence

  • The Argument also relies on God being omnipotent

    • This idea is supported in Genesis 1, where God speaks the world into existence

    • Psalm 33:6 states, ‘By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,’ showing God’s power in creation

  • The argument suggests that God is the creator of everything in the universe

  • His act of creation shows his wisdom and ability to shape the world

    • This is rooted in the Jewish belief in God as the Creator, particularly in the opening of the Torah, where Genesis 1:1 states, ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth’

What are Humanist and Atheist views about the Cosmological Argument?

• Humanists believe that the universe can be explained through natural causes and scientific reasoning, without needing God as a cause

  • They might argue that the Cosmological Argument does not prove the existence of God, because science provides explanations, like the Big Bang theory, for the origin of the universe

  • Humanists might suggest that the universe could have come into existence without a first cause, or that the first cause is not necessarily God, but simply the result of natural processes

• Atheists reject the Cosmological Argument because they believe there is no need for a God to explain the universe

  • They may argue that the idea of an uncaused cause does not make sense

    • Why should God be the only being that does not need a cause?

  • Atheists would agree that the universe may have come into existence through a process that does not require a creator

    • Natural explanations, such as the Big Bang and the laws of physics, are enough

What are Jewish responses to Humanist and Atheist views about the Cosmological Argument?

• Jews maintain that God’s existence is necessary to explain the origin of everything

  • They would reject the idea of a natural explanation because scripture tells them that God was the cause of everything

• Many Jews accept scientific explanations like the Big Bang or evolution, but they believe these natural processes were set in motion by God

  • Most Jews do not see science and faith as contradictory, but rather as complementary

  • They believe God created the universe in a way that makes sense of both scientific discoveries and religious teachings

• Jews would disagree that God is bound by the same scientific laws as everything else in the universe

  • Therefore, they would argue that God is eternal and does not require a cause

• Jews believe the Cosmological Argument shows that the universe is created with purpose and order

  • While humanists and atheists may see the universe as random, Jews believe that its structure points to a higher purpose and God’s involvement in creation