Existence of God and the Argument of Morality

I would like to present an argument in favor of Existence of God, as a rational argument, based on the moral system inherent in human nature.

External influences can of course weaken and distort a man’s true nature so much so that it may disappear altogether. Yet from time to time it makes its presence felt. However evil man may have become, his natural inclination is towards good as opposed to evil. Even a hardened thief whose true human nature is buried under the weight of sin, sometimes get tired of people reproaching him and tries to ward off the criticism of his own conscience that beckons: 'There is nothing wrong with stealing; it is a profession like any other. I work hard like everyone else and even put my life in danger to earn a living for my family'. But such moments do come in his life when his nature curses him for his wrong deeds. This is why when many thieves progress from adolescence to maturity, and become conscious of the proximity of death, they repent for their sins and follow the voice of their conscience.

When a man’s conscience has been completely silenced and he becomes proud of his misdeeds, one feels that he has no sense of good and evil. A watchful eye, however, will find that he is not totally deprived of this innate sense of good and evil. His conscience might seem to be dead when dealing with others, but when it comes to the way people deal with him, his subdued nature breaks through veils of darkness and never allows anyone to take away his right to discriminate between good and evil. For example, a seasoned thief who has virtually stifled his nature by stealing again and again might try to justify his actions, but the moment someone else lays his hands on his possessions, his conscience wakes up and he zealously defends his rights. Similarly, an adulterer who fools around with other people’s daughters, sisters, and wives, gets so absorbed in his sinfulness that if someone tries to stop him he stubbornly responds that there is nothing wrong with what he is doing and it is no one’s business. But if some other ill-fated person were to do the same to this man’s family, his eyes would spit fire. He would forget that if he is entitled to satisfy his desires as he chooses, so are others. Similarly, a liar or a forger gets pleasure by deceiving others, but when someone tries to deceive him, he storms into a fit of rage and even tries to avenge himself.

This sense of good and evil inherent in every man serves as a wonderful proof that man has not come into existence by chance, rather he has been made for a particular purpose by a Conscious, All-knowing, Wise Being. The purpose of man’s creation is that he should open the doors of progress for himself by nourishing the conscience which has been implanted in him like a seed, and try to mould himself according to the source of perfect beauty, benevolence and the sole fountain of life, i.e. God Almighty. In order to attain eternal life, he should march towards the highest peaks of beauty and benevolence

Consider, for a moment whether this sense of good and evil rooted in every man’s nature, and this hidden fountain of light which has its source in the breast of every son of Adam, can ever be the result of a blind chance or mere evolution? It clearly shows that the Creator of this consciousness of good and bad is a highly conscious Being Who has created man to enhance this natural faculty and to receive great rewards from his Lord.

Some people would have us believe that this world is like a machine so designed that its different components work together in their own spheres; and that no God is required to govern it. Do such people honestly think that the consciousness of man is also a result of a blind mechanism? Is there any machine in the world, or can there possibly be such a machine that is so designed that it should distinguish between the rich and the poor, the lucky and the unlucky, young and old, weak and healthy?

Can you imagine a flour grinding machine which grinds quicker and better for the poor people and orphans, but less so for the rich and healthy? If such a machine does not, and cannot, exist, then the presence of this sense of good and evil in the heart of every man, his natural inclination towards being good, merciful, loving, forgiving and kind are all proofs that man is not like a machine. It proves that some rational and conscious Being has infused all these natural sentiments into man to achieve a certain objective.

Someone might yet argue that man’s conscience is only due to his circumstances, his environment and the traditions of his family and country, and that the realisation of good and bad is not the voice of human nature, but rather it is because people have learned from past experiences what is good for them and what is harmful. This consciousness has so long been ingrained in society that it has now turned into what is called conscience.

When we reflect on this objection, we find that the consciousness of good and evil can only come about in two ways i.e. either from experience or as a natural gift from a Higher Being. There is no third possibility. The first thing we notice in this consciousness of good and evil is that it has been equally present in man throughout history. It has appeared in the same form and pattern in every nation and in every age. This clearly shows that it is not a result of experience or environment; rather it has been implanted in human nature by some Transcendental and Superior Power.

The habits which take root in different nations are due to the experiences they acquired from age to age. This was especially true in the earlier ages when nations were unaware of other nations and there were no means of mutual communication. If the above hypotheses were true, then moral consciousness should have appeared in different forms in different nations, as the circumstances of each nation was different. But we do not find this to be the case, for moral consciousness has been equally present in every nation and in every age. Let us take, for instance, two nations of the world, whose circumstances are totally different: one cultured, educated, and civilized, and the other totally ignorant and uncivilized. We find that despite all these differences, their consciousness is exactly the same. The only difference is in the way this consciousness has developed. But the essence of this consciousness remains the same. This shows that the consciousness of good and evil is not based on people’s experiences, but it is a natural gift and none of the progeny of Adam has been deprived of it.

The second argument to prove that this consciousness has been naturally gifted to man is the evidence of natural phenomena. These phenomena have nothing to do with prior experience or learning. We do find consciousness operating in a manner that it can be attributed to prior experiences. It undoubtedly comes from a Higher Being, Who has some special purpose in putting this consciousness in man. For instance, we find that respect for the dead is universal and found among every people and in every age, but it is not something that can be shown to have originated from experience, and therefore cannot be attributed to anything other than the voice of human nature.

The third argument is that in some cases this consciousness of good and evil is against the very norms and traditions of a people. For instance, austerity arises in a nation due to the circumstances stretching over a long period of time. People inclined towards cruelty become callous, hardhearted and unforgiving. Despite this, if we closely study their psyche and carefully analyse their lives, we find in them a sense of sympathy. Similarly we find people over whom kindness, forgiveness, and meekness hold sway and their national traditions are characterised by these sentiments. However, on closer examination, we find that they are still aware of the fact that strictness and severity is at times necessary for reformation while forgiveness and kindness could be counterproductive. Therefore, they, too, adopt punishment and accountability as a means of bringing about reformation. This proves that sometimes the consciousness of good and evil is juxtaposed to the traditions and psyche of a people.

Human nature may be subdued by external influences, but it does not vanish completely. At times, national or family traditions mould the attitudes of people and develop a new nature also called second nature. But whenever the true nature finds an opportunity, it breaks through the second nature and gushes forth like lava from a volcano.

Though second nature is born out of experience and tradition, it is not the human nature, for the latter is free from all external influences and is an inherent part of man. It is the nature which has been so wisely granted the consciousness of good and evil, and this fact proves unmistakably that it is the Mighty Hand of a Conscious and All-Powerful Creator Who has endowed man with this treasure for some noble purpose. The Holy Quran says:

'And He revealed to it what is wrong for it and what is right for it…' (al-Shams 91:9)

This means that God has vouchsafed the consciousness of good and evil to man and has revealed to him the knowledge of right and wrong. Again, the Holy Quran says:

'And We have pointed out to him the two highways of good and evil.' (al-Balad 90:11)