Can man, without the light of faith, by his reason alone, know that God exists?

[Colo Millz]

St. Paul writes to the Hebrews (11:6): “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and is a Rewarder to them that seek Him”. It is asked by many: “Can man, without the light of faith, by his reason alone, know that God exists?” He certainly can. For the 18th Psalm says: “The heavens show forth the glory of God”; and St. Paul writes to the Romans (1:20): “The invisible things of Him (of God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and Divinity”. Hence the Vatican Council, in 1870, defined that it is possible for the existence of God, the Beginning and the End of all things, to be gathered with certainty from created things, by the aid of the natural light of human reason (Sess. III, Ch. 2).

Charles Coppens, A Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion, Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Editions (St. Louis, MO; London: B. Herder Book Company, 1917), 117.

 

[Colo Millz]

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

English Standard Version Catholic Edition (n.p.: Augustine Institute, 2019), Ro 1:20.

 

[Hentenza]

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

English Standard Version Catholic Edition (n.p.: Augustine Institute, 2019), Ro 1:20.

Paul here is talking about some that knew God. These are without excuse.

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. | New American Standard Bible - NASB (NASB2020) | Download The Bible App No

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

bible.com

 

[Colo Millz]

Paul here is talking about some that knew God. These are without excuse.

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Romans 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. | New American Standard Bible - NASB (NASB2020) | Download The Bible App No

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

bible.com

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

English Standard Version Catholic Edition (n.p.: Augustine Institute, 2019), Ps 53:1.

 

[Hentenza]

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

English Standard Version Catholic Edition (n.p.: Augustine Institute, 2019), Ps 53:1.

You obviously misunderstood my post. I am not arguing that the fool can come to God by himself. No one can come to God on their own. But the verse that you posted was out of context so I posted the context.

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭44‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

John 6:44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. | New American Standard Bible - NASB (NASB2020) | Download The Bible App Now

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

bible.com

 

[Colo Millz]

Coming to Jesus Christ is different from reasoning to the existence of God.

 

[Hentenza]

Coming to Jesus Christ is different from reasoning to the existence of God.

If any unbeliever reasons the existence of God then he/she would become a believer because God has softened their heart. Unbelievers typically reason the non existence of God.

 

[BobRyan]

St. Paul writes to the Hebrews (11:6): “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and is a Rewarder to them that seek Him”. It is asked by many: “Can man, without the light of faith, by his reason alone, know that God exists?” He certainly can. For the 18th Psalm says: “The heavens show forth the glory of God”; and St. Paul writes to the Romans (1:20): “The invisible things of Him (of God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and Divinity”. Hence the Vatican Council, in 1870, defined that it is possible for the existence of God, the Beginning and the End of all things, to be gathered with certainty from created things, by the aid of the natural light of human reason (Sess. III, Ch. 2).

Charles Coppens, A Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion, Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Editions (St. Louis, MO; London: B. Herder Book Company, 1917), 117.

The problem is that there is no way to find out. There is no such thing as a fallen human being in a world with no God at all.

We can say from Romans 1 that because God exists even pagans and atheists can know that there is a God. But we cannot say "Yes but if God did not exist they would still know" or "if God ceased to exist they would know" or ...

 

[BobRyan]

Coming to Jesus Christ is different from reasoning to the existence of God.

Romans 1 makes it clear that God has established conditions such that we can reason and deduce that God exists.

The part that it less clear is what we would know in the case that God did not exist or that God tried to hide the fact that He exists.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

St. Paul writes to the Hebrews (11:6): “He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and is a Rewarder to them that seek Him”. It is asked by many: “Can man, without the light of faith, by his reason alone, know that God exists?” He certainly can. For the 18th Psalm says: “The heavens show forth the glory of God”; and St. Paul writes to the Romans (1:20): “The invisible things of Him (of God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made; His eternal power also and Divinity”. Hence the Vatican Council, in 1870, defined that it is possible for the existence of God, the Beginning and the End of all things, to be gathered with certainty from created things, by the aid of the natural light of human reason (Sess. III, Ch. 2).

Charles Coppens, A Systematic Study of the Catholic Religion, Nineteenth, Twentieth and Twenty-First Editions (St. Louis, MO; London: B. Herder Book Company, 1917), 117.

Akanakten believe in one God and it could have been the one true God. The priests hated him for it.