Best Theological Evidences/Proofs that there is One Supreme God.

[Xavier]

Dear Friends, as was being discussed in another thread, please share in this thread any way that

(1) Reason can show that there is only One Almighty God, and not many, as we all know there is.
(2) this would be helpful in beginning to share the Gospel with Hindus etc who are polytheists.

Thanks and God Bless.

[Xavier]

In researching the subject, I found some interesting arguments from St. John Damascene and St. Thomas Aquinas for the same, quoted in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

"3. An Argument from God's Perfection
John of Damascus argued that because God is perfect, he is necessarily unique. The only way in which one god could be distinguished from another would be by coming "short of perfection in goodness, or power, or wisdom, or time, or place," but in that case "he would not be God" (John of Damascus, 173). Aquinas offers a similar argument: If there were several gods, there would be several perfect beings but "if none of these perfect beings lacks some perfection," and if none of them has "any admixture of imperfection ...., nothing will be given in which to distinguish the perfect beings from one another" (Aquinas, 158).

From: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/monotheism/#ArgGodSim

[Michael Wilson]

for me the best argument is "necessary-being" vs "contingent being": everything that we know cannot make itself, but exist from another; therefore their existence is "contingent" i.e. Can or cannot happen; but ultimately behind the existence of every contingent being, there must be a "necessary-being", one that exists of itself and is the cause of all the contingent beings. If there were no "necessary being" then there would be no explanation for the existence of anything i.e. "They just happened" .

[AlNg]

(2) this would be helpful in beginning to share the Gospel with Hindus etc who are polytheists.

Do you think that all Hindus are polytheists?

[james03]

Get the book "The Five Proofs of God" by Edward Feser.  I believe it is what you are looking for.

[Xavier]

for me the best argument is "necessary-being" vs "contingent being": everything that we know cannot make itself, but exist from another; therefore their existence is "contingent" i.e. Can or cannot happen; but ultimately behind the existence of every contingent being, there must be a "necessary-being", one that exists of itself and is the cause of all the contingent beings. If there were no "necessary being" then there would be no explanation for the existence of anything i.e. "They just happened" .

Agreed, nice one. Maybe we could also just use creature and Creator for contingent and Necessary in the Indian context.

So, Every creature (contingent being) depends on someone else for beginning to exist. If that being were itself a creature, then the process repeats. But it cannot repeat endlessly. And so at some point, it has to end in a Creator, who created all else.

[Hindus are not Atheists, so they will generally admit this point.]

Also, if the Creator brought everything out of nothing, then it stands to reason He has Infinite Power, i.e. is Almighty, for which non-almighty being can create even, say, an apple or an apple tree out of nothing? Next, it certainly seems impossible that there can be two beings that are almighties, for who would win if these two conflicted? Therefore, a Necessary Being that brought all contingent creatures into existence out of nothing, being Almighty or of Infinite Power or Omnipotent, must necessarily be One Almighty Being. From Him all creatures came into being and received the power to reproduce others, as the Bible records in Genesis. A religion, therefore, which says there are many gods, being contrary to reason, cannot be true.

Do you think that all Hindus are polytheists?

Please see the discussion on the other thread on this. I cited this letter. The "what percentage of humanity will be saved" thread. St. Francis Xavier's https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/1543xavier1.asp

Michael asked:" Xavier, Saint Francis in his letter mentions that the Brahmins, and how they secretly believed that there was one God, but that they kept the people worshiping idols in order to have these through their offerings to the gods, support them. Is this still the case in India?

And I said: "Yes, to a point. In fact, Ch. 8 of the Bhagvad Gita is titled: "CHAPTER VIII - Of Religion by Devotion to the One Supreme God". The false and foolish idea that there are many gods is so absurd and contrary to reason that it is astonishing anyone can still believe that in this 21st Century. Anyway, St. Francis Xavier makes clear that those who wish to preach the Gospel in India must begin with, The First Commandment of All, there is only One True God, and no other false god beside Him, which is also the First Article of the Creed, We believe in One God. This Truth can be proven by reason."

