To Christians: God's origin?

Question

There is an rebuttal often made to the argument from design, that goes something like this: If God created the universe, then his mind must be at least as complex as the universe itself is - because, according to the argument, nothing complex can come from something simple. To adapt the traditional analogy, if we found a watch on the beach, we would not suppose an idiot made it. However, if God is more complex than the universe, then there must be another God who created Him, and then another God who created Him, and so on forever. Furthermore, we are not justified in saying God's mind is infinitely complex, because we cannot infer an infinite cause from a finite effect. I am interested in hearing responses to the above arguments, to develop my thoughts on the issue, because while I have heard it put forth by many atheists, I have not yet heard any serious responses to it. If anyone, Christian or otherwise, knows of any books or sites that deal with it at length, I'd be interested.

I'd like a more in-depth answer than "God doesn't need an explanation" or "God has always existed." If one argues thus, I could just as easily say "The universe doesn't need an explanation" or "The universe has always existed." Why is it that this is not as valid as saying that God is uncreated? Remember, I am trying to situate this question within the context of the argument from design.

Answer 1

When asking this question, you are looking at it with the mind of a human (the only way you can consider it). Therefore, you can only comprehend what you know / understand to be true. Time is the issue here, your understanding of time is that it is a never ending thing that has started, has a 'present' and will go into the future forever.
What about if time didn't exist, what if god created time when making the universe (the bible tells us that god created day and night - could this be saying that he created time).
Now ithis is where the issue goes beyond the realms of our understanding. If there was no time, then that means there was no before, and hence no creator of god. He was just there or in effect he was the beginning. "In the beginning, God..." - genisus 1:1

Your error is saying that it is impossible to have something if there was nothing before it. It's our human minds that think something or someone was created, why does this have to be the case. Just becasuse we dont understand it doesnt mean it can't happen.

You will never get a straight answer to this as basically no one knows for sure. There will be many answers, but the only correct answer is that you will never know. It's an issue of faith or belief or whatever you wish to call it. and the issue is exactly the same whether you think of it as god, or the universe just exploding with the big bang etc.

Hope this helps
Oliver

Answer 2

Reason starts with an assumption. If that assumption is wrong then no true answer is possible to the question. Your premise that "God is more complex than the universe, then there must be another God who created Him," is a false premise and therefore your question is unanwserable.

Answer 3

I would like you to open up your bible to Psalms chapter 90 verse 2. It says " Before the mountains themselves were born, or you proceeded to bring forth as with labor pains the earth and the productive land, even from time indefinite to time indefinite you are God."

Jesus referred to his Father as " the only true God." John 17th chapter verse 3. God said himself : Besides me there is no God." Isa chapter 44: verse 6. The apostle wrote that, to true Christians, "there is... one God the Father." 1 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 5 and 6. So God is unique, no one else shares or shared his position before. There is only one God and his name is Jehovah. Psalms 83 verse 18 says: That you people may know that you whose name is Jehovah, You alone are the Most High over all the earth.

Answer 4

i can see where the argument is coming from...

but the simple point is that everything came from something, that is why there is that argument that this thing came from this thing, which came from that, & that from this thing & so on...

for nothing just came into being from nothingness... nothing... except maybe... the First Cause, the Prime Mover, the Alpha & the Omega, & in religion... God....

so God does not have an origin because God IS the Beginning (& the End)...

Answer 5

God is eternal having neither beginning of days or end of life, a Spirit fire or light called life. The Word begins with thought from conscious awareness I am, acquiring wisdom to reason thought to self with the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. This wisdom of thought with words is not any substance or matter but Spirit, the Holy Spirit. God is One, by Himself or alone with His Words the Holy Spirit. This timeless existence of reasoning wanted company and God’s thoughts turn to creating company or sons. Sons to behold, abide with, and communion with. God discovered love, not of the thought, but of the sons He envisioned. God felt this love, the magnificence of it and wanted His sons to love Him. God realized He could not create true love or forced it upon a being, but true love would only manifest in sons of freewill. The wisdom of God also knew it would be necessary to govern sons of freewill by laws that are fair and righteous, to hold them accountable. God was willing to risk rejection and rebellion against the law. Sons of freewill could choose not to love Him but must obey the law. The sons would need a place to abide, explore, and grow. God created the heavens and the earth, His kingdom.

Answer 6

this gets asked 50 times a day here.
get a pencil and jot this down:
God is Spirit, not human.
God was not created.
God always was.
God always will be.
That is a difficult concept for the human mind to grasp because humans are finite; they have a beginning and an end and tend to think all beings must be like them.
not so.

Answer 7

I think to them it is very simple as it probably is throughout the other Abrahamic faiths, but do not hold me to this, as I only know some information about traditional Islam. I think it's as simple as: God has always been.

Answer 8

read John chapter 1, VERSES 1- like 6 or somthing. it maye help.

Answer 9

UMM.....DDUUHHHHHHH....He, like doesn't NEED an explanation because He's like, UMMMM, GOD, UMMMMMM.... uh, you know, and so He just DOESN'T, DDDDUUUUUHHHHHH.... (Note heavy sarcasm)