5 Ways of St. Thomas

 

Gian Nicolo D.R. D .R. Tablada 1A6 FIVE WAYS WAYS OF ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

REFLECTION PAPER  I find it amusing o! "t. Tomas A#uinas us$d %iloso%& as t$ foundation of is stat$m$nts. 'no!ing tat is !o() !as mostl& %att$(n$d on t$ famous %iloso%$( A(istotl$. *Amusing+ b$caus$ in t$ $&$s of man&, !$ll at l$ast tat+s !at I tin), %iloso%$(s a($ mostl& non-b$li$$(s but, "t. Tomas A#uinas %(o$d tat t(oug using %iloso%& to fu(t$( $/%lain t$olog& and0o( ic$ $(sa is $(& $ffici$nt. is fi$ 234 !a&s !as $/t($m$l& cl$a( and !as not confusing to m$. Eac of t$ fi$ !as st(ongl& su%%o(t$d !it !$ll tougt out ($asoning, !ic is $(& a(d to a(gu$ !it. 5an& of t$ a(gum$nts of !ic I a$ tougt of, !as ans!$($d !it su%%o(ting stat$m$nts tat !$($ t(ul& conincing. ltimat$l&, I ag($$ !it t$ %(oofs %($s$nt$d b& "t. Tomas. 'no!ing t$s$ %(oofs tat God $/ists, o! !ill it no! aff$ct m$ as an indiidual7 T$s$ $id$nc$s $l%$d m$ not onl&, fo(tif& fo(t if& m& a%%($ciation a%%($ciation of God+s God+s !o() and God ims$lf ims$lf but also, st($ngt$n st($ngt$n m& fait. fait. 8&7 9$caus$ !it $ac %(oof tat "t. Tomas laid out com$s %(oof of God+s b$ing and !it it com$s  %(oof of is lo$ and ca($ fo( us. And And !it t$s$ %(oofs, God as b$com$ t(u$( to m$. Fo( $/am%l$, t$ :P(oof f(om 5otion; and :P(oof f(om N$c$ssa(& s. Possibl$ b$ing;, it sa&s, tat noting can mo$ !itout an $/t$(nal fo(c$ act$d u%on it and tat noting in ou( !o(ld is n$c$ssa(&, $/c$%t on$< ($s%$cti$l&. No!, o! do$s tis %(o$ God+s $/ist$nc$7 It connot$s tat $ is t$ $/t$(nal fo(c$ tat acts u%on us all, tat !itout God, noting in ou( !o(ld !ill  %(og($ss o( !o(s$, t$ !o(ld as !$ )no! it, ma& not $$n $/ist at all. And in ($lation !it t$ ot$( %(oof, it im%li$s tat t$ li)$s of us umans and $$(&ting $ls$ is unn$c$ssa(&, !it t$ $/c$%tion of on$ n$c$ssa(& b$ing, God. 9$tt$( #u$stion, o! do$s tis %(o$ is lo$ fo( us7 Fi(st, I !ould li)$ &ou to fatom t$ fact tat a "o$($ign b$ing, God, t$ onl& n$c$ssa(& b$ing )no!n to man, a b$ing tat n$$ds no $/t$(nal fo(c$ act$d u%on im to mo$, !ould c($at$ a !o(ld so b$autiful and $nticing fo( us to li$ in. A %lac$ $ c($at$d fo( us umans to find a%%in$ss, to find lo$, to find %$ac$ and a(mon&, to find unit& among $ac ot$( and most im%o(tant, to find God. Com$ to tin) of it, t$($ is no logical ($ason fo( God to c($at$ all of tis, no ($ason fo( im to c($at$ us at all, $ could a$ =ust l$t $$(&ting b$ !itout is and in %la&, sinc$ $ is t$ "u%($m$ 9$ing and !$ a($ m$($ unn$c$ssa(& b$ings onl&, no logical ($ason in $/c$%tion of on$, lo$.

 

Gian Nicolo D.R. D .R. Tablada 1A6 It is God+s lo$ tat u(g$d im to!a(ds c($ating us and t$ !o(ld !$ li$ in, and it+s !at continu$s to %us im in guiding us to t$ (igt$ous %at of lif$. Tis is !at "t. Tomas mad$ m$ ($ali>$, tis is !at $ mad$ m$ a%%($ciat$ God+s unconditional lo$. T$ m$($ fact tat t$ G($at$st 9$ing !$ )no! of ca($s and lo$s us, %lac$s und$finabl$ and und$niabl$ a%%in$ss u%on m& $a(t. 8it tis in mind, "t. Tomas A#uinas as fu(t$( fo(tifi$d m& fait and mad$ God $$( so t(u$ to m& $&$. 9ut d$s%it$ !at "t. Tomas as said !it conc($t$ foundations, foundations, som$ still still #u$stion #u$stion its iabilit&, $s%$ciall& in ou( da& and ag$, t$ ag$ of sci$nc$ and t$cnolog&. 8$($ $$(&on$ !ants a sci$ntific $/%lanation fo( $$(&ting. As muc as I )no!, !$ cannot %(o$ God+s $/ist$nc$ sci$ntificall& in a conc($t$ !a& b$caus$, fo( on$ !$ can+t s$$ God %&sicall& and !$ can+t $/%$(im$nt on God. 8$ cannot sim%l& t$st t$ clouds to c$c) fo( God+s blood sam%l$s. Tat !ould b$ absu(d. 9ut "t. Tomas t$n said tat God+s $ss$nc$ is is $/ist$nc$, t$ id$a and $ss$nc$ of God is som$ting tat !$ can %(o$. 8$ ma& not b$ abl$ to find sci$ntific %(oofs of God+s $/ist$nc$ but, !at !$ can s$$ a($ God+s t(ul& ama>ing and amusing c($ations. 8it its com%l$/it&, !$ can assum$ tat all of tis cannot =ust a%%$n b& canc$, a g($at$( b$ing must a$ d$sign$d $$(&ting, and som$on$ !it a g($at int$ll$ctual mind must a$ mad$ all of tis %ossibl$, God. It is still ($l$ant fo( all t$  %(oofs a($ still as conc($t$ and t(u$ as t$& !$($ b$fo($. And it !ill ($main ($l$ant and iabl$ as long as !$ a$ fait in it. Tis fait, is !at continu$s to d(i$ ou( b$li$f tat God is som$!$($ out t$($ %(oiding us guidanc$ in ou( da& to da& li$s. In conclusion, "t. Tomas, !it is still ($l$ant and iabl$ ($asons to %(o$ God+s $/ist$nc$, $l%$d m$ a%%($ciat$ God ims$lf along !it is c($ations of !ic I !ill a%%l& and ($lat$ to m& $$(&da& lif$ b& %($acing is !o(), d$f$nding God to tos$ !o d$n& is $/ist$nc$ and to %a& bac) God+s lo$ t(oug loing im and submitting m&s$lf to im as sign of m& fait. "t. Tomas A#uinas as not onl& b(oad$n out m& und$(standing of God+s $/ist$nc$ but also st($ngt$n$d m& fait, fo( no! I am su($ tat God is $($ and !ill sta& b& m& sid$ fo( as long as I a$ fait in im. -End-