This week I read an article that I found to be fascinating and wanted to share it with you. It was written by Father Robert Barron, who is the founder of Word on Fire and the Rector/President of Mundelein Seminary and discusses one of the classical demonstrations of God’s existence, the argument from desire. (You can read the full article here)
Every innate or natural desire corresponds to some objective state of affairs that fulfills it. Now we all have an innate or natural desire for ultimate fulfillment, ultimate joy, which nothing in this world can possibly satisfy. Therefore, there must exist objectively a supernatural condition that grounds perfect fulfillment and happiness, which people generally refer to as “God.”
Those who dismiss the argument from desire might say, “Well, I wish that I could fly like a bird, but obviously this is impossible.” Yes, but that does not mean that flight doesn’t exist. Clearly it does.
Does the argument from desire prove that God exists? Probably not to the confirmed skeptic. And we know that faith is meant to be a fundamental element in our relationship with God. As Hebrews 11:6 says,
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
I want to encourage you to read the article and see what you think!