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FOR EXAMPLE, CONSIDER THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE.
SCIENTISTS TELL US THAT IN ALL PROBABILITY THE UNIVERSE
SPRANG INTO EXISTENCE A FINITE TIME AGO.
NOW THAT'S AN EVENT THAT REQUIRES A CAUSE.
NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT A CAUSE.
BUT WHAT COULD COUNT AS THE CAUSE OF THE ORIGIN
OF THE UNIVERSE?
THE BEST EXPLANATION IS THAT GOD CREATED THE UNIVERSE
OUT OF NOTHING.
THERE'S FURTHER EVIDENCE IN THE LAWS OF NATURE AND THE WAY
THAT THE PHYSICAL PARTS OF THE UNIVERSE ARE ARRANGED
TO MAKE OUR LIVES AS PHYSICAL ORGANISMS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO EXIST AND FLOURISH AS HUMAN BEINGS
BECAUSE THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN SPECIALLY DESIGNED
FOR OUR EXISTENCE.
ANY SLIGHT ALTERATION IN PHYSICAL CONDITIONS WOULD MAKE
IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO FLOURISH OR EVEN EXIST.
THIS IS EVIDENCE OF A DESIGN PLAN, AND HENCE,
A DESIGNER WE CALL GOD.
A THIRD CATEGORY OF EVIDENCE WOULD BE THE EVIDENCE
OF OUR MORAL INTUITIONS AND OUR MORAL JUDGMENTS.
WE ALL FIND IT MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE WHEN CERTAIN
THINGS HAPPEN, AND IT ISN'T JUST THAT WE DISAGREE
WITH PEOPLE WHO BEHAVE IN THESE WAYS.
WE THINK THERE IS SOMETHING DEEPLY WRONG.
WHEN WE OBSERVE IN THE NEWS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED ***,
*** OR HAVE BEEN MURDERED, INNOCENT CHILDREN
HAVE BEEN TORTURED FOR NO GOOD REASON AT ALL.
WE KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE NOT JUST MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE
BUT ABSOLUTELY MORALLY WRONG
AND ANYBODY WHO DISAGREES IS MISTAKEN.
BUT WHAT MAKES THEM WRONG?
THERE MUST BE A MORAL LAWGIVER WHO HOLDS US ACCOUNTABLE
AND MAKES US RESPONSIBLE, GIVES US A CONSCIENCE.
THAT WOULD BE GOD.
FINALLY, THERE'S A REALLY INTERESTING,
KIND OF UNUSUAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF
GOD THAT SOME ATHEISTS USE TO ARGUE THAT GOD DOES NOT EXIST,
AND IT'S THE EVIDENCE OF EVIL IN THE WORLD,
PAIN AND SUFFERING.
YOU SEE, EVIL IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE.
AND THERE CAN'T BE A WAY THINGS OUGHT TO BE IF THERE ISN'T
A DESIGN PLAN FOR THE UNIVERSE.
THERE CAN'T BE A DESIGN PLAN UNLESS THERE'S A DESIGNER.
THE DESIGNER MAKES THE UNIVERSE A CERTAIN WAY,
AND ANY DEPARTURE FROM THAT IS THE WAY THINGS OUGHT NOT TO BE.
THAT WOULD BE EVIL.
EVIL, THEN, IS EVIDENCE FOR, NOT AGAINST, THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.