Essay on Does God Exist?

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Religion is something that virtually all humans have in common. In all corners of the world and in all eras of history, people have wondered about the meaning of life, how to make the best of it, what happens afterwards and if there is anyone or anything "out there." The world of philosophy consists of so many unanswered questions. One such question is whether or not God exists. This is the very question that has grasped the imagination of humanity since the birth of reason, and the same question that has plagued scientists and philosophers without coming close to an accepted conclusion. God is a word that means different things to different people. The definition for God, according to most monotheistic religions is the creator and ruler …show more content…
Almost everyone at some particular point in his or her life has challenged the existence of God. This may happen for a number of reasons. For example, he or she might have been in a position when their faith alone was just not enough for them to believe. Humans have a natural instinct to find reasons for events that can't be explained. For some, the existence of God may help provide them the answers they are looking for. The ontological argument proposed by Saint Anselm of Canterbury in 1708 suggests "that than which nothing greater can be conceived", arguing that this could exist in the mind and what exists in the mind, must also exist in reality. "Even when a fool hears of a being than which nothing greater can be conceived understands what he hears, and what he understands is in his understanding. And assuredly that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, cannot exist in the understanding alone. For suppose it exists in the understanding alone: then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which is greater. Therefore, if that, than which nothing greater can be conceived, exists in the understanding alone, the very being, than which nothing greater can be conceived. But obviously this is impossible. Hence, there is no doubt that there exists a being, than which nothing greater can be conceived, and it exists both in the understanding and in reality." (Anselm 59) His
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