If everything needs a cause, doesn't God need one? Or is he not part of everything?

Question

jinenglish: OK.....and I like cheese. What does that have to do with the question?

Answer 1

Your question is related to God's attribute of Aseity (Self-Existence).

Most classical theists see God’s Aseity or Pure Existence as a key attribute. The early Church Fathers, as well as Augustine (354-430), Anselm (1033- 1109), and Aquinas, continually cite the Bible in support of this position. In defending God’s self-existence (aseity) classical theists such as Aquinas are fond of citing Exodus 3:14 where God identifies himself to Moses as “I Am that I Am.” This they understand to refer to God as Pure Being or Existence.

God is Pure Actuality, with no potentiality in his being whatsoever. Whatever has potentiality (potency) needs to be actualized or effected by another. And since God is the ultimate Cause, there is nothing beyond him to actualize any potential (i.e., ability) he may have. Nor can God actualize his own potential to exist, since this would mean he caused his own existence. But a self-caused being is impossible, since it cannot create itself. Something has to exist before it can do anything. Even God cannot lift himself into being by his own ontological bootstraps. Thus, God must be Pure Actuality in his Being.

Of course, God has the potential to create other things. But he cannot bring himself into being. He always was. And while God has the potential to do other things, he cannot be anything other than what he is. He has the power to create other things (active potency), but he does not have the power (passive potency) to exist in any other way than he does, namely, as an infinite, eternal, necessary, and simple Being.

God’s aseity means that he is Being; everything else merely has being. God is Pure Actuality; all other things have both actuality and potentiality. Thus, God cannot not exist. All creatures can be nonexistent. That is, they have the potentiality for nonexistence. Only God is a Necessary Being. All other beings are contingent.

Answer 2

You almost had it, God is not part of everything - everything is apart of God since through Him everything was made. He is only thing that doesn't need a purpose because He was not created but everything created has to have a purpose, hope you got that last part. Revelation 22:13 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

Answer 3

Everything IN THE UNIVERSE needs a First Cause. But God isn't in or part of this universe, He IS the First Cause.

Answer 4

Oooh the ultimate question! I asked a christian the same thing once..... He told me that the universe can't simply exist because everything needs a creator (a cause, to conform to your question.) .... So i used his logic to ask him who created god since EVERYTHING needs a creator.... He supplied the answer that it was "illogical to believe" that god would need a creator. I was completely dumbfounded....... WTFDYJS?? (what the f**k did you just say) Did you just contradict your own logic by saying that it was illogical for god to need a creator even though you said EVERYTHING must have a creator?!?! What the hell??

So apparently he's not part of "everything" ..... he blends in with "nothing." He isn't hangin with a good crowd.

Answer 5

It's not "everything needs a cause", but "every finite and contingent being has a cause". Unlike material things, we cannot study God directly because (if He exists), He is supernatural, i.e., above the natural realm. Thus, we cannot definitively state what His properties are.

Answer 6

Everything that is finite needs a cause. God is eternal therefore lacking absolutely nothing outside himself to exist.

Answer 7

Actually, God IS the cause; so He does not need one

Answer 8

Exactly. He is not part of everything. He is everything. God is not of this world, he created it. He has no beginning and no end.

Answer 9

God is not part of anything, He created everything. He is Lord of all.

Answer 10

God IS everything.