Starter: think of some cause and effect

examples and make a list of these in your

book…
E.g. you water a plant = it grows
you don’t do your homework = get a caution

The First Cause Argument

Objective:
Examine the First Cause argument for
the existence of God, including its
strengths and weaknesses
 Progress Indicators
Grade 5 Grade 7 Grade 8
I can explain I can evaluate I can evaluate
the First Cause the evidence the idea that
argument and from the First God was the
some of its Cause argument uncaused first
strengths and to prove the
causer!
existence of
weaknesses
God.
 How did we get here?
• Which theory about the origins of the
universe convinces you the most? Give a
reason…!

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the

earth.” Genesis 1:1
Cause and Effect
It is part of human nature to look
for explanations as to why things
take place. We want to see that ‘X’
happened therefore the result
was ‘Y’. The same is true of
looking for explanations for how
the universe and human life came
into existence. The First Cause
argument (sometimes called the
‘cosmological argument’) tries to
explain the universe using this
process, and in doing so prove the
existence of God.
Thomas Aquinas’ First Cause Argument

Aquinas said he could prove that God exists. He said:

• Everything we can see must have a cause
• Nothing can cause itself to exist, instead it must be caused by
something else.
• We can see that the universe exists by looking around us, so it
must have been created or caused by something else.
• There has to be a first cause, one thing that started off the whole
chain of events which led to the universe we see around us today.
• This first cause must be eternal, something that hasn’t been
caused in the first place.
• The only being we can understand who is like this is God.
• Therefore God exists.
Thomas Aquinas’ First Cause
Argument Was Thomas
Aquinas said he could prove that God exists. He Aquinas right?
said:
• Everything we can see must have a cause
• Nothing can cause itself to exist, instead it
must be caused by something else.
• We can see that the universe exists by Come up with
looking around us, so it must have been
created or caused by something else. three reasons
• There has to be a first cause, one thing
that started off the whole chain of events to agree with
which led to the universe we see around
us today. this argument,
• This first cause must be eternal,
something that hasn’t been caused in the
and three
•
first place.
The only being we can understand who is
reasons to
like this is God. disagree…
• Therefore God exists.
 Progress Indicators
Grade 5 Grade 7 Grade 8
I can explain I can evaluate I can evaluate
the First Cause the evidence the idea that
argument and from the First God was the
some of its Cause argument uncaused first
strengths and to prove the
causer!
existence of
weaknesses
God.
Complete two of these three tasks…
Grade 8
Grade 5
‘The idea that God always existed
doesn’t make sense; if there is a
Explain in your own
God he must have been created.’
words what Thomas
Evaluate this statement. Give
Aquinas’ argument was.
arguments for and against.
Include a religious point of view.

Grade 7

‘The existence of God cannot be proved’.

Give a balanced response to this statement
using what we have learnt in the last two
lessons.
Evidence from Christian teaching
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth.” Genesis 1:1
theist atheist

agnostic
Are you convinced of the existence of God? Are you a theist,
atheist, or agnostic? Give a reason for your choice using the
evidence of one of the arguments we have learnt about…