Many who have deeply reflected on it have realized there is only One God. Unfortunately, many Hindus, even today, wrongly believe, even cows and animals can be worshipped, not understanding that this is gravely sinful and offensive to the One Almighty God https://devdutt.com/articles/why-do-hindus-worship-cows/ Those who Care for their Souls must teach them the Truth, and pray and hope and work that their Souls will one day be saved, as I hope and intend to do. God Bless.

Get the book "The Five Proofs of God" by Edward Feser.  I believe it is what you are looking for.

Checked it out. Reviews were good. Ordered it.

God Bless.

[Justin Martyr]

Have you looked into the Transcendental Argument for God?

[AlNg]

Aquinas offers a similar argument: If there were several gods, there would be several perfect beings but "if none of these perfect beings lacks some perfection," and if none of them has "any admixture of imperfection ...., nothing will be given in which to distinguish the perfect beings from one another" (Aquinas, 158).

In the light of this reasoning given by (Aquinas, 158).
How does one explain that
Each Person of the Trinity is perfect and does not lack some perfection. But
The Father is distinguished from the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Son is distinguished from the Father and the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is distinguished from the Father and the Son.

[Michael Wilson]

Each person is God, for in God there is only one substance. So each person is God and all three are God. Oneness in nature, trinity in persons.
Here is the "Athanasian Creed": https://www.beginningcatholic.com/athanasian-creed

[AlNg]

Each person is God, for in God there is only one substance. So each person is God and all three are God. Oneness in nature, trinity in persons.
Here is the "Athanasian Creed": https://www.beginningcatholic.com/athanasian-creed

Aquinas writes: " nothing will be given in which to distinguish the perfect beings from one another" (Aquinas, 158)."
But each Person of the Trinity is distinguished from the other two?

[Michael Wilson]

Yes, they are distinguished from their origin and relationship: The Father proceeds from no-one, and begets the Son; the Son proceeds from the Father, and with the Father begets (Spirates) the Holy Ghost; the Holy Ghost proceeds from both the Father and the Son, and does not beget anyone. Yet, there is still only one divine substance, not three. There is three divine Persons, not one.
On the Aquinas reference, what is that? Is it from the Summa? 

[AlNg]

On the Aquinas reference, what is that? Is it from the Summa?

Summa Contra Gentiles Ch. 42 par 3:
Praeterea. Ostensum est Deum esse omnino perfectum, cui nulla perfectio desit. Si igitur sunt plures dii, oportet esse plura huiusmodi perfecta. Hoc autem est impossibile: nam si nulli eorum deest aliqua perfectio, nec aliqua imperfectio admiscetur, quod requiritur ad hoc quod aliquid sit simpliciter perfectum, non erit in quo ad invicem distinguantur. Impossibile est igitur plures deos ponere.

[Michael Wilson]

Thanks for the quote; here is the google translation:

In addition It is shown that God is absolutely perfect, in whom no perfection is lacking. Therefore, if there are many gods, there must be many such perfect ones. But this is impossible: for if none of them lacks any perfection, nor is any imperfection mixed in, which is required for something to be simply perfect, there will be nothing in which they are distinguished from one another. It is therefore impossible to posit more gods.

Here St. Thomas is speaking about the fact that there can only be one supreme and perfect God; and he goes through the argument of logic. He is not dealing with the doctrine of the Blessed Trinity, which is a truth beyond reason, and can only be known by God's revelation.
The S.C.G. Is mainly an apologetical work and the part that this is extracted from comes from the section where St. Thomas investigates the nature of God as can be known by the light of natural reason.

Book I begins with general questions of truth and natural reason, and from chapter 10 investigates the concept of a monotheistic God. Chapters 10 to 13 are concerned with the existence of God, followed by a detailed investigation of God's properties (chapters 14 to 102). When demonstrating a Truth about God which can be known through reason, St. Thomas gives multiple arguments, each proving the same Truth in a different way.