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Our Lady of Guadalupe
Catholic Church
13715 Riggs Road, Helotes, Texas 78023

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You are here: Home / Adult Faith Formation / Adult Catechesis / The Existence of God and the Law of Man

The Existence of God and the Law of Man

By Fr. Tony

  • En Español

A law can be defined as a “rule and measure of acts that induce man to act and by which he can be likewise persuaded to not act.”

Every law owes its existence to the intelligence that created it. It is not conceivable that puppies invented the law that regulates traffic; in fact, there isn’t a puppy or another animal that would stop in its tracks upon seeing a red stop light, and continue on its way when the light turned green. Yet, if any animal should perceive a burnt smell in the woods, or see smoke from afar, it would move in the opposite direction. Astronauts on diverse space missions use great mathematical and physical calculations to leave the atmosphere and go to the moon, or to place satellites in orbit.   These physical laws were not created by man; if they had been, man himself would have simplified them to achieve all his space conquests. Its complexity is not randomly explained, because what is random is spontaneous, the same way something suddenly arises, it can randomly be undone or disappear. A book is not generated from nothing. Behind it are ideas, concepts and thoughts from one or several minds that conceive it. The laws of nature are even more complex. If I cannot conceive of a book being randomly created, would it be reasonable, then, to imagine that the laws of astrophysics arose from spontaneous generation, or by chance?

There are some laws that we necessarily adapt to as human beings. The law of life is very complex and the fact is that even until now, man has not been able to create life and even less likely intelligent and free life. Furthermore, the primary law of our understanding tells us that we distinguish being as opposed to ‘nothing’ and that which ‘is’ from that which ‘is not’. The primary law of our conscience or will teaches us that “we should do good and avoid evil”. The primary laws of our understanding and of our will are called “first principles”. None of this is invented by man; nor is it a result of cultural conditioning. Rather it is culture that bases itself on the laws of life, and on the first principles of reason and action.

The great philosophers have tried to demonstrate the existence of God through various rational venues, for instance: ‘movement’, ‘the gradation (degrees) of beings,’ etc. This will be the topic that with God’s will, we will explore next.

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La existencia de Dios y la ley en el hombre

Por el padre José Antonio Caballero (Fr. Tony)

Una ley se puede definir como “regla y medida de los actos por la que se induce al hombre a actuar y por la que se le persuade de que no actúe”.

Toda ley debe su existencia a una inteligencia que la ha creado. No es concebible que los perritos hayan inventado la ley que regula el tráfico; de hecho, no hay un solo perrito ni ningún otro animal que detenga su curso ante la luz roja del semáforo o reemprenda su camino cuando ésta se pone de color verde. En cambio todo animal si percibe el olor a quemado en un bosque, si ve el humo que sale a lo lejos, toma un camino inverso al del fuego. Los astronautas en las diversas naves espaciales que dirigen, han de realizar grandes cálculos físicos y matemáticos para salir de nuestra atmósfera, para llegar a la luna, para poner en órbita otros satélites. Estas leyes físicas no las ha creado el hombre; de ser así, el hombre mismo las habría simplificado para poder realizar las diversas conquistas espaciales. Su complejidad no se explica por el azar, ya que lo que se crea por azar es espontáneo y así como surge de repente, de repente se deshace o desaparece. Un libro no surgió de la nada. Detrás de él hay ideas, conceptos y juicios en una o varias mentes que lo concibieron. Las leyes de la naturaleza son mucho más complejas. Si no me cabe en la cabeza pensar que un libro se haya hecho solo, ¿es comprensible imaginar que las leyes de la astrofísica surgieron por generación espontánea, por azar?

Hay unas leyes a las que nos adaptamos necesariamente en cuanto seres humanos. La ley de la vida es complejísima y el hecho es que hasta la fecha el hombre no ha podido crear la vida y mucho menos la vida inteligente y libre. La ley primaria de nuestro entendimiento nos dice que distinguimos el ser de la nada, aquello que es de lo que no es. La ley primaria de nuestra conciencia o voluntad nos enseña que “hemos de hacer el bien y de evitar el mal”. A las leyes primarias de nuestro entendimiento y de nuestra voluntad se les denomina “primeros principios”. Nada de esto lo ha inventado el hombre, ni se debe a condicionamientos culturales. Más bien, la cultura se basa en la ley de vida, y en los primeros principios del razonar y del obrar.

Los grandes filósofos han tratado de demostrar la existencia de Dios desde diversas “vías racionales”, como desde el movimiento, desde la gradación de los seres, etc… Será éste el tema que atajaremos la próxima vez con el favor de Dios.

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Filed Under: Adult Catechesis

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Faith Explained/Fe Explicada

October 16, 2015 By Laura Donaldson

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(210) 695-8791
Fax: (210) 695-9957

Mailing Address

Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
13715 Riggs Rd.
Helotes, TX 78023
olgemail@olghelotes.org

Parish Office Hours

Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
We are closed for Lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Location of Church & Parish Office

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church is located at 13715 Riggs Road, Helotes, Texas, 78023.

OLG's Annex Property is located at 11762 FM 1560, Helotes, Texas, 78023.

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