Who created God?

In a quick stroke, the answer is none. But before we give the justification, allow us first to trace the presuppositions of the question.

Militant atheists, like Richard Dawkins[1], use this kind question to bring forth doubt and unnecessary uncertainty in the faith of the Christian theist, that is, someone who believes in the existence and truth of the Judæo-Christian God as especially revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

While a biologist, Mr. Dawkins asks the question, which has a very philosophical overtone. The comment is such because any attempts to discuss God/god, myths, religion, and truth are downright engaging in the question of the “What is the ultimate reality?” This is the very concern of philosophy, specifically its branch known as Metaphysics, more particularly in the realm of Ontology (the study of being and its grounds).

The Christian theist believes that God, i.e. the God of the Bible is the “ultimate reality”. God, that is, the Judæo-Christian God, revealed Himself as the “ground of being” (Cf. Paul Tillich[2]). St. Anselm[3] even said that “God is the greatest conceivable being”.

Going more straightly on the question, thus, we have to be more specific of the terms. “God” here, means the personal power/force, the creator of everything that is (very) good (Genesis 1, John 1:1). He is the explanation of all that exists (Colossians 1:16). He created the material universe constituted by time, space, matter and consciousness (Joh. 1:3). He, hence, predates the universe and everything therein (Colossians 1:17). He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 1:8, 22:13), but He neither has beginning or end. He simply is (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58). His being is one that is necessary. He is a necessary being (vs. contingent being)[4]. He cannot not exist, so to speak. His life is Himself.

It only means that God as the creator, is not created. He does not need a creator, because He is not created. He is uncreated. And being the ultimate reality, that is, the ultimate explanation of everything, “the rock bottom, irreducible Fact on which all other facts depend[5]”, He does not need to have an explanation, neither is it necessary to have an explanation of the explanation, or else one will lead to what philosophers call “infinite regress”[6], where everything loses explanation and meaning.

In a deductive method of argumentation, we may have the answer in the following structure:

1. Everything that began to exist has a cause.

2. The universe began to exist.

3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.[7]

This cause, needless to say, is God, forwards by the Christian theist, with William Lane Craig[8] in the forefront.

To conclude, Zacharias and Geisler (2003) put the matter without mincing words:

“If a universe is not eternal, it needs a cause. On the other hand, if it has no beginning, it does not need a cause of its beginning. Likewise, if a God exists who has no beginning, it is absurd to ask, ‘who made God?’ It is a category mistake to ask, ‘Who made the Unmade?’ or ‘Who created the Uncreated?’ One may as well ask, ‘Where is the bachelor’s wife?’”[9].

[1] He is the author of the popular books like “The God Delusion” (2006) and “The Blind Watchmaker” (1986), who has committed to follow Darwinian theories as a case against anything religious, specifically Christian, for that matter.

[2] One needs to have a huge grain of salt in reading this guy, however, since he tends to give a very liberal hermeneutics of the Scriptures, which, in turn, let of the fundamental articles and doctrines of the Christian faith.

[3]St. Anselm is one of the church fathers who forwarded an Ontological Argument for the existence of God- http://www3.nd.edu/~afreddos/courses/intro/ontarg.htm. While he can be a good reference, a careful researcher would see that some, if not most of his line of argumentation have been reconsidered across time for better articulation of the Christian faith in the face of daunting criticisms.

[4] For further reference, read Norman Geisler’s discussion of this topic in “When Skeptics Ask”.

[5] Lewis, Clive, S. Mere Christianity. P.184. HarperOne.

[6] For further references, click http://www.informationphilosopher.com/knowledge/infinite_regress.html

[7] This is the famous Kalam Cosmological argument, which can be closely tied up with the Ontological argument for the existence of God. For further references, go to www.reasonablefaith.org and look for the term Kalam Cosmological argument, Argument from contingency and Ontological argument.

[8] William Lane Craig is a contemporary Christian Philosopher and debater, famous for his defense of the Kalam Cosmological Argument. His books: “Reasonable Faith” and “On Guard” are materials that treat such questions, though on a popular, but a in very comprehensive level.

[9] Zacharias, Ravi and Geisler, Norman. (Gen. Eds.). 2003. “Who made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith”. Zondervan.