Introduction
Different philosophers and religious analysts have approached the existence of God from diverse perspectives. Some remain skeptical while others have succeeded in providing strong arguments to describe the nature of God and the universe. Some of these great thinkers include Aquinas, Kant, and Reiner. Using the views of these philosophers, this paper examines whether God exists or not and goes further to describe His true nature using the ongoing coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Does God Exist: Reiner, Aquinas, and Kant
Reiner stands out as one of the great philosophers and theology scholars of the modern age. In most of his works, Reiner was able to focus on the works of great scholars in an effort to describe the nature of the universe, how it related to the life of man, and possible future ahead of humanity. According to this thinker, there was a Supreme Being somewhere who was responsible for the trends and developments recorded in the universe. He was the one capable of ruling the entire universe and everything in it. Such attributes and views were in line with Reiner’s position and role as a priest. In terms of God’s nature, Reiner observed that only one Supreme Being existed. He exists in these three forms: Holy Spirit, the Son, and the Father (Wojtysiak, 2018). He remains all knowing and capable of setting all things in place. He remains powerful, omniscient or all knowing, and capable of being everywhere at any given time. His eternal nature is what summarizes Reiner’s position about God. Using the case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is agreeable that God has presented the right knowledge and guidance to His people. Although some people might have suffered from this health challenge, God has helped His people by providing them with the necessary resources, ideas, and knowledge to overcome (Brett & Goroncy, 2020). These positive gains being recorded during the time of this pandemic could be a proof that God exists and is always ready to help His followers.
Having been born and lived during the medieval ages, Saint Thomas Aquinas wrestled with the relationship between reason and theology. During the period, many people struggled with the question and were unable to pursue their religious and epistemological objectives. However, Saint Aquinas was keen to assert that all form of understanding or knowledge could be studied as a gift from God. In most of his works, this religious scholar and thinker described the role of faith in human life. Through such insights, he was able to prove that God really existed. He presented five ways through which humans could prove God’s existence (Ilodigwe, 2018). These included the presence and nature of movement, cause and effect recorded in the world, the manner in which nature remains impermanent, diverse levels of human determinism and perfection, and the fact that humans possessed a unique form of intelligence that could be studied as a blessing from a Supreme God. From this observation, he identified the nature of God as an ever living Supreme Being, loving, generous, and capable of guiding man to higher knowledge. Aquinas’ thoughts could be applied to COVID-19 as a contemporary issue whereby humans have benefited from God’s gift of wisdom to protect themselves and find a vaccine within a record-breaking time.
Immanuel Kant is another great philosopher who presents superior arguments and views to support the existence of God. Taking a divergent approach, Kant argued that it was impossible for humans to present any unique or convincing argument to describe whether God existed or not using the concept of reason. Instead, he considered the notion of summum bonum to describe how moral ethics could lead to happiness. Such gains would be attributable to the power of virtue (Palmquist, 2015). With humans having no power to bring such outcomes into fruition, Kant argued that only a superior or Supreme Being somewhere was capable of promoting positive outcomes in the world. Only such a Supreme Being had the potential to support the existence of the summum bonum notion. This being would be described as a God and He is capable of proving the right environment that can result in happiness. God is, therefore, in a position of rewarding people with happiness after the end of life on Earth. For Kant, the nature of God is quite unique because he identifies Him as the only moral ruler and author of ethical guidelines. In such a case, He is able to dictate or rule the universe (Palmquist, 2015). Kant believes that God is a theist, holy, and living. He identifies Him as a superior being capable of remaining omnipotent and omniscient. Those who consider the practicability of morality will find a reason to acknowledge that God exists. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic could be studied as a contemporary issue that has led to a number of positive outcomes (Brett & Goroncy, 2020). Despite the deaths and destruction of livelihoods, the pandemic has revealed that there are some who will always be ready to help and promote empathy on earth. Some have acted in a morally acceptable manner to help innocent lives during the pandemic. These actions and achievements could be studied as efforts that try to promote God’s nature on Earth.
Conclusion
From this analysis, it is evident that the selected philosophers offer divergent approaches to explain and support the fact that God exists. In their works, Aquinas, Reiner, and Kant show conclusively that the nature of religious practice, moral principles, and human knowledge all work collaboratively to support the fact that God exists. He emerges as an all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful Supreme Being who has ordered all lives and things in place. The ongoing pandemic has presented various positive outcomes that could be linked directly to God’s existence and goodness for mankind.
Annotated Bibliography
Palmquist, S. R. (2015). Kant’s prudential theory of religion: The necessity of historical faith for moral empowerment. Con-Textos Kantianos: International Journal of Philosophy, 1(1), 57-76.
In this article, the author indicates that Kant’s presentation of deontological ethics set the stage for describing the nature of faith in historical religions. For people to understand the nature and existence of God, they have to focus on happiness and relate the same to ethics and morality. This becomes the real value or necessity for supporting moral development and empowerment. This appeal for morality can guide more people to lead better lives and achieve their possible goals. This article is worth reading and capable of supporting the selected questions regarding the nature and existence of God. The article is also informative and capable of helping readers appreciate Kant’s view of God’s superiority.
Ilodigwe, D. (2018). Aquinas and the question of God’s existence: Exploring the five ways. International Journal of Philosophy and Theology, 6(1), 19-32. Web.
In this article, the reader appreciates the fact that St. Aquinas was a prolific author whose works reshaped religious arguments and thoughts. For instance, Ilodigwe (2018) indicates that the philosopher’s “account of the existence of God is perhaps the best known aspect of his work” (p. 19). He provides five views and aspects that have become widely used when trying to prove God’s existence and nature. The reader finds this article informative and capable of reshaping the nature of both natural and religious thought. This article is selected since it offers concrete evidences and arguments that expose St. Aquinas’ positions regarding the nature and presence of a living God. The thought can guide and encourage modern-day scholars to address the problems affecting a wide range of problems today, including COVID-19.
Wojtysiak, J. R. (2018). Two epistemological arguments for the existence of God. European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, 10(1), 21-30.
The author of this article focuses on the most appropriate approaches to support the existence of God. The emerging evidence is that he uses a philosophical approach to explain and describe the nature of knowledge in the world today. The reader will be compelled to focus on the presented ideas and consider the simple idea that a great power exists in the universe that controls all things or happenings. With this kind of understanding, it becomes quite clear that the source is informative and capable of presenting the views Reiner provides regarding the selected question (Wojtysiak, 2018). The ideas are also essential for expanding the current discussion and describing how a single source of power exists that continues to guide religious beliefs and life as a whole.
Brett, M., & Goroncy, J. (2020). Creation, God, and the coronavirus. Theology, 123(5), 346-352.
In this article, the authors reveal that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a contemporary issue that can compel more people to start focusing on the nature of creation. However, the researchers rely on such a pandemic to describe how and why Christian believers should read the scriptures from an informed perspective. They should do so and avoid concentrating on the origins of crises in the universe. Instead, they should be keen to help each other and consider the power of God’s healing and justice (Brett & Goroncy, 2020). The information is informative and capable of supporting the advancement of the targeted research topic. The article does a great job by analyzing the true nature of God and explaining how He orders and controls all the things and events in the universe